Lost Speedways 2014

DRIVING STAR REGGIE RUGGIERO ADDED TO PRESENTERS FOR

SARATOGA AUTO MUSEUM’S “LOST SPEEDWAYS 2014”

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY-- The 2014 edition of the extremely popular Lost Speedways program, set for Saturday, November 29th at the Saratoga Automobile Museum, will feature a mix of both familiar and new presenters. The most recent to sign on was longtime NASCAR modified star Reggie Ruggiero, who will join fellow driver Brian Ross for “NASCAR Modifieds – Heroes and Speedways.”

The duo will look back on careers that ran from the period when every race counted towards the national modified championship into the current Tour format and saw them compete against and beat such superstars as Richie Evans, Jimmy Spencer and Mike Stefanik.

“Our resident motorcycle expert, Mark Supley, has just published a book on Capital District motorcycle racing and he will be speaking about both the book and gone but not forgotten venues in the area,” said event organizer and Racing in New York gallery curator Ron Hedger. “Two other familiar presenters, Bill Ladabouche and Ken Parrotte, will also be on hand. Bill will recall the old Pico, VT. Speedway while Ken has been researching the original dirt Oswego Speedway and the first version of the ‘Steel Palace’s’ asphalt configuration. I obtained a variety of vintage photos from George Caruso, whose family ran Oswego for decades, so it should be very interesting. Most people don’t even know that the first track there was the Wine Creek dirt track.”  

Newcomers to the Lost Speedways lineup will include award-winning racing journalist John Snyder and noted dirt modified builder Walt Schwinning.   

“John will touch on the remarkable racing he saw near his hometown in New Jersey, close by the Flemington Fairgrounds and Harmony Speedway, both in New Jersey, and the short track at Nazareth, PA. Many legends of the sport held forth there weekly, though they also ventured to New York for big events, and he knew them all,” added Hedger. “And Walt and I will be going through what we’re calling ‘Walt’s Dirty Dozen,’ a behind-the-scenes look at such notables as Lou Lazzaro, Jack Johnson, Tommy Corellis, Don Van Guilder and Tighe Scott, all of whom competed and won in Walt’s creations. But he’s only kidding when he says a dozen, as we have photos ready of well over that number already.”           

Lost Speedway attendees are always encouraged to bring their scrapbooks and other memorabilia to share prior to the start of the presentations and 2014 is no exception, with ample display tables to be set up in the museum’s Golub Gallery. Memorabilia and movies will commence at 11 am with the formal program set to go green at 12:30 pm.       

As always, the event is free to museum members, with others paying the normal admission charge of $8.50 or, in the case of seniors, just $6. The Saratoga Automobile Museum is located on the Avenue of the Pines in the Saratoga Spa State Park, just off Exit 12N of I-87, the Adirondack Northway. More information is available online at www.saratogaautomuseum.org.

Contact: Ron Hedger @ 518-885-7481 or rjhmedia@juno.com