NEW ENGLAND MOTORSPORTS NORTH For November 26, 2014
By Lou Modestino
Dr. Dick Berggren of Ipswich, MAhas so much knowledge of motorsports, so many experiences and the ability to share all that with fans of the sport. He will be doing just that when he appears at the Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2015 fueled by Sunoco Race Fuels and Distributed by Insinger Performance Race Car and Trade Show set for January 23-25th at the spacious Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA.
The former FOX Network NASCAR pit reporter (2001-2012) will be doing an on-stage discussion and taking questions from what is expected to be a large turnout of race fans. In addition the former publisher of the well-respected Speedway Illustrated magazine will sign autographs.
Berggren will be able to talk about his 26 feature wins as a racer (1967-1981), his work as a writer for local newspapers, his time with Stock Car Racing magazine while he was teaching at Emmanuel College and his time with FOX.
Also he will share with everyone the plans for the North East Motor Sports Museum which will be built on property leased from New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Berggren is the president of the Racing History Preservation Group and a driving force behind the planned 10,000 square foot museum.
“The goal of the museum is to cover all aspects of motorsports from this area, not just NASCAR or drag racing but any and all racing that has taken place in the New England area,” said Berggren. More details can be found at www.nemsmuseum.com.
As part of an effort to raise funds for the museum Berggren will also spend time in the Coastal 181 display area and will be happy to sign copies of a new book “A History of Auto Racing in New England.” Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the show. Part of the proceeds from the book will go to the museum.
The book, including more than 400 photos, is available for just $34.95 plus $6 S&H from Coastal181.com or telephone 877.907.8181. A great Christmas gift idea.
Berggren will be one of many well-known personalities involved with motorsports along with popular competitors that will be part of the three day show that offers just about everything imaginable in motorsports in 250,000 square feet of well-planned show space. More than 200 motorsports vehicles will be on display including a large selection of historic, collectible, classic, vintage and current unique race cars.
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP) in Connecticut and the American Canadian Tour (ACT), based in Waterbury, VT have agreed that the 2015 ACT Championship Late Model stock car season will crown the ACT Champion at the famed Thompson World Series event on Saturday, October 17, 2015. ACT will join over 15 other divisions at TSMP in a year-end celebration for both fendered and open wheeled race cars.
Vice President and General Manager of ACT, Darla Hartt said, “We are delighted that Thompson has invited ACT to the dance! NASCAR Modifieds, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park’s own Modifed and Late Model divisions, the Valenti Modified Racing Series, Mini Stocks, really, just about every kind of asphalt stock car division in New England is at Thompson’s World Series. We are excited to show fans at TSMP an ACT Late Model 100 lap championship race.”
The event is expected to draw teams and fans from all six New England states, New York and the Province of Quebec. The entry calls for thirty (30) starters. The super-fast 5/8ths mile oval at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park should fit the style of the ACT Late Model teams. The ACT Quebec Series races primarily on half-mile tracks, and US ACT teams have had lots of “long track” experience with numerous events at the Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY and the Devil’s Bowl Speedway half-mile in West Haven, VT. The ACT annual visit to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway during the NASCAR Cup weekend in September has proven to be very competitive and exciting racing for fans. The local weekly Late Model teams that use the ACT rules at TSMP, Waterford and Seekonk are expected to join the ACT regulars.
“I’m a huge believer in the ACT program, and I’d like to thank Tom Curley for working with us to bring an American-Canadian Tour race to Thompson in 2015. We are honored to crown their 2015 Champion as part of our World Series. There are few organizations that could raise the caliber of this event, but ACT is chief among them. Their Tour offers some of the finest fendered racing that this region – and the country – has to offer, and we look forward to having many of the Northeast’s finest Late Model racers back at Thompson for the first time in nearly 23 years,” said Josh Vanada, General Manager of the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
The complete 2015 ACT schedules for the US and Quebec are expected to be released within a week.