Don Rounds

Competitor
CLASS OF 2001

Don Rounds began racing stock cars at the Kingston Fairgrounds in 1948. He took down his first feature win 3 years later at the Waterford Speedbowl in 1951 driving the familiar #101, a ’37 Ford flathead powered coupe. It was the last dirt race at Waterford before the track was closed temporarily and paved with asphalt.

Predominantly a dirt track competitor, Don raced in those early years, from 1949 to 1953, under the sanction of the Interstate Stock Car Racing Association, led by Lou Gulianno.

Don competed at dozens of tracks throughout the Northeast, including Lakeville and Millers Falls in Massachusetts, Beech Ridge, Maine, Bennington & Pico Raceway VT, and Monadnock Speedway in NH. He stormed through New York, racing at Meadow Metowee, Lebanon Valley, Rhinebeck, Victoria, Middletown, and Fonda.

In 1959, Don took down the State of Connecticut Sportsman Championship, still driving his flathead powered #101. Working with Lou Kelley, who wrenched for Rounds for over twenty years, the team raced in the sportsman division at Stafford Speedway. At the time, Stafford combined the modified division with the flathead powered sportsman division. In 1959 and 1960, running in the sportsman class, Rounds took down 17 “Best in Class” wins, and 3 overall feature wins. He was crowned the 1959 Sportsman Champion at Stafford.

Don Rounds passed away on May 3, 2019 in West Warwick, RI at the age of 91.