Bob Polverari

Competitor
CLASS OF 2003

Bob Polverari began racing in a soapbox derby car in 1948. Bob began a storied career at Riverside Park Speedway when he debuted his famous #711 in 1954, competing in both the Tuesday night jalopy races and Saturday night modified division. He retired briefly in 1955, but returned to the novice division at The Park in 1961. He stayed in that division on and off until 1969, taking time off to race snowmobiles in 1963-64. In 1969 he tried his hand in the modified division for the first time.

In 1975, he won Harvey Tattersall’s final United Stock Car Racing Association feature at Riverside. 1976 was a standout year for Polverari. Bob started the year off by winning the first ever NASCAR feature, then followed that up by taking down 7 more wins, 4 second place finishes, and 2 thirds in 16 appearances. It would lead to the first of 3 straight Modified Championships (1975-1977) at the Park. He would win the title again in 1982 and again in 1990. Bob also had four Riverside 500 victories, including a 1978 win with teammate Jerry Cook, in which Polverari drove 487 of the 500 laps.

Polverari lists the late Richie Evans as his most admired racer. “He was a really likeable guy, a great racer….He always had something going on, he always managed to put a smile on my face”. Bob’s biggest victory came in the 1981 Spring Sizzler at Stafford Speedway when he beat Evans by inches at the line.

It is only fitting that Polverari took down the win in the final Modified race held at Riverside Park Speedway in the fall of 1999.