Dave Humphrey
Dave Humphrey took his first midget ride in 1946, at the age of
twenty-one, and won his last midget race in 1986, at the age of
sixty-one. In between, he won seventy-two Northeastern Midget
Association feature events, and six NEMA driving championships.
Both marks are unmatched in the club's 42-year history.
When the midget boom died in the late forties, Dave switched to
stock cars, winning track championships at Seekonk, Norwood, and
West Peabody in Mass., plus New London, Conn. In the late
fifties, he drove John Lynch's sprint car with the United Racing
Club, winning a number of features, and finished in the top ten
in points during each of the four years he ran regularly.
As the midgets rebounded during the mid-sixties, Dave returned to
his first love. He won his first NEMA feature at Seekonk in
1965, driving the Downing Falcon. Dave's exploits in that car
were a major factor in the popularization of that engine in
midget racing. His many wins in John McCarthy's Chevy II powered
cars did the same for that engine and, when McCarthy fielded the
first Badger midget for Dave, many others followed. Although most
remembered for his wins in McCarthy's cars, Dave scored feature
wins for eleven different owners. He won his last feature race
at his home track, Seekonk, on "Dave Humphrey Day", in 1986.
Dave still lives in Seekonk, in the house he shared for many years
with his late wife, Lillian.
twenty-one, and won his last midget race in 1986, at the age of
sixty-one. In between, he won seventy-two Northeastern Midget
Association feature events, and six NEMA driving championships.
Both marks are unmatched in the club's 42-year history.
When the midget boom died in the late forties, Dave switched to
stock cars, winning track championships at Seekonk, Norwood, and
West Peabody in Mass., plus New London, Conn. In the late
fifties, he drove John Lynch's sprint car with the United Racing
Club, winning a number of features, and finished in the top ten
in points during each of the four years he ran regularly.
As the midgets rebounded during the mid-sixties, Dave returned to
his first love. He won his first NEMA feature at Seekonk in
1965, driving the Downing Falcon. Dave's exploits in that car
were a major factor in the popularization of that engine in
midget racing. His many wins in John McCarthy's Chevy II powered
cars did the same for that engine and, when McCarthy fielded the
first Badger midget for Dave, many others followed. Although most
remembered for his wins in McCarthy's cars, Dave scored feature
wins for eleven different owners. He won his last feature race
at his home track, Seekonk, on "Dave Humphrey Day", in 1986.
Dave still lives in Seekonk, in the house he shared for many years
with his late wife, Lillian.
