Rich and Ray Garuti are truly New England auto racing pioneers, building their first stock car for Plainville Stadium early in the 1950s. They continued to build winning cars for over two decades, scoring on both the United Stock Club and NASCAR circuits. The numbers 14 and 28 will forever be associated with the New Britain, CT natives.
They began with the Midgets, first maintaining somebody else's car before acquiring their own. Johnny DeLeo remembers some impressive runs in the #14 V60-powered Kurtis. Modifieds, however, is where they made their mark.
George Lombardo, Moe Gherzi, Ed Flemke, Jocco Maggiacomo and Smokey Boutwell were the principal drivers. The cars out of Ray's Garage in the Kensington section of Berlin, CT had dominating seasons with Lombardo at Plainville Stadium and with Gherzi at the Waterford Speedbowl before moving on to Riverside Park, United's flagship for over two decades. It became a two-car operation in 1956, Gherzi and Flemke (in the #28) combining to win the 500 that season. It was also the first of two Riverside championships (the other being '58) Flemke won driving for the Garutis. Maggiacomo added two more 500 wins to the Riverside resume, teaming with Bobby Bishop in '64 and Billy Greco in '65, the latter his last race.
They moved on to NASCAR with Flemke and Boutwell, the latter winning the 1969 Stafford championship in his final season. More folklore, the car, with Flemke aboard, won the first race at Stafford under the Arute family ownership in 1970. They were a force at Thompson as well.
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