On Monday, June 14, 1948 Johnny Bernardi, driving the Bay State Midget Racing Association Davison Offy #55 won the first ever motorsport feature event at what would become one of the top 1/4 mile race tracks in the country. Bernardi went on to win the first track championship that year. Although the midgets exclusive rule at Norwood Arena was brief, they did visit the track throughout the 1950's and 1960's. The wheel to wheel action was always incredible. Over the years several stock car drivers tried their hand at driving midgets as well. The popular midgets opened the door at Norwood Arena for the low cost "anyone can afford one" jalopies and early stock cars.
The setting sun casts long shadows and a golden glow as the midgets take to the track for the first warm ups of the evening.
 Stock car ace Lou Austin tries his hand in the Scrivani Offy.
Photo by: Bill & Dave Balser - 1969
Photo Courtesy of the R.A. Silvia Collection
Johnny Kay in the Billington Offy out of Leominster, MA is ready to take to the track for the first heat.
Photo by: Bill & Dave Balser
Photo Courtesy of the R.A. Silvia Collection
 There was never a lack of excitement or danger when the midgets got together. Ray Roberts in the #4 climbs over Al Pillion in the #33 as Johnny Mann in the #66 flies by.
Photo Courtesy of the R.A. Silvia Collection - 1963.
Driver Joe Chicki celebrates his May 17, 1963 win with Father Knickerbocker and starter Maury Dumas.
Photo by: Bill & Dave Balser
Photo Courtesy of the R.A. Silvia Collection
 Bert Brooks celebrates his July 20, 1960 win.
Photo by: Paul Conley
Photo Courtesy of the R.A. Silvia Collection
Photographer Les King was quick on the shutter in the late 1950's to capture a midget moments after the rear wheel came off as he entered turn one. The shower of sparks ended after the car impacted the wall. Note that the wall entering the corner had been raised and reinforced but the wall in the turn was a single board wide and raised off of the ground. The single board and posts were an exceptional hazard to the low profile midgets.
The popularity of Drag Racing grew rapidly during the late 1950's and early 1960's. It was a cultural phenomenon. Musical groups such as the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean and many others sang about fast cars and the sport that ruled California. It didn't take long for it to work its way east. The crowds that drag racing was attracting caught the eyes of the Norwood Arena Speedway Board of Directors. In the late 1960's a 1/8th mile long drag strip was built in the parking lot of the Arena and was named "New England Dragway South." Do you remember the screamer radio ads that the new announcer, Dale Dorman, played on WRKO radio? "Friday, Friday, Friday at New England Dragway South......." You knew it was summer time when you heard the ad blaring on radios all over the greater Boston area. In the photos above, Wayne Buxton launches the Boch Dodge Hemi Coronet off the line and a rail drag completes a run down the 1/8th mile track in 1967.
The strip was designed for street and middle class pro drag cars. Many a local ran their street legal Chevy, Ford, Dodge or American Motors car down the 1/8th mile strip. The pro class rail dragsters put on a good shows too. Above are photos of a few such runs courtesy of Paul Wasilewski.
One of the more interesting line ups of the night was always the Top Stock Eliminator class. These were basic street cars driven by locals. Win and you had serious bragging rights until the next race.

Left - Bob Johnson in the Western Auto 1966 Buick Gran Sport knocks of another challenger in the TSE class.

Bob worked his way through the night until he was the last man standing. The bracket for the TSE class was 9:00 and as you can see by the Official Time Slip he nailed it. That was bad news for the fearsome yellow Olds 442 from Ideal Olds. Bob and the Buick ruled!
Photo by: Paul Wasilewski.
Courtesy of the Bob Johnson Collection
Below - A promotional event that brought the jet powered cars to the strip turned out to generate the wrong response as noise complaints from several towns away brought the town down on the Arena again. As more new homes were built closer to the track the Norwood Arena Management had problems managing noise problems associated with racing. The jet drag cars ran up to 178 mph on the 1/8 mile strip. That's right... 0 to 178 mph in 4.87 seconds on a track that's 660 feet long.
Jets Burn Norwood Townfolk
By GIL CORAINE
NORWOOD MASSACHUSETTS (New England Dragway - South)
Most of the citizenry in the town of Norwood, Massachusetts were a little burned up last Friday night as the sounds from the jet dragsters of Romeo Palamides and Walt Arfons kept them from getting to sleep early.

The 6,600 who attended the race at New England Dragway-South were quite pleased, however, as the two monsters cut some terrific times on the 1/8 mile track. Arfon's "Exodus" with capable Bob Tatroe at the helm managed to take 2 of the 3 races from Ray Maurel in the "Untouchable," but he certainly didn't win them going away.

The first race gave Tatroe top speed of the meet at 178.57 mph to Maurel's losing 157.89. ET's were extremely close, though - 4.97 to 5.03.
Ray Maurel, in Palamides "Untouchable," checks his gauges prior to a run against Bob Tatroe in the "Exodus." Maurel's best time at New England Dragway-South's 1/8 mile strip in Norwood was 4.91 at 176 mph. Tatroe edged him out with a 4.87, 178.57 mph.
The Exodus screamed to a second round victory also, turning a 4.86et, at 173 mph. Maurel tried hard to catch up, but couldn't quite make it. He came on strong at the other end with a speed of 176.5, but his et of 5.09 wasn't quick enough. His chance for revenge finally came in the final race. The Untouchable hung it all out, and even though it was .04 seconds than Tatroe's Exodus, it crossed the finish line first. Maurel's winning times were 4.91, 176.47 mph while Tatroe trailed with a 4.87, 187.12 mph. (Ernie Boch complained about something melting the mini-sticker off his cars).

The Hub Auto A/FD, handled by Tom Dunn on the final round for Top Eliminator cash. Lavavgi cut a 5.85 to Dunn's losing 5.61. Sterling Performance of the meet must go to the AA/GD of Mansfield, Pickard and Holmes. Although they lost the first round of Top, using Marvin's new gas tires, they turned the fantastic et of 5.37 seconds, with a speed for the 1/8 mile of 155.17 mph. No tricks or gimmicks. The car is a new Gorden Collett chassis, direct drive, and ordinary slider-type double disc clutch. Power comes from a 460", 1958 Chrysler block, early heads, Hilborn 4-holer and the standard gas car stuff.

Bob Salemi's DeSoto powered C/D managed to shut down the terrifying B/A Plymouth of Dick Smith in the final round of Competition Eliminator. Salemi turned a 6.32 to Smith's 7.08, which is slightly off from his earlier times. Street Eliminator gave the fans some wild action as 20 cars fell in this category and battled it out tooth and nail to the bitter end. Left at the bitter end was Peter Tropeano's 377 Chevy powered Anglia A/G and the small block D/MP Camaro from Neston's Competition. Nester ran a decent 8.02, but couldn't stay ahead of the wild "Orange Peel." Tropeano cut a 6.41 to take home the bucks.

Jim Howard managed to get his 426 Street Hemi Plymouth by the feared 4-4-2 Olds from Berejik Oldsmobile and went on to win Top Stock Eliminator. Frank Federici came up from nearby Rhode Island to test the new transmission in his beautiful "Shark" Corvette funny car. A pass, to the crowd's delight, of 5.51 at 137.6 mph convinced him everything was in good shape.
Motorcycles ran a few events at Norwood Arena but did not draw the crowds that the Board of Directors had hoped for. The races were fast and very competitive. The winner of the August 14, 1959 race is presented with his trophy.
In the late 1950's, sports cars turned laps at Norwood Arena. They were not as elegant and fast as the midgets nor as recognizable as the stock cars. They too had problems drawing fans, even with a few of the stock car drivers behind the wheel of these foreign cars.
There are some things that defy logic. Near the top of the list has to be the Demolition Derby. Take a few hundred cars, divide them into groups, have these cars crash into each other until the last car running wins. This wasn't a one time thrill show but a highly popular event that was repeated several times throughout the year at Norwood Arena and nearly every other track in this country.

In the 1960's there was a large number of 1940's and 1950's vintage cars that were considered to be one step away from the wrecking yard. For a $25 dollar investment in a scrap car plus the enterance fee of $20 a driver had a chance to win $500 for an evening of crashing into other competitors.

It was 1963 and the first time that I walked through the front gate at Norwood Arena. I picked the first turn stands to find a seat with my mom and two brothers. I was 8 years old and was excited to see what the radio described as a "smash 'em, crash 'em" destruction derby. We were still excited hours later as my mom put us to bed, promising to take us back next week to see what a stock car race was all about. We talked ourselves to sleep, reliving the crashes, a very scary and funny car fire in first turn (the town of Norwood sent a hook and ladder truck to put out a car fire, it couldn't fit through the pit area so they sent a second pumper truck) and Don McTavish's battle with Glenn Legere to win the $500 prize. Imagine my surprise when I learned that a professional movie was shot of this event that night and was available for sale today!

In the summer of 1964, the 28 minute short feature film "DEMO DERBY" opened in Boston with "Robin and the Seven Hoods" starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. The same day, in Hartford, New Haven and Worcester, it opened with the Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas." In the next ten days, it was booked into 61 theaters all across New England. But when it was paired with The Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night," it played on more than 6,000 screens, all across America. And after its spectacular first run, it continued to be booked into theaters and drive-ins for 10 more years!

If you saw a demo derby at Norwood you will enjoy this. If you never seen one check out this bit of action at one of great historic tracks in America. And if you remember Madras shorts, penny loafers and crew cuts, don't be surprised if "DEMO DERBY" brings a smile. It's so real, so us, that by the time the show is over, you may have to look outside to be sure your old car isn't still parked in the driveway and Norwood Arena isn't running this Saturday night.

This DVD is well worth the $12.95 (plus shipping). For more information and to order your copy of Demo Derby click here.

The Movie "Demo Derby" is the property of James A. Pike Productions and is not related to this web site.
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