Ollie Silva
Encyclopedia
Ollie Silva was an American Modified and Supermodified auto racing
driver. He raced in the Northeast United States, winning many races, track championships, and touring-series championships. Silva drove in modifieds, supermodifieds, pro-stocks, late models and sprint cars
. He was the first inductee in the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame
when it was instituted in 1998.
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. 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.http://www.ecnnews.com/cgi-bin/s/britues.pl?Manchester Silva began racing in 1949 at Dracut Speedway in a 1934 Ford Coupe. Ollie has raced and won features from Canada to Florida, and won an estimated 500 features in twelve states. Ollie drove for many years in a touring SuperModified association known as NESMRA. His nephew James Silva owns a racehorse business with Brewer Adams.
Silva drove in underfunded cars. The Lawrence Eagle-Tribune published a story about him in 1999, where he described one race in Quebec
: "We just had this little flathead engine. They had these big fuel-injected Chrysler V-8s. But when they got to the end of the straightaways, they didn't know how to drive through the turns. I wasn't going to tell them." "They're speaking French and all of a sudden one guy wants to buy our motor. Another one wanted to buy the rear end. Somebody else bought the transmission. Then somebody else bought the body, frame and roll bars. We came home with an empty trailer" said Mr. Silva. Silva built himself a new racer the next week. Silva had offers to race for big-money NASCAR
teams, but he turned them down because he wanted to be his own boss.
Ollie joined forces for several years with legendary and current 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.
's International Super Modified Classic.
Modified
championships at Star Speedway
in 1967, 1968, and 1978. He won Can-Am Classics championships in 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1974. Silva was the four-time champion at the U.S. Winter Nationals. Silva claimed the 1972 World Series at Thompson Speedway.
His career nearly ended in 1978 when he was seriously injured racing at the Monadnock Speedway in New Hampshire driving a modified with the steering wheel on the right side. He returned for a short while in 1980.
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
driver. He raced in the Northeast United States, winning many races, track championships, and touring-series championships. Silva drove in modifieds, supermodifieds, pro-stocks, late models and sprint cars
Sprint car racing
Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa....
. He was the first inductee in the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame
New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame
The New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for racing-related people in the New England region of the United States. NEAR was established in 1981. The New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame was established in 1998 by the New England Antique Racers.-New England Antique Racers:The...
when it was instituted in 1998.
History
One of 16 children born to PortuguesePortuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
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. 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.http://www.ecnnews.com/cgi-bin/s/britues.pl?Manchester Silva began racing in 1949 at Dracut Speedway in a 1934 Ford Coupe. Ollie has raced and won features from Canada to Florida, and won an estimated 500 features in twelve states. Ollie drove for many years in a touring SuperModified association known as NESMRA. His nephew James Silva owns a racehorse business with Brewer Adams.
Silva drove in underfunded cars. The Lawrence Eagle-Tribune published a story about him in 1999, where he described one race in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
: "We just had this little flathead engine. They had these big fuel-injected Chrysler V-8s. But when they got to the end of the straightaways, they didn't know how to drive through the turns. I wasn't going to tell them." "They're speaking French and all of a sudden one guy wants to buy our motor. Another one wanted to buy the rear end. Somebody else bought the transmission. Then somebody else bought the body, frame and roll bars. We came home with an empty trailer" said Mr. Silva. Silva built himself a new racer the next week. Silva had offers to race for big-money NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
teams, but he turned them down because he wanted to be his own boss.
Ollie joined forces for several years with legendary and current 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.
Notable event wins
Ollie once lapped the entire field twice at the 1974 Hott Wheels 100 All-Star race at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl. He was a multi-time winner of Star SpeedwayStar speedway
Star Speedway is located in Epping, New Hampshire. In 2011 it will host a tour-type modified division under the management of the Webber family...
's International Super Modified Classic.
Notable championships
Silva won NASCARNASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Modified
Whelen Modified Tour
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour is a stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR in the Modified division. The Modified division is NASCAR's oldest division, and its one of two open-wheeled divisions...
championships at Star Speedway
Star speedway
Star Speedway is located in Epping, New Hampshire. In 2011 it will host a tour-type modified division under the management of the Webber family...
in 1967, 1968, and 1978. He won Can-Am Classics championships in 1969, 1970, 1971, and 1974. Silva was the four-time champion at the U.S. Winter Nationals. Silva claimed the 1972 World Series at Thompson Speedway.
His career nearly ended in 1978 when he was seriously injured racing at the Monadnock Speedway in New Hampshire driving a modified with the steering wheel on the right side. He returned for a short while in 1980.