If you visited Westboro Speedway “back in the day” – which was a high-banked 1/4 mile paved oval located in Massachusetts that ran from 1947 through 1985 – you might have seen our NEAR colleague Steve Zukowski, competing at one of his favorite tracks in his Chevrolet Vega #53. Steve started his racing career in 1960, he joined NEAR in 1998 and is the original owner/driver of the #53; which you could still see at the Vintage races today.
Other tracks Steve competed on included: Stafford Speedway, Riverside Park, Seekonk Speedway, Lakeville Speedway (Middleboro, MA), Thompson Speedway, Riverside (Groveton, MA), Hudson Speedway (NH), Brookline Speedway (NH), Star Speedway and Waterford Speedbowl.
The numerous car owners Steve drove for are some of his most memorable moments in racing; some include #78 owner-Nelson LeCleir (driving a ’50 Ford), #78 owner-Ron Langiven (driving a ’53 Ford), #17 owner-Ina Smith (driving a ’47 white Caddy – nicknamed the Joker), #21 owner-Don Silberman, #11 owner-Tony St. Angello, and #25 Coupe owner-Dave Johnson (Steve’s son-in-law).
As a Crew Chief, Steve worked on the #26 Bush North D.W. Toys Racing Team for 4 years, with Scott Bonley as the wheel-man; and then for the #94 Team with John Lesniak as the driver.
Wearing the “hat” of Head Mechanic, Steve worked on the #14 Bush North Ken Bouchard Team; and as a “Body Man”, Steve worked on the Al Becker and Ken Bouchard Team at Westboro; and then on the Red & White Movers, Ron Bouchard’s Team at Westboro and Seekonk Speedways.
Steve received the “President’s Award for Oustanding Service to NEAR February 27th – March 1st, 2015”, at the March 17, 2015 New England Antique Racers (NEAR) monthly meeting. Steve represented NEAR with his daily presence and displaying his car at the Frank Maratta Auto Show & Racearama in the Eastern States Exposition Center in West Springfield, MA; encountering one of the many New England winter snow storms.
With this kind of resume you could almost guess, Steve has been affiliated with automobiles since 1957 in Used Car Sales and Repairs. He always has a racing experience to share, if you just want to sit down and talk “racing”.
By Judy Poirier