George Lombardo

Competitor
CLASS OF 2008
Veterans Committee Selection

George Lombardo raced from the late 1940s through the mid 1960s. During that span, he took down over 125 wins at tracks such as Riverside Park Speedway, Waterford Speedbowl, West Haven Speedway, and Plainville Stadium. At Plainville, he won a pair of track championships in 1962-1963.

Running in the United Stock Car Club, George drove for several owners, including Leo Woitja, Norm Keis, Bob Oliver, and the Nogiec brothers. He also had success driving the Dalena Auto Parts #XD-2.

One race George remembers fondly is a race that he didn’t win. Teaming with Dan Gaudiana, George drove the Jake Mosher owned #439 for almost 490 grueling laps in the Riverside Park 500, after the #999 broke an axle early in the race. “We ended up as good friends”, George says about he and Dan Gaudiana. “It wasn’t always that way. We were fierce rivals early on.”

George remembers an on track incident with George Clark in the #999 at Plainville, where Lombardo and Clark started a fight that turned into a riot when the fans in the stands emptied onto the track. “People fighting everywhere, the police firing their guns in the air……it was a mess! Danny and George and I laughed about it afterwards….Well, several YEARS afterwards”, George laughed.

George Lombardo passed away on August 13, 2017 at the age of 92.