Motorsports Hall inducts first class Bahre, Bushley Sr., Damon, Christopher, Cusack among 12 honorees

Twelve legends of Maine motorsports were the first to be inducted into the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame in ceremonies held at the Augusta Civic Center recently. The historic Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremony were the work of the Maine Vintage Race Car Association.

Race fans from all over the state submitted 79 names to be considered for the inaugural Hall of Fame. Selection of the final 12 was based upon their contribution to auto racing in Maine.

Following are thumbnail sketches of the Class of 2004.

Bob Bahre leased, owned, and operated Oxford Plains Speedway from 1964 to 1986. He introduced “open competition” to auto racing in Maine with the Getty Open, a 100-lap “run-what-you-brung” race. Three years later he created the richest one-day Late Model short track event in the country, the Oxford 200. The next year the event was lengthened to what became a nationally recognized event, the Oxford 250.

After selling the speedway in 1986, Bahre and his family built New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, N.H.

Bob Bushley Sr. was known for his car number “P-38” when he began racing at fairground tracks in the 1940s. Beech Ridge Speedway in Scarborough became his home track when it opened in 1949. He was known as a master motor builder. He died in May 2003.

Dr. Robert Christopher was a practicing physician in South Portland. For 26 years “Doc” and his wife Flossie, who was the track nurse, were usually the first on the scene of an accident to check the driver or drivers.

George Damon witnessed auto racing at fairground tracks in the late 1940s. After Beech Ridge Speedway was built, Damon, in 1950, broke ground in Oxford. The $50,000 half-mile dirt track with seating for 5,000 opened a mere six weeks later when Oxford Plains Speedway hosted its first auto race.

Ralph Cusack still holds the record for the most track championships at Beech Ridge Speedway. After a 26-year driving career, Cusack garnered 12 track titles.

After retiring from the driver’s seat in 1981, he purchased Beech Ridge, which is run by his son, Andy.

Dave Darveau’s racing career spanned 42 years from 1954 to 1996. Darveau won at least six track championships at Unity Raceway. In the early 1960s at Unity, Darveau won 18 of 21 feature races.

His familiar yellow and black “No. 8” race cars won on the dirt and asphalt tracks, including Beech Ridge, Spud Speedway, Speedway 95, Arundel Speedway, Oxford Plains, and Wiscasset Speedway as well as Unity Raceway.

Homer Drew began his racing career at Oxford Plains Speedway in 1954. The next year Beech Ridge Speedway became his “home” track where he enjoyed his greatest success. In 1968, Drew became only the second driver to win both the Class A and B championships at the track.

Drew did extremely well in the eight-race Getty Open Comp series at Oxford Plains Speedway in 1973, winning five of the eight 100-lap races. In 2000 Drew became the first Maine driver to be inducted into the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame.

Blackie Hilliard swapped motorcycle racing for auto racing when Unity Raceway opened in 1949. From 1950 through the mid 1960s, Hilliard won 12 track championships and hundreds of races at Unity. Hilliard also won at Beech Ridge, Oxford Plains, Washington, and Waterville-Oakland speedways as well as tracks in Florida.

Dick Garrett in 1950 was voted one of the top 10 drivers in the United States based on points for wins and second-place finishes. Over the course of his driving career, he won six track championships at Beech Ridge Speedway. Garrett raced at numerous tracks in northern New England.

Phil Libby began his racing in 1949 at Beech Ridge Speedway. During his 40-year driving career, he won hundreds of races all over the state.

Libby’s “dream season” of 1960 culminated with 21 wins in 27 races at Beech Ridge Speedway and a track championship at Oxford Plains Speedway. Libby, driving his yellow No. 99, continued his winning ways in 1962 by taking the Beech Ridge Speedway championship.

Jim “J.B.” McConnell became friends of others with auto racing interest while working in East Boston, Mass., in the 1930s. Upon returning to Maine, McConnell and others raced at several fairground tracks.

McDonnell believed that he could build and operate a racetrack and on Memorial Day weekend in 1949, he opened the gates to Beech Ridge Speedway. He owned and operated the track for 24 years before selling the speedway in 1973.

Dick “Ironman” Wolstenhulme earned his name by driving in two racing divisions at Beech Ridge Speedway for most of his 30-plus-years driving career.

It is estimated Wolstenhulme raced more than 35,000 miles in competition at Beech Ridge Speedway. His efforts netted him 10 track championships. In 1966 and 1974 he won championships in two divisions at the same time.

“Ironman” did not limit his racing to Beech Ridge. He raced and won at Oxford Plains and Arundel Speedway as well as the Canadian Maritimes.

More information about these legends of Maine motorsports as well as history of auto racing can be found at www.mainevintageracecars.com.