A Slice Of Connecticut Racing History Relived At Third Annual Plainville Stadium Reunion

Dave Dykes & Phil Hoyt

(BERLIN, CT.) With the local racing season winding-down, there were plenty of events for fans to attend last Saturday. However, perhaps the biggest show of the weekend focused on a Connecticut ¼-miler that’s been shuttered for over three-decades. Joe Tinty’s Plainville Stadium hosted some of the best short-track racing in New England.  

Thanks to the efforts of many of the tracks former competitors, the Berlin Lions Club and the Nutmeg Kart Club, a great deal of the excitement was again relived at the “Third Annual Plainville Stadium Reunion.”

Throughout the day, a steady-stream of fans of the former oval converged on the Berlin Fairgrounds to meet the drivers that were a staple of the excitement that was “The Stadium”. Along with a host of former “Saturday Night Heroes,” there was an assortment of historical artifacts that included everything from antique race cars to a huge photo selection from official track photographer, Phil Hoyt.  

Renowned racing photog Steve Kennedy, who got his start at the Stadium as a young shutterbug, was also present to record the day’s activities. Hoyt was in his old element, snapping shots like it was a Saturday night show at Plainville many years-ago.

Media personalities included award-winning racing journalist and New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame member Pete Zanardi as well as the brothers Danko, Gary and Brian.  

“This is just one of those “feel-good” events, and proves that Plainville Stadium played a significant role in Connecticut racing history. It’s great that the track is getting its due-recognition. It seems like just about all of the best drivers in New England turned-laps at Plainville during its long history” commented Zanardi.   

Racing Historians Ric Mariscal & R.A. Silvia had the New England Antique Racers mobile Hall of Fame Museum present. As-usual, it proved a hugely-popular attraction.   

NEAR Hall of Farmer Billy Harman had his own Plainville Stadium story, and it was a good-one.

“Bobby Judkins and I showed-up there one night in the 1960s with the #2X coupe,” he says. “I was a young racer and I’d never even seen the place, but had heard about-it. By the end of the night, we’d won the feature.  It was a really-nice track, a tight, flat, ¼-miler, with a lot of talented regular competitors. Needless to say, after that first night I learned to really like Plainville!”

With machines provided by the Nutmeg Kart Club, an event for former Stadium drivers was staged on the club’s high-banked clay oval located on the grounds of the show. Quite-fittingly, Sonny O’Sullivan a former Plainville regular who went on to many accomplishments in New England modified racing annexed the event.

The drivers in attendance read like a competition roster of the track’s history. The Alkas brothers, Dennis Zimmerman, Jap Membrino, Ray Miller, Billy Harman, Ronnie Wyckoff, Don Moon, Don Spazano, NEAR Hall of Famer and former track champ George Lombardo, and the list goes-on. The fact remains that many of those that went-on to become the most-accomplished racers in New England, turned their first-laps at Plainville.

Reggie Ruggiero, who began his long and ultra-successful racing career at Plainville and renowned modified car owner Mario Fiore were present; both are scheduled for induction into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame early next year. As a team, their success on the NASCAR modified circuit is the stuff of legend.

Dave Alkas, 7-time Plainville champion and also a member of the prestigious New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame was one of the primary organizers of the event along with Gary Bienkowski of the Nutmeg Kart Club, and former track regulars Don Moon & Don Spazano.

“This event has again exceeded all-expectations,” stated Alkas. “To think that after all-these years Plainville Stadium is so fondly-recalled, is almost an emotional experience for those of-us that called it home. Back-then, we were kind of known as a track that was sort-of a rough-place to race with boisterous fans and kind of a rowdy reputation. Today, it proves that a lot of people miss Plainville Stadium. I’d like to thank all of the people that helped this year, and there were a lot of them.”

By days-end, comments were already circulating on how to make the 2012 event even bigger and better.