The lure of the Westboro Speedway

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The lure of the Westboro Speedway
In the 1970s driver Fats Caruso and his modified stock car captivated the crowd at the Westboro Speedway. (Photo/Phil Kittredge)

WESTBOROUGH – The roar of the engines, squeal of wheels, and clouds of dust captivated fans at the Westboro Speedway for nearly four decades ― from 1947 to 1985. Even residents in the far corners of town could hear the track.

Built by five World War II veterans, this “Westboro Sports Stadium” was the only race track in MetroWest and Greater Worcester. It stretched 35 acres along Route 9 east from the corner of Otis Street. On opening night on August 5, 1947, a crowd of 9,255 people jammed into the stadium. 

The quarter-mile oval asphalt track encircled a central green lawn, with a high wire fence surrounding the stadium. Floodlights and amplifiers enhanced the scene. The season ran from April to September, and a typical Saturday night race drew 1,500 to 2,000 fans.

In the 1950s, midget stock cars, with a high power-to-weight ratio, were featured on Tuesday nights. Anyone with a driver’s license could race in the “modified” and “minimod” contests on Friday and Saturday nights. These modifieds had four-cylinder engines that could reach 80 miles per hour and complete a lap in 13 seconds. 

In the 1970s, famed modified racers like Geoff Bodine, Ron Bouchard and Fats Caruso ruled the track.

Tragedy struck the track when a race car went into the crowd and killed a spectator in May 1962. In the summer of 1965, two drivers were killed during races.

Races usually began with 20 cars, and after the first 10 laps, most had died and rolled onto the center green. 

If the driver could get the car running again, he could enter it in Sunday’s Demolition Derby. In these raucous races, cars—with their transmissions blown—smashed into each other in reverse while protecting their engines.

Beyond stock car races, the Westboro Speedway was celebrated for its popular special events. 

At its peak in the 1970s, the Speedway hosted rock bands. The most memorable: Boston band Aerosmith on Aug. 18, 1974. This was Aerosmith’s first outdoor concert as headliners, complete with fireworks and cheers from an exuberant crowd of 10,000. The Gregg Allman Band also played at the speedway in 1983. 

Also very popular was the annual German Oktoberfest that served German food and beer to lively polka tunes and dances. Motorcycle rallies ― giant flea markets held in the expansive parking lot ― attracted motorcycle clubs from all over New England. For further excitement, the Speedway featured wrestling matches and rodeos to the delight of all ages. 

With dwindling audiences in the 1980s, however, the Westboro Speedway was closed by one-time owner and longtime-manager Peter Falconi and sold to a commercial developer. 

The site was transformed into today’s Speedway Plaza.

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