KAUNEONGA LAKE, NY — On July 23, Bethel Motor Speedway, the local NASCAR home track, paid homage to the vintage racing cars of yesteryear with its annual Danbury Racearena Night, an homage to the legendary Danbury Racearena in Connecticut.

The exhibition was staged as part of NASCAR’s Advance Auto Parts weekly series. 

What was destined to become the Great Danbury State Fair started out as an agricultural fair in 1821, but did not have a regular schedule until 1869.

In 1932, an automobile racetrack was constructed on the fairgrounds to host midgets, stock cars and modifieds that replaced early harness racing.

The Danbury Fair and Racearena closed on October 12, 1981, but the memories of burning up the asphalt linger on for several dedicated organizations. They strive to preserve the history of vintage auto racing for future generations by staging racing exhibitions at numerous motor sports venues, including Bethel Motor Speedway. The New England Antique Racers (NEAR), the Southern New York Racing Association (SNYRA), and the Atlantic Coast Old Timers (ACOT) are among the groups involved.

Rich Goucher, president of NEAR, said that running exhibition shows is “a very big deal in New England,” and the organization is a frequent flyer at Bethel, as well a bit further north at Waterford, Seekonk, Claremont and Thunder Road.

“Bethel is a really small, tight track with really good people… it’s all about keeping the memories of auto racing in the Northeast alive,” he said. Goucher was, for “years and years… a crew chief and tire guy,” on the modifieds tour.

Beverly McAllister serves as NEAR’s race director. When asked for her take on the importance of preserving the old race cars and associated memories, she replied, “It’s all about educating people about the history of racing, bringing people back to the past.”

She noted that some of the NEAR cars are actual race cars that have been “sitting in the woods for 50 years before being dragged out and restored.” Others are new builds, replicas constructed in honor of cars lost to the mists of time and rust.

Paul Jacques drives car #8, a 1937 Ford coupe powered by a small block Chevy, set up on a 1980s chassis.

It was built as a tribute to his father, Earl Jacques, who ran at Seekonk, Lonsdale and Norwood back in the 1940s and ‘50s.

“We’re all competitive, but we have handshake gentlemen’s rules that keep us all in check… no bumping, rubbing and pass clean,” he said. “These are old cars with histories.”

And then there are all the T-shirts bearing witness to the history of vintage auto racing on proud display at the drivers’ meeting before the cars heated up the asphalt at Bethel Motor Speedway.  

Graphic displays on cotton featured the colorful likenesses of famous race cars of yesteryear. This sports scribbler’s pick of the day: “Auto Races Every Sat. Nite 7:30. Danbury Fair Speedways Racearena. Gone, But Never Forgotten.”

For information about Bethel Motor Speedway, visit bethelspeedway.com, email info@bethelspeedway.com, find it on Facebook, or call 845/319-7908.

Racing action at the local NASCAR track’s 2022 season continues through Saturday, November 5.

For more photos, visit www.riverreporter.com/sports.