MEMORIES

BEECH RIDGE SPEEDWAY

 

 

 

 

Beech Ridge Speedway was built on the site of an old horse track in 1949 at the corner of Holmes Road and Two Rod Road in Scarborough by Jim McConnell. The one-third mile clay oval opened on May 30, 1949. In the early years, the track had races on Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings.

In 1973, McConnell sold Beech Ridge to Calvin Reynolds, a local motorcycle dealer and two-time track champion race driver. Eight years later, Reynolds sold the facility to another championship winning race driver - Ralph Cusack, a 12-time champion.

In 1985, the clay-oil racing surface was hauled away, replaced by a smooth asphalt racing surface. Now owned and operated by Andy Cusack, Beech Ridge is the only NASCAR-sanctioned race track in Maine.

 

 

Pictured below are 2 Main State Stock Car Racing Association passes issued to Mrs. Eddie MacDonald in the early 1950's. Note: the red pass is for a 'Driver's Wife' while the green pass was issued to an 'Owner's Wife' in 1953. Even though the MSSCRA issued passes, the holders had to pay the Federal Tax when entering the race track. The photos of the two passes are courtesy of Mike Bell, Georgia Auto Racing Hall of Fame historian.

 

 

The following photograph and newspaper article are the courtesy of Chester Porter, who used to race in the Class B Bomber division at Beech Ridge.

 

The late Donnie Peterson drove this #27 Class A coupe at Beech Ridge in 1964. Donnie lost his life a couple of years later in a traffic accident.

 

Mr. Porter saved the above newspaper clipping because he won the first Bomber division heat race over Lee Cluff and Gene Theriault. Also of note, Eddie Walsh the winner of the second Bomber heat race is presently the flagman at Beech Ridge.

 

The two photographs below were among the memorabilia donated to the Maine Vintage Race Car Association by Mrs. Clifford Cyr.

The two photographs were taken at Beech Ridge Speedway in May of 1949, which must have been from the very first race meet at the speedway. The photographs had been clipped from a souvenir program. NOTE: the mention of the Cord automobile in both photographs.

 

 

The following photographs were taken by Frank Moses and are from the collection of Frank Dorrie.

 

George Hartley won the very first feature race at Beech Ridge Speedway on Sunday, May 30, 1949.

 

Dick Garrett won the first three track championships in Beech Ridge history - 1949-1951.

 

Dick Garrett beside his #119 coupe.

 

Officials lined the cars up in the pit area prior to each race, often times surprising the drivers with last minute inspections.

 

The race was halted to clean up this fourth turn mishap. Cutting the infield grass was not a priority.

 

The fans have an up close look at this two-car accident.

 

The right front wheel assembly is missing on 'The Skunk'. Note in the background the dirt sand pile protecting the infield gas pump.

 

Frank Moses not only drove this coupe in 1950 but he was also a track photographer - thus the "Shutterbug".