News

The North East Motor Sports Museum has received its first helmet donation. The helmet was worn by Tony Stewart during the 2011 season and was presented by Stewart to Dick Berggren on behalf of the museum at the 2012 Prelude to the Dream event at Eldora Speedway.

As a going-away present for pit road announcer Dick Berggren, FOX Sports has promised a $10,000 donation to the museum. A large check facsimile was presented to Berggren at a party held on the night before his final broadcast on the network, the June race at Dover. At that function, Michael Waltrip announced that his company, Michael Waltrip Racing, would match the FOX money with an additional $10,000 donation.

Welcome new members Daniel Scully, Albert Brandy, Leon Swiniarski, Paul Zampieri, Russ and Darlene Nutting, Russ LeDuke, Robert & Sally Worthington, Mike & Julie Stefanik, Russ Truelove, Kenneth Quinney, Ed Duncan and Martin LaVoie.

We are grateful to the Maine Vintage Race Car Association for its show of support by way of a check for $1,000. The check was hand delivered by Andy Cusack at the Beech Ridge Speedway.

Although the attached photo looks as if it might have been taken in the 1960s, in fact it is quite current. The shot is of Jim Martel’s garage and the car is the Billy Murphy #8 which Jim is restoring. The car is owned by NEMS Museum Board Members Pete vonSneidern and Dick Berggren and is being restored by Martel. It won dozens of feature events and was driven by more than a dozen brave men during the golden age of supermodifi

The Maine Vintage Race Car Association’s representative, Beech Ridge Speedway promoter Andy Cusack, presented the Racing History Preservation Group with a $1,000 donation in support of the Group’s planned motorsports museum. Shown receiving the check is Dick Berggren, the Group’s president who said the Maine Vintage’s support of the project is thoroughly appreciated.

Please welcome new members Harry Johnson Jr., Ken Schena (a former NESMRA supermodified driver), Russ and Darlene Nutting (Russ is a NEAR Hall of Fame member), Ric Mariscal (who is already a Board member), Bucky Swiniarski, Lloyd Hutchins Jr (also a Board member), Paul Zampieri, Ron Bouchard (a NEAR Hall of Fame member and a RHPG Board member who joined at the Platinum level), Dave Coutermarsh (a member of the Maine Hall of Fame), and Marvin Galarneau all of whom joined in April.

Lime Rock Park is holding a car show on Railroad Street in Great Barrington MA on Thursday night May 3 from 5 to 9. The show will include race cars, customs, hot rods and other forms of vehicles including Skip Matczak’s Crown 7 Sprint Car. The Crown 7 will be on display with North East Motor Sports Museum board member Mark Hann who will be there to answer all of your questions about the new museum and invite you to become a member.

Valenti Auto Mall of Mystic CT will be holding a car show Saturday May 5 from 10 to 3 at the dealerships’ 72 Jerry Browne Road location. On display will be the modifieds from the Valenti Modified Racing Series along with other race cars, customs and show cars. North East Motor Sports Museum board member Mark Hann will be there with Skip Matczak’s Crown 7 Sprint Car. Stop by and see the car and Mark who can answer your questions about the new museum and tell you how you can join the museum as a member.

We gratefully acknowledge New Hampshire’s Skip Ambrose for his contribution to the Museum of his collection of Stock Car Racing and Speedway Illustrated magazines. Our library is in need of more such contributions of racing magazines.

The Gavin Couper cut-down was a popular attraction at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway Open House on April 7. The car headlined the North East Motor Sports Museum exhibit at the event and, as you can see, drew a crowd.

Visit representatives of the new North East Motor Sports Museum at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway FANtasy Drive and Open House on Saturday, April 7, 9am-4pm. Get a close-up look at the cut-down driven by Gavin Couper in the 1960s, a car with so much power that it spun the rear tires the entire length of the straightaway.

In mid-March, Skip Matczak brought his vintage sprint car to the Maratta Auto Show in Hartford to help spread the word on the new Northeast motorsports museum that will be built at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.