rythem inn speedway on the catamountstatuim.com page

scott121476 · Moderator

rythem inn speedway on the catamountstatuim.com page

scott121476 · Moderator

per yankeeracer.com

To preserve a piece of New England auto racing history, let's take a walk back in time to visit a speedway that very few of today's race fans have any knowledge of.

1951 A New Track Debuts for New England Race Fans

When Amedee Roberts, owner of the Rhythm Inn, a popular restaurant and night club located on 20 acres of land in Millers Falls, Massachusetts, announced that he would build a one third-mile race track on land he owned next to the Inn, it was welcome news for New England race fans who were caught up with the growth and popularity of the new craze, stock car auto racing.

Construction began in the early spring of 1951 on a large plot of land adjacent to the Inn. Fifty-foot wide banked turns and third-two-foot wide straightaways were bulldozed into shape. The tight banked turns and long straightaways made for a fast third-mile oval. The track surface was rolled into hardness and finished off to racing perfection with five tons of calcium chloride.

A modern lighting system (1951 era) was installed and a 1200 seat grandstand build alongside Millers Falls Road. Roberts then named the track Rhythm Inn Speedway.

Having little knowledge of race promoting, Roberts contacted his friend Rom Buster Thabeault, owner of a large service station just outside the gates of the Westover Air Force Base, along with Holyoke car owner Roland Huot and his driver Tom Cook. Together they formed a partnership to promote and run the new track. Friday night racing was scheduled to begin late in May with the Connecticut based American Hot Rod Racing Club Inc., the sanctioning body.

A near capacity crowd turned out on Friday night May 26th to witness the six event program that saw Ray Brown of Springfield, Mass., take the first feature checkered flag at Rhythm Inn Speedway. Brown was followed across the line by Clate Collins, Hick Hietala, Tommy Cook, Rene Charland, and Harry Kramer of St. Petersburg, Florida, a hot-shoe Southern driver with many victories at Tampa Speedway Park.

Tom Cook captured his seventh victory in the October 5th 50-lap season finale. Despite capturing the biggest race of the year, Cook lost the track championship to Chuck Viets of Granby, Conn., who drove Art Golding's No. 65 to seven victories, including six consecutive heat, semi-final and feature clean sweeps, that earned him the first Rhythm Inn Speedway track championship.

The first program of Big Car races at the track was held on July 4th when Armand Irish Arpin booked his All State Racing Association sprint cars for a holiday program. Twenty-one cars appeared with versatile driver Jerry Russo, of Webster, Mass., in Fred Hendrickson's beautiful, fast No. 99 Riley romping to a clean sweep. He set fast time with a lap of 19.03 seconds, raced to victory in the second 12 lap heat and then held off Art Rousseau for honors in the 20-lap main. Johnny White finished third and Bob White fourth.

The 1952 Season An Expanded Program

With high expectations for another successful year, promoter Thabeault scheduled two nights of racing for the 1952 season. Friday night racing again sanctioned by American Hot Rod Racing Club the premier date.

Tuesday night racing was scheduled for the season under co-sanction of The Pioneer Valley Racing Association, headquartered in Greenfield, Mass., and the Windham, N.H. Racing Club. The two clubs also raced Sunday afternoons at the New Hampshire Hinsdale Airport Speedway.

With five feature victories Clate Collins captured the '52 track championship. Phil Fusco copped three features while Ed Patnode, Chick Viets, Frank Blum, Slim Trembley and Bernie Gee each garnered two. Lionel Arel and Bob Meek rounded out the 20 features with one each.

Harwood Lucier topped the Tuesday nighters with three victories. Tuesday night racing was not scheduled for the '53 season.

1953 A Season of Tight Competition

Dick Carey took honors in the 1953 opening 25- lap event. Cecil Bosworth scooted into the early lead which he maintained for 12 laps only to lose it to hard-riding Bernie Gee. Meanwhile, Carey was finding his pace as he steadily advanced to take the lead over Gee on the 20th circuit. It was a popular win and Carey of turners Falls received a lusty round of applause from the near capacity crowd.

One week later Big Ed Patnode, achieved victory in the Memorial Day Mad-Cap main taking both 25-lap features and earning $150.

Jerry Russo, veteran big car and midget pilot, defeated a field of 20 all Ford drivers in the July 4 Midget Auto Racing Club sanctioned Midget program by placing first in the 20-lap feature and two other events.

Bernie Gee of Springfield scored his first feature win of the season driving Bill Gurney's No. 52 in flawless fashion to cop the Labor Day 100-lap classic. Placing second in the century run was newcomer Gene White who was followed to starter Rudy Arthofer's checkered flag by Dick Carey, Bobby Meek, Ed Cormie, Frankie Blum and Freddie Crockett.

After capturing regular Friday 25-lap feature events, the winners were paid $100 from the purse. Buddy Krebs became the biggest money winner of the season when he won his sixth feature of the campaign on September 18. Krebs spurted into the lead at the half-way mark and held the spot to the finish without trouble to earn his sixth one-hundred dollar victory.

The highlight of the season was the tight battle for the track championship among five drivers who were in contention going into the 19th and final race of the season on September 25. With the chips down and the track championship within his grasp, Ed Cormie of Greenfield, Mass., unleashed his best driving performance of the season to capture the 50-lap finale on September 25. With this victory, Cormie edged Bernie Gee by 10 points in the final rally toward the 1953 track crown. His six triumphs placed Krebs a close third with Slim Trembley fourth and Dick Carey fifth.

To the victor go the spoils. Such adage fit well during the Third Annual Banquet held at the Rhythm In. Eight beautiful trophies and fifty-two individual-point-fund money awards were presented before an attendance of 250 members and guests who enjoyed a Thanksgiving Day style turkey dinner. A point fund total of $1,394.00 was awarded to 27 driers and 25 car owners. The most outstanding event of the evening as the presentation of the Rhythm Inn Speedway track championship trophy to Ed Cormie by Governor's Councilor Bruce Crane of the Crane Paper Co., of Dalton, Mass., the only manufacturer of paper used for printing U.S. currency.

The 1954 Season The Action Heats Up

In 1954 the track had its busiest season since its opening in 1951 with 20 events staged. Three were canceled by rain.

Driving a powerful new sportsman, Roy Forsythe, of Keene, N.H., added his name to the list of opening night winners as he held off the hard-charging Buddy Krebs to take the first checker of the season on May 7.

Friday, May 14, was a memorable day for Rene Charland, a former stuntman for Irish Horan's Lucky Hell Drivers, when he drove Dave Ruel's No. 3 sportsman to his career first victory.

Midway through the season, Charland, now driving Leo Mattes' No. 107, won his third feature, taking a slim points lead over Ray brown. With several more wins in September, Charland became the fourth Rhythm Inn Speedway sportsman champion.

Later in his career, Charland became a NASCAR champion, annexing four consecutive (1962-'63-'64-'65) National Sportsman Crowns, while racing at speedways along the Eastern seaboard.

The 1955 Season Rumors Fly But Racing Goes On

Contrary to early rumors, Promoter Thabeault emphasized at a March general meeting that the New Owner-Drivers Club would be the sole sanction for the season with open competition. Other rumors held that the speedway would not operate for the season. Thabeault's announcement of the season opener to be held on the first Friday in May effectively squashed that rumor. A second division, B main, was added to the season schedule to augment the premier A sportsman division.

A near capacity crowd witnessed George Janoski capture the July 1 Holiday Trophy 35-lap Class A feature. Janoski powered into the early lead and remained well out from the rest of the race. Ed Cormie returned to the circuit driving Dick Southier's new sportsman and took home second money in christening the new beauty. Dick Carey nosed out Fred Felton for third. Buddy Bardwell edged Ray Chafin in the class B main.

One of the finest displays of driving ever seen at the speedway occurred July 15, when Sony Rabideau, driving his Chrysler powered sportsman named The Beast, captured the A main. Before starter Frank Washer waved the checker, the lead had changed 16 times among Rabideau, Ed Cormie, Buddy Bardwell and Allan Tefoe.

The largest crowd of the season gathered to witness the August 5th mid-season 35-lap main. Starting 22nd, Rene Charland grabbed the lead on the fifth circuit. On lap 13, Lionel Arel found a hole and barreled by Charland. They battled side by side for seven laps with Arel holding a slim advantage. Charland finally regained the lead and had things his own way from lap 23 to the finish. Arel finished second with Slim Trembley third in George Janoski's car as Jammin' George was on vacation. It took Buddy Bardwell just 13 laps to move from 17th to the front in the Class B 35-lap feature. Cecil Bosworth took second and Ray Buxton third.

Rene Charland notched his 7th victory on September 16th, in the final program of the season. With the victory, Charland claimed his second consecutive track championship. When Charland took Frank Washer's checkered flag in the 35 lap event that night, it was the final lap and flag ever at the banked little speedway.

The End of an Era

When financial problems surfaced during the season, owner Roberts decided to sell the Inn and Speedway at the end of the season. Thabeault, who was leasing the Speedway from Roberts, had an option to buy both the Inn and the track. Thabeault, however, turned the offer down when he learned the property was not showing any profit.

Roberts then sold the Inn and Speedway to a Boston booking agent who for many years booked strippers at the Inn for weekend entertainment.

When the new owner took over Thabeault pulled out and the track was closed never to reopen.

Courtesy: R.A. Silvia Collection

Enjoy .. Transcribed by yours truly.
Walt Renner is still with us, attended the 1st and last races at Riverside Park among many places, one can imagine from racing's heyday in the 1950s.

Other than Ray Brown and the two drivers listed below, there's a bunch of names I'm unfamiliar with or never heard of. Anyone with more information please don't hesitate to add it.

Rene Charland is still with us.
George Janoski passed away in January.

yankeeracer · YankeeRacer.com

1961 aerial photo now online:
http://www.historicaerials.com/aerials.php?scale=4E-06&lat=42.5808&lon=-72.5109&year=1961

-- Edited by yankeeracer on Sunday 2nd of January 2011 08:07:05 AM