"RIVERSIDE RACING"

I remember going to Riverside Park in Agawam, Massachusetts back in the late 1960's and early 1970's with my Dad and brother to see the car races at the quarter mile track. Back then "Buddy Krebs" and "Wild Bill Greco" were a couple of the popular racers of that era. My Dad knew one of the drivers who drove a yellow car number 31 by the name of Frank Moulton.

In addition to the regular weekend races there were also figure eight races and demolition derbies. The demolition derbies must have brought a tear to the eyes of the residents of Cuba as the track would be filled with old cars similar to the cars found in that island nation and these cars would crash into each other on purpose until there was only one car left still running. All these cars would drive either forwards or backwards into each other at ramming speed. The car carnage was similar to the later movie "The Blues Brothers" where I believe about fifty-four police cars were crashed in making that classic movie.

The figure eight races were also fun to watch as there would be a lot of near misses as the cars navigated the figured eight looped race course as well as a lot of pile ups when the drivers would end up crashing into each other in the front and back of their vehicles.

Riverside Park Raceway opened in 1948 and closed in 1999. As part of the Riverside Amusement Park, the Riverside Raceway had a long and colorful history. The Riverside Amusement Park is now know as Six Flags New England.