|
Chuck
Richardson entered the world of racing at Merrittville Speedway, during
it’s infancy. In 1953, this trained mechanic took the wheel of
Aalto’s #100 stock car, which was the beginning of the Weller Park
Garage racing team where Chuck worked as a mechanic. Chuck worked by
day as a mechanic raised his family which included four daughters,
during the week and served his apprenticeship as a stock car driver on
weekends. To gain experience Chuck competed at race tracks on both
sides of the border, including the now defunct Cuba Lake Raceway, but on
Saturday nights he competed against the likes of 1952 Champion Orville
Kelley, Jerry Winger, Ray Stevens, Tommy Cook, Bruce Swartz, Don
Ledingham, Murray Stricker, Jeno Begolo, Eric Bradt, Fred Hurst and
Bruce Van Dyke at Merrittville Speedway.
This experience would be a baptism of
fire as the close competition and large fields of the flathead powered
coupes, mostly Fords, would thrill the fans every Saturday night even
during Merrittville Speedway’s 2nd
year of operation, as a 1/4 mile banked oval.
During 1954, the competition heated up
and so did Chuck’s driving, finishing in the top ten in his Ford Coupe,
behind track champion Orville Kelley’s #3 Weller Park Garage Special.
At the end of 1954 Orville Kelley retired from racing and Al Aalto and
Butch Bogusat formed the most formidable team to appear at Merrittville
Speedway.
They built two 1937 Ford Coupes, #32
would be piloted by Murray Stricker and #31 would be driven by Chuck
Richardson. With the advent of the modern overhead valved engine, the
Weller Park Garage Ford Coupes would be contenders for the 1955
Championship with Murray Stricker becoming our 1955 Champion and
repeating in 1956 now with a Thunderbird powered coupe, with sponsorship
from Niagara Tile Centre and Al Aalto’s Church Road Motors. Through all
of this competition, Chuck Richardson was becoming a consistent top
contender in his #31 Ford Coupe.
From 1956 to 1960, the #31 Coupe would
become a top runner at area ovals, racing at not only Merrittville
Speedway, but the new Ransomville Speedway and even at Lancaster
Speedway, when it was dirt. Chuck would be a multiple track champion at
Ransomville. The #31 Coupe, now owned by Jimmy Binks was now one of the
top race cars in 1961 and 1962, competing at Merrittville Speedway and
was now a top 3 points contender against the likes of newcomers Lloyd
Holt, Sandy MacPherson and Alex Gunn.
Many believe that 1961 was Chuck’s best
year, racing for many feature wins, against the #22 of Bill Rafter, #0
Ed Ortiz, #8 Cam Gagliardi and 1959 and 1960 champion George Winger
#18. When Speedway Park opened in 1962 Chuck Richardson’s #31 sportsman
coupe was on hand for the ceremonial first lap around then Canada’s most
modern 1/3 banked oval in Stoney Creek.
In
a nutshell Chuck Richardson had raced and helped open most every
southern Ontario dirt track that is still operating today. Chuck would
continue to race in the top sportsman division on and off for 4 more
years.
When Bill Dominey sponsored and owned
one of his stock cars during the 1960's Chuck Richardson would drive
it. When Chuck decided to hang up his helmet he would continue his
relationship with Bill Dominey as a mechanic at his Toyota dealership
and worked and maintained the mini stocks. While Chuck
Richardson passed away a few years ago, his racing legacy lives on as
one of the leading competitors especially during the era of the mid
1950's as a member of the #31 or #32 Championship Race Team owned by Al
Aalto.
Tonight we honour the memory of one of
Merrittville’s racing pioneers - #31 Chuck Richardson, who will take his
place on Merrittville Speedway’s Alumni Wall of Fame joining his
team mate - 1955-56 track champion Murray Stricker.
Tonight we are pleased to have the
Richardson Family here, daughters Charlene, Sharon, Patricia and Carol
Ann as well as sons Patrick and Mike and wife Louise.
|
