Bill Eldridge
written by Dick Monahan
There's an image of Bill Eldridge that has remained in my memory for many years. It's of a tall, trim driver, in a white turtleneck sweatshirt, leading the feature at Norwood in a Ford-powered midget, being chased by Hank Williams in the Stone Offy and Bert Brooks in another Offy. By his position and demeanor, you would think Bill was just out for a Sunday drive.
Standing beside me in the infield was a guy I did not know at that time. He was holding a wheel hammer. Every time the leaders went by, he waved the hammer at Hank Williams and shouted some variation of, “Catch that Ford, Williams, or you're fired.” The guy was Blackie Lamacchia, crew chief on the Stone Offy, and the following week, Williams was not his driver.
Before I tell you more about Bill, I'd like to thank some folks who helped me get this talk together. Lou Modestino wrote a fine article about 45 years ago that the family has saved. Other information came from historians Nick Teto, Pete Zanardi, Sam Weisberg and Crocky Wright.
Bill was born in Needham, Mass., in March 1926. He joined the Navy as a teenager, serving four years on a battleship in the South Pacific. Returning to civilian life after the war, he used the G.I.Bill to get a pilot's license at the Norwood Airport, intending to become an airline pilot. The money didn't go far enough, so he reluctantly gave that up, and continued driving a gravel truck. In fact, he continued that job for many years.
His life changed the day he and his older brother Bob took a ride to Thompson to watch a Bay State Midget club show. Immediately bitten by the racing bug, Bill decided he wanted to give it a try. As always, getting started was a problem. The solution was provided by Ed Stone and Bud Tatro.
Seeing all the youngsters who wanted to drive, Stone, a championship-winning car owner, and Tatro, New England champion driver before the war, who continued to be a top runner, founded a midget driving school at the Medford Bowl. Bill signed up. "It cost me $10 a lesson,” he told Lou Modestino. “Each one was ten laps, and with a total of ten lessons, it cost me 100 bucks. But I was being taught by experts and the valuable lessons and practice I got was well worth it." As a note of interest, $100 in 1949 is equivalent to $1000 today; a significant sum for a truck driver.
As a result of his performance in the school, he got his first ride, in Frank Ventrul's V8-60 #101. He did well enough in his early rides that he finished 10th in the Bay State Midget Racing Association standings in 1948.
The following years were tough for midget racers. With too many tracks running too many nights with too few cars, midget racing went into a real slump, and was replaced by various forms of stock car racing. Bill followed many of his compatriots into the full bodied cars, but unlike many of them, he returned to his roots. He told Lou Modestino, "The Stock Car circuit was really rough and tumble in those days. I raced in the Midgets just long enough to appreciate the much finer techniques of close, fast and smooth open cockpit racing. In the Midgets, you find less shoving, horsing, or what's referred to as 'rough riding.' You pull that stuff in the Midgets, and it's all over – for you or someone else."
The Northeastern Midget Association was formed in 1953, just in time for Bill. He won NEMA's second race, at Waterford, and won its initial season championship. He also won the title the second season, and two more in 1957 and 1958. Running against top-notch competition, he dominated the club in the 50s, winning 20 of the 84 races NEMA ran in that period. He won at Waterford, Dracut, Manchester, Seekonk, Lonsdale, Medford, Norwood, Pine Bowl, Westboro, Brookline, West Peabody, and The Pines.
During the 60s, Bill continued to be competitive, not only with NEMA, but with ARDC. In May 1962, he took the win at Thompson in the Scrivani Offy, over Ray Brown and Tony Bonadies. A few weeks later, in July, he beat all the Offies in the Parmenter Ford at Norwood, finishing ahead of Hank Williams and Bert Brooks. The next year, back in Scrivani's car, he won again at Norwood, in front of Bobby Albert and Tony Bonadies. With NEMA, he won at Plainville, Norwood, Oxford Plains, Thunder Road, and Westboro during the sixties.
Bill never travelled a lot, because of his close family ties and his job. There was one exception. Many of us remember the attempt by Dick Carmen, of Foxboro, in the mid-sixties, to race a front-engined, Chevy-powered roadster that he had spent many years designing and building for USAC Champ Car competition. Bill almost got it into the show at Trenton, and passed his Rookie test at the Indy 500, but as the rear-engined cars took over the Indy car circuit, Dick Carmen's dream died, along with Bill's chance to make the big time.
The end of the 60s was a tough time for Bill. His beloved wife, Barbara died in 1968 after a seemingly routine medical procedure, leaving Bill to complete the raising of their six kids alone. He gave up racing to concentrate on that all-important job.
After a few years, Bill couldn't resist the urge and went back to running NEMA again. He quickly got back in the swing of things, winning at Star, Unity and Westboro in 1973 and 74. Unfortunately, his comeback and his racing career were ended by a crash at Stafford that left him with a broken neck.
During the less than 20 years that Bill ran with NEMA, he won 32 features, placing him sixth on the all-time NEMA winners list. Amazingly, although he quit in the early seventies, it wasn't until 30 years later that he was pushed out of the top five. And, it must be remembered that he missed a lot of the years when NEMA ran 30-odd features. The nearest active challengers to his position have just 14 wins.
Bill ran a midget just once more. A few years ago, at the New Hampshire International Speedway Vintage Celebration, he had a chance to drive the midget driven by Mickey Rooney in the 1949 movie, The Big Wheel. Although the owner of that antique racer was a little nervous when he found that Bill was running at about 120 miles per hour, Bill brought it home safely after an exhilarating run.
NEMA has long recognized Bill's achievements. He was inducted into its Dick Gallagher Memorial Hall of Fame in 1988. Before that, he was awarded the Johnny Thomson Memorial Trophy by a group of long-time NEMA fans.
There's an image of Bill Eldridge that has remained in my memory for many years. It's of a tall, trim driver, in a white turtleneck sweatshirt, leading the feature at Norwood in a Ford-powered midget, being chased by Hank Williams in the Stone Offy and Bert Brooks in another Offy. By his position and demeanor, you would think Bill was just out for a Sunday drive.
Standing beside me in the infield was a guy I did not know at that time. He was holding a wheel hammer. Every time the leaders went by, he waved the hammer at Hank Williams and shouted some variation of, “Catch that Ford, Williams, or you're fired.” The guy was Blackie Lamacchia, crew chief on the Stone Offy, and the following week, Williams was not his driver.
Before I tell you more about Bill, I'd like to thank some folks who helped me get this talk together. Lou Modestino wrote a fine article about 45 years ago that the family has saved. Other information came from historians Nick Teto, Pete Zanardi, Sam Weisberg and Crocky Wright.
Bill was born in Needham, Mass., in March 1926. He joined the Navy as a teenager, serving four years on a battleship in the South Pacific. Returning to civilian life after the war, he used the G.I.Bill to get a pilot's license at the Norwood Airport, intending to become an airline pilot. The money didn't go far enough, so he reluctantly gave that up, and continued driving a gravel truck. In fact, he continued that job for many years.
His life changed the day he and his older brother Bob took a ride to Thompson to watch a Bay State Midget club show. Immediately bitten by the racing bug, Bill decided he wanted to give it a try. As always, getting started was a problem. The solution was provided by Ed Stone and Bud Tatro.
Seeing all the youngsters who wanted to drive, Stone, a championship-winning car owner, and Tatro, New England champion driver before the war, who continued to be a top runner, founded a midget driving school at the Medford Bowl. Bill signed up. "It cost me $10 a lesson,” he told Lou Modestino. “Each one was ten laps, and with a total of ten lessons, it cost me 100 bucks. But I was being taught by experts and the valuable lessons and practice I got was well worth it." As a note of interest, $100 in 1949 is equivalent to $1000 today; a significant sum for a truck driver.
As a result of his performance in the school, he got his first ride, in Frank Ventrul's V8-60 #101. He did well enough in his early rides that he finished 10th in the Bay State Midget Racing Association standings in 1948.
The following years were tough for midget racers. With too many tracks running too many nights with too few cars, midget racing went into a real slump, and was replaced by various forms of stock car racing. Bill followed many of his compatriots into the full bodied cars, but unlike many of them, he returned to his roots. He told Lou Modestino, "The Stock Car circuit was really rough and tumble in those days. I raced in the Midgets just long enough to appreciate the much finer techniques of close, fast and smooth open cockpit racing. In the Midgets, you find less shoving, horsing, or what's referred to as 'rough riding.' You pull that stuff in the Midgets, and it's all over – for you or someone else."
The Northeastern Midget Association was formed in 1953, just in time for Bill. He won NEMA's second race, at Waterford, and won its initial season championship. He also won the title the second season, and two more in 1957 and 1958. Running against top-notch competition, he dominated the club in the 50s, winning 20 of the 84 races NEMA ran in that period. He won at Waterford, Dracut, Manchester, Seekonk, Lonsdale, Medford, Norwood, Pine Bowl, Westboro, Brookline, West Peabody, and The Pines.
During the 60s, Bill continued to be competitive, not only with NEMA, but with ARDC. In May 1962, he took the win at Thompson in the Scrivani Offy, over Ray Brown and Tony Bonadies. A few weeks later, in July, he beat all the Offies in the Parmenter Ford at Norwood, finishing ahead of Hank Williams and Bert Brooks. The next year, back in Scrivani's car, he won again at Norwood, in front of Bobby Albert and Tony Bonadies. With NEMA, he won at Plainville, Norwood, Oxford Plains, Thunder Road, and Westboro during the sixties.
Bill never travelled a lot, because of his close family ties and his job. There was one exception. Many of us remember the attempt by Dick Carmen, of Foxboro, in the mid-sixties, to race a front-engined, Chevy-powered roadster that he had spent many years designing and building for USAC Champ Car competition. Bill almost got it into the show at Trenton, and passed his Rookie test at the Indy 500, but as the rear-engined cars took over the Indy car circuit, Dick Carmen's dream died, along with Bill's chance to make the big time.
The end of the 60s was a tough time for Bill. His beloved wife, Barbara died in 1968 after a seemingly routine medical procedure, leaving Bill to complete the raising of their six kids alone. He gave up racing to concentrate on that all-important job.
After a few years, Bill couldn't resist the urge and went back to running NEMA again. He quickly got back in the swing of things, winning at Star, Unity and Westboro in 1973 and 74. Unfortunately, his comeback and his racing career were ended by a crash at Stafford that left him with a broken neck.
During the less than 20 years that Bill ran with NEMA, he won 32 features, placing him sixth on the all-time NEMA winners list. Amazingly, although he quit in the early seventies, it wasn't until 30 years later that he was pushed out of the top five. And, it must be remembered that he missed a lot of the years when NEMA ran 30-odd features. The nearest active challengers to his position have just 14 wins.
Bill ran a midget just once more. A few years ago, at the New Hampshire International Speedway Vintage Celebration, he had a chance to drive the midget driven by Mickey Rooney in the 1949 movie, The Big Wheel. Although the owner of that antique racer was a little nervous when he found that Bill was running at about 120 miles per hour, Bill brought it home safely after an exhilarating run.
NEMA has long recognized Bill's achievements. He was inducted into its Dick Gallagher Memorial Hall of Fame in 1988. Before that, he was awarded the Johnny Thomson Memorial Trophy by a group of long-time NEMA fans.
