The Garuti Brothers

Car Owners
CLASS OF 2011

Rich & Ray Garuti are truly New England auto racing pioneers, building their first stock car for Plainville Stadium early in the 1950’s. They continued to build winning cars for over two decades, scoring on both the United Stock Car Racing Club and NASCAR circuits. The numbers 14 and 28 will forever be associated with the New Britain, CT natives.

They began with the midgets, first maintaining somebody else’s car before acquiring their own. Johnny DeLeo remembers some impressive runs in the #14 V60-powered Kurtis. Modifieds, however, is where they made their mark.

George Lombardo, Moe Gherzi, Ed Flemke, Jocko Maggiacomo and Smokey Boutwell were the principal drivers. The cars out of Ray’s Garage in the Kensington section of Berlin, CT had dominating seasons with Lombardo at Plainville Stadium and with Gherzi at the Waterford Speedbowl before moving on to Riverside Park, United’s flagship racetrack for over two decades. It became a two-car operation in 1956, with Gherzi in the #14 and Ed Flemke in the #28. The two drivers combined to win the Riverside 500 that season. Ed Flemke would win the 1956 Modified Championship at Riverside Park, then earn a 2nd championship in 1958. Maggiacomo added two more 500 wins to the Riverside resume, teaming with Bobby Bishop in 1964 and Billy Greco in 1965, the latter his last race.

The Garutis moved on to NASCAR with Flemke and Boutwell, the latter winning the 1969 Stafford Speedway Modified Championship in his final season. Interestingly, Flemke won the first race at Stafford under the Arute family ownership in 1970 driving at Garuti car. They were a force at Thompson as well.

Rich Garuti passed away on June 13, 2011 at the age of 83. Ray Garuti passed away on May 10, 2020 at the age of 95.