S.J. Evonsion

Steve James “S.J.” Evonsion began racing at the age of 15 at Riverside Park Speedway in the Novice division in 1964. Under the United Racing Club circuit at Riverside Park Speedway, he then won the 1965 Grand American Super Sport Championship, driving and maintaining his own car. Following that championship, he was hired to drive a Sportsman Modified for car owner, Bill Lyons. SJ won the first of two United Racing Club Sportsman Modified Championships in 1966. He scored the Modified Triple Crown Championship in 1972, as well as the 1972 Riverside Park Speedway Modified Championship.

SJ was a highly desired hired gun, driving for the likes of John Cosmus, Leo Matte, Jack & Bob Moccio, Lenny Boehler, Jim Fournier, Bob Garbarino and Joe Brady to name but a few. In 1973, after winning the Modified Championship at Riverside Park he moved to Stafford and Thompson to compete at the NASCAR level. In 1985 he ran the full NASCAR Modified Tour. SJ won the last race on the old Riverside flat track and the first race on the new banked track. SJ had over 50 Modified wins between Riverside, Westboro and Monadnock.

Evonsion was awarded the NASCAR Sportsmanship Award in 1991. In 1998 he stepped aside from driving, after 40 years to allow his son to drive the family car for a short time. He competed at around 50 tracks from Canada to North Carolina, and Indianapolis to New England.

S.J. Evonsion has been an important part of New England racing history during some of it’s most heralded eras.