Dick Berggren

Competitor, Photographer, Broadcaster, Publisher, Historian
CLASS OF 2008

Driver, photographer, announcer, journalist, television personality, historian…..when it comes to racing, Dick Berggren’s done it all.

Dick started out racing on the dirt track at Stafford in 1966, then progressed to dirt modifieds, sprinters, and supers throughout the 1970s. Most of his 26 feature wins came at Beech Ridge Speedway in Maine, where he still holds the all time lap record on dirt (set in 1976). He raced on and off until 1981.

Looking for money to support his race car in the early 1970s, Dick teamed up with friends Lew Boyd & Bruce Cohen to co-promote the original Spring Sizzler at the Stafford Speedway in 1972. The trio sold the rights to Stafford owner Jack Arute the following season. The event celebrated its 50th running in 2022.

Berggren earned a doctorate in psychology from Tufts University in 1970, then taught psychology at Emmanuel College in Boston for 9 years. While teaching, he was also an editor for Stock Car Racing magazine and would race on the weekends throughout the northeast. After 22 years, he left Stock Car Racing magazine to start Speedway Illustrated.

Russ Conway gave Dick his first job as an announcer at Arundel Speedway where he was also the track photographer & work in public relations. He announced for MRN by the late 1970’s before starting a broadcasting career in 1981 as a pit reporter for ESPN. As a broadcaster, he is most remembered for his role as the lead pit reporter for NASCAR on Fox from 2001-2012.

Since his retirement from broadcasting, Dick has served as President of the New England Racing Museum.