This Day in NEMA History...
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April 18th
1970...Johnny Coy (Dorer 4) was the winner in the season opener at Westboro with Lou Fray (McCarthy 47) and Bob Cherry (Cherry 25) completing the podium. Bob Hart (Czyzewski 1) was fourth. Lou Frey would wind up Co-Driver Champion this season, in a tie for the Championship with Dave Humphrey. His Car owner, John McCarthy would be crowned Owner Champion. |
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Left: 1970 Co-Driver Champion, Lou Frey, in John McCarthy's Chevy II at Star Speedway. That's George Monson strapping into Ralph Miller's no. 3 in the background.
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April 19th
1959 ...Legendary names: Dutch Schaefer (Smiley 6) was the winner at Empire Speedway in Menands, NY followed by Billy Randall, Bill Eldridge and Burt Brooks. It was the first of nine NEMA wins for Schaefer, whose career dates back to before World War II, the first of several NEMA wins for Ralph Smiley’s Golden Arrow and the second of three NEMA visits to Empire. NEMA returned later that year and Schaefer was third behind Johnny Kay (Secondo 32). A major stop for the post-war Midgets and then the early stock cars, Menands was out of business following the 1963 season. |
Photo taken in 1955 of Dutch Schaefer in the Golden Arrow Offy #6 at Old Bridge,NJ. (From the Ron Heddendorf Collection)
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April 20th
1958...Bill Eldridge (Parmenter 55) bested Ray Burke and Tony Bonadies at Brookline Speedway in Brookline, NH. Eldridge, who was about to become the first driver to win both the season-opening race and the championship, returned a week later to win again at Brookline. NEMA raced three times at the quarter mile oval that was done in 1962 after only six years. A driver winning the season opener and the championship has happened a dozen more times. |
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Left: NEMA's first Champion, Bill Eldridge, poses in the Parmeter No. 55 after a victory at Seekonk.
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