Grand Opening of Norwood Arena-This Day in Norwood History-June 14, 1948

12,000 Jam Arena At Midget Racing Inaugural Monday

NORWOOD ARENA, June 14 — Twelve thousand people — the largest turnout for any event ever staged in this section — jammed the new Norwood Arena for the Grand Opening tonight to witness a full program of midget auto racing on the new hot-top strip which drivers and officials alike termed the safest and fastest in the country.

The packed stands at the inaugural saw Johnny Bernardi of Framingham, driving a Davison Offy, romp home the victor in the five-mile feature event with Johnny Thompson of Lowell second and Dick Shuebruk of Brighton third Wild Bill Randall o£ Wakefield-who held the No. 1 position at the starting line was unable to press his advantage and was forced to drop out after two laps when his car developed mechanical trouble.

Despite the terrific pace maintained by the drivers throughout the nine-race card this first evening in Norwood of the “most thrilling sport on earth” was run off without a major mishap during the competition a fact which the car owners can appreciate more than anyone else since the midget ears cost anywhere from $7000 to $I0.000 each.

A semi-final 15-lap event the sixth race of the program provided the biggest thrill of the event when Red Cummings of Wenham driving his first race in a powerful Offy, came around the far turn too fast in an effort to better his lead position on the eleventh lap and went into a spin. Although the other nine cars in the pack were well bunched at the time the fans had an opportunity to appreciate the skill of the drivers when all cars maneuvered successfully through the mixup as Cummings tailspinned out and bobbed off into the infield. Bill Randall who held second portion went on to win in 3:37.41. Jim Florien who races with Bob Harner as the Pollack team one of the biggest names in the Mid-West circuit and now riding the local loop for the first time finished second in this event with Dick Shuebruk third.

Johnny Bernardi, the grand prize winner of the night, had mechanical difficulty in the pits at the start of the last semi-final event but the trouble proved good luck. After delaying the start of the race for several minutes while a welding job was being done on a radiator connection he went out to win in 3:33.13.

Biggest favorite among the fans tonight was Bobby Blair of Dedham, who. until a Norwoodite comes along to claim the glory, must be considered the home-town exponent of midget racing. Blair, who drives an Offy, won the fourth qualifying race of ten laps in 2:27,07.

Tonight’s opening card consisted of four qualifying heats, a special, two semi-finals, a consolation, and the feature. Respective winners in the 10-lap qualifying events were Bill Randall, Joe Sostillio of Newton, Johnny Thompson and Bobby Blair. Ray Janelle of Pawtucket, driving a two-cylinder motorcycle job, won the ten-lap consolation race in 2:55.78.

The feature event had originally been scheduled for 25 laps, but had to be reduced to 20 laps when it was found that the surface of the new track, not yet worn to normal smoothness, was punishing the tires of the racing cars to such an extent that many of the drivers felt they did not have enough rubber left for a 25-lap grind.

After being rained out in the scheduled curtain-raiser last Monday night, tonight’s inaugural was favored with perfect weather/ Cars filled with fans started piling into the spacious parking areas at 6.30 p.m., and were still filing in after the start of the first race at 8 o’clock. By that time, every section of the stands, which rim the quarter-mile strip, was well filled. Police Chief Thomas C. Lydon, who had a large crew of regular and special men on duty to augment the special Arena force, stated that the crowd was unquestionably the largest that Norwood had ever seen for any event. The huge influx of patrons and the maze of cars resulted in delays in and out of the park at times, but any flaws in the handling of traffic were quickly noted by officials so that corrective measures could be taken.

The Arena itself presented a gay carnival atmosphere for the opening with bunting and a huge blue searchlight playing on the clear night sky adding color to the natural beauty of the half-million doblar spçrts and recreation park. The general comment throughout the crowd was that this newest, addition to the midget racing world ranks as the finest and most elaborate in the country. Subject of much favorable comment was the $150,000 clubhouse housing a cocktail lounge and 75-foot bar on the ground floor, and refreshment booth, bar and patio on the second floor, with all facilities being well patronized during the evenings.

Bob Hamer, who entered racing from radio, still handles the mike with ease, and entertained the fans with sporadic repartee over the public address system, and presented a wandering one-man floor show for the enjoyment of patrons in the cocktail lounge after the races.

The midget cars will be in action at the Arena every Monday night this season. The curtain had no sooner dropped on the opening program when preparations were started for a gala second-night card next Monday evening featuring “all the cars and all the stars.”

(All articles were originally published in the Norwood Messenger unless otherwise noted)