Jerry Marquis

Competitor
CLASS OF 2016

Born in Maine, the longtime Broadbrook, CT resident Jerry Marquis started racing at Riverside Park Speedway in the mid-1970’s in the Figure 8 division. He quickly became a force to be reckoned with and earned back-to-back track championships in 1977-1978. The then moved over to Stafford Speedway where he won back-to-back Sportsman Championships in 1980-1981.

In the early 1990’s, Marquis was one of the best on southern New England short tracks. Driving Bob Judkins‘ #2x at Riverside Park Speedway, he won 3 consecutive Modified Championships from 1991-1993, matching Bob Polverari as the only drivers to win 3 straight Modified crowns at the MA bullring. In 1992 alone, he won 12 features to clinch the title.

At Monadnock Speedway, he was even more impressive as he won 3 straight Modified titles (1990-1992) and 4 straight Pro Stock titles (1990-1993). His dominant performances won him the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Northeast Region Championship in 1991. He was the first New England to earn the regional honors.

Jerry raced regularly on the NASCAR Busch North Series starting in 1994 and won 7 times from 1994-1997, finishing runner-up to the series championship in 1997. He returned to Stafford to win the 1999 SK Modified Championship and his 2nd NASCAR Weekly Racing Series regional title.

He started off the 2000’s racing for Mario Fiore on the NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series, winning 5 times with 11 top 5’s in 17 races enroute to the 2000 series championship. After winning the 2001 opener with Fiore at South Boston, he moved to the famed Boehler #3 race team from 2001-2004 winning 8 times. In 2005, he drove for Bob Garbarino’s Mystic Missle #4 team where he won 3 more times.

At Thompson Speedway, Marquis won a pair of Ice Breaker 150’s (2000 & 2002), the Thompson 300 in 2001 and the World Series 125 in 2005. He was also the 2004 Spring Sizzler winner and a 300 lapper in 2000 at Stafford Speedway.

In 2007, he ran for Joe Brady on the NASCAR Modified tour plus part time for Robert Torriere on the NASCAR Busch East Series. Marquis retired soon after the season, although he memorably came back as a last minute replacement for Rowan Pennink in 2011 for a Modified Racing Series 100 lapper at the Waterford Speedbowl and took the victory in Gary Cassella’s #25 car.

Other New England tracks where Marquis visited victory lane include the Waterford Speedbowl in CT, Star Speedway & New Hampshire Motor Speedway in NH and Beech Ridge Speedway in ME.