Fred Luchesi

Competitor
CLASS OF 2008
Veterans Committee Selection

Fred Luchesi’s career in racing started in the late 1940s, and lasted until his retirement in the late 1960s. During that career, Fred drove coupes, modifieds, midgets, and late models.

Fred Luchesi won several championships around the southern New England tracks during the cut-down era of modified racing. He won 5 track championships in a 3 season span: the Waterford Speedbowl in 1954, Westboro Speedway in 1955, then Seekonk Speedway, Lonsdale Speedway & Norwood Arena all in 1956. One year at Lonsdale, Fred “Leadfoot” Luchesi took down every main event of the season but one, where he finished runner-up to Dave Humphrey.

Fred recalls those early days in racing, when he’d load up his car with race tires, tools, and his two man pit crew, and drive the race car from Pawtucket, RI all the way up to Victoriaville in Canada for that day’s race. Another early memory is those Sunday mornings driving the race car to Thompson to compete. He would roll the car down Slater Street in Pawtucket, and fire it up at the bottom of the hill, in front of St John the Baptist church. It wasn’t until sometime later that a friend informed Fred that every Sunday, when he fired up the car, the service would be halted, and the priest would take time to “bless that race car out in front of the church”.

Fred Luchesi passed away on February 25, 2024, he was 93 years old.