Ollie Silva
Ollie Silva | |
---|---|
Born | [a] New York State, U.S.[4] | May 14, 1929
Died | August 15, 2004 | (aged 75)
Resting place | Elmwood Cemetery Haverhill, Massachusetts[1] |
Occupation | Race car driver |
Years active | 1949–1980[6] |
Awards | New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame |
Oliver W. Silva (May 14, 1929 – August 15, 2004) was an American
Biography
One of 16 children born to Portuguese immigrants, Silva started driving at age 10, steering a tractor and a pickup truck on his family's large produce and poultry farm in Topsfield, Massachusetts. By the time he was 14, he had secretly purchased a car and hid it in woods near the farm to "practice drive" on rarely used back roads.[5] Silva served in the United States Army from February 1951 to February 1953, during the Korean War.[3] He later worked as a carpenter and roofer.[8]
Silva began racing in 1949 at
Silva drove in underfunded cars. The
Silva joined forces for several years with car owner Vic Miller in a unique 01 Supermodified which was very successful. One of his last SuperModified rides was in the Clyde Booth "nine" car.
Silva died in 2004, aged 75, at the Manchester VA Medical Center in Manchester, New Hampshire.[5] He was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Haverhill, Massachusetts.[1] His memory has been preserved with the annual "Ollie Silva Classic" at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, New Hampshire.[10] For the first event, locals built a replica of one of Silva's 1960s "Big O" coupe modifieds.
Notable events
Silva once lapped the entire field twice at the 1974 Hott Wheels 100 All-Star race at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl.[7][9] He was a multi-time winner of Star Speedway's International Super Modified Classic.
Silva won New England Super-Modified Racing Association (NESMRA) championships at Star Speedway in 1967, 1968, and 1978. He won
Silva's career nearly ended in 1978 when he was seriously injured while racing at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, New Hampshire.[11][9] Funds to help with medical costs were raised by some members of the Boston Bruins.[12] He returned to racing for a short while in 1980.[8]
Notes
References
- ^ a b c "Silva, Oliver W". U.S. Veterans' Gravesites. Retrieved February 27, 2022 – via Fold3.com.
- ^ "Oliver W Silva". Social Security Death Index. Retrieved February 27, 2022 – via Fold3.com.
- ^ a b "Oliver Silva (1929)". United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Retrieved February 27, 2022 – via Fold3.com.
- ^ "Fifteenth Census of the United States". United States Census Bureau. April 3, 1930. Retrieved February 27, 2022 – via Fold3.com.
- ^ a b c Conway, Russ (August 17, 2004). "Topsfield auto racing legend Ollie Silva dies". The Salem News. Danvers, Massachusetts. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ "Ollie Silva Driver Class of 1998". New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b c d Biography Archived 2007-10-05 at the Wayback Machine at the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame, Retrieved January 5, 2007
- ^ a b c d e f g Long, Tom (August 20, 2004). "Ollie Quick Silva, at 75; lapped competition on track". Boston.com.
- ^ a b c d "Photos of the Week: This Week Remembering Ollie Silva". Vintage Northeast Modified Stock Cars. August 17, 2004. Archived from the original on February 23, 2006. Retrieved January 5, 2007 – via Wayback Machine.
- ^ [1] Archived 2006-10-21 at the Wayback Machine "Nokie Fornoro in Exciting Ollie Silva Memorial Win at Lee USA"
- ^ "Caron Win Another, Ollie Silva Improved". Brattleboro Reformer. Brattleboro, Vermont. August 14, 1978. p. 9. Retrieved March 1, 2022 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ McDonough, Will (September 6, 1979). "Once near death, he's racing back". The Boston Globe. p. 58. Retrieved February 27, 2022 – via newspapers.com.