Harvey Tattersall Jr

Competitor, Car Owner, Official, Promoter
CLASS OF 1998

Harvey Tattersall Jr built, owned & drove midget race cars in the pre-World War II era. He later assumed the role of an official, first as a handicapper and later as a scorer.

In 1948 he foresaw the increasing popularity of stock cars and formed the United Stock Car Racing Club along with his father and announcer Tom Galan. They quickly began promoting stock cars at such tracks as Candlelight Stadium in Bridgeport, CT, Savin Rock in West Haven, Plainville, CT, and Longsdale, RI.

In 1949 he took over the promotional reigns at the 1\5 mile asphalt speedway at Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, MA. It became the premiere track in his United Stock Car Racing organization, which at different times over the next 25 years also sanctioned races at Empire Raceway (NY), Lonsdale Speedway (RI), West Haven Speedway (CT), New London-Waterford Speedbowl (CT), Plainville Stadium (CT) and Westboro Speedway (MA). The 1950s saw Tattersall promoting late model racing through the Grand American Division at tracks in New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.

Tattersall was an innovator in his promoting style. He was instrumental in establishing point funds for drivers, and was one of the first promoters to provide racers with insurance policies. In the mid-1970’s at Waterford, he was the first to allow women in the pit area. He also understood that racing was entertainment and fans expected a show. While a skirmish or controversy may lead to publicly announced fines, Harvey was known to subsidize, if not equal the fine behind the scenes with drivers, because he believed the drama would bring the fans back the following week.

Some of the memorable promotions include the Riverside 500 team race and the Eastern States 200 at the Big E Fair in Waterford Speedbowl’s Blast Off and the Fall Stinger, which was held at Westboro and Waterford during the 1970’s.

Early in 1975, he bought the New London-Waterford Speedbowl, but throughout the ’75 season, tensions would arise with Riverside Park Speedway owners (both tracks held events on Saturday nights). A driver strike at the Park late in the 1975 season led to the famed short track replacing United’s operation with a NASCAR sanction for the 1976 season. Harvey and his son Harvey III would operate Waterford until leasing it to Dick Williams in 1978. He would return as track operator for the 1979 and 1980 seasons, the last 2 race seasons of United Stock Car Racing existence.

Tattersall was presented the Frank Maratta Award for outstanding contribution to auto racing in 1983. He would lease the Speedbowl to numerous operators from 1981-1988 before selling the track in early 1989.

He then retired from racing and relocated to Florida. Hargreaves “Harvey” Tattersall Jr. passed away on July 4, 1995.