Dick Brooks

Richard “Dick” Brooks started his racing career as a race car owner in the 1960s with drivers such as Charlie Webster, Billy Harman and Walt Dombrowski driving his #651 cars at the Waterford Speedbowl.

In 1970, he became an official at the Waterford Speedbowl under John Whitehouse, before moving to Thompson Speedway as part of Whitehouse’s staff the following season. Over the years he has held numerous positions there, including long stints as Head Flagman and Race Director. 2025 was his 55th consecutive season as an official at Thompson Speedway in some capacity. He has worked at Westboro Speedway, Waterford Speedbowl and more notably Riverside Park Speedway, where he was a flagman and then Race Director from 1983 until in closed after the 1999 season. Brooks was inducted into the Riverside Park Speedway Hall of Fame in the late 1990’s.

Bill Slater tabbed Brooks as the original flagman for the modifieds at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida during Speedweeks in 1976, later becoming Race Director. He was part of their annual World Series event every February for over 30 years. Six-time NASCAR Modified champion Jerry Cook, who served as the Whelen Modified Tour‘s director enlisted Brooks’ help in 1985 to help get the series off the ground. He was an inspection official for the Tour from 1985 through the 2023 season. He was also the original Race Director for the North-South Shootout when it debuted in 2003

Brooksie was considered one of the most prominent flagmen in Southern New England
during the 1970’s and 1980s and Race Director during the 1990’s and 2000’s.