Glastonbury businessman Bruce Bemer won the foreclosure auction for the Speedbowl property on October 18, 2014. Virtually unknown to most of the local racing community, Bemer immediately announced he would be keep the race track and not develop the property.
Bemer made several capital improvements including installing a new catch fence around the perimeter of the track, installing a new scoreboard on the backstretch and extending the concrete walls around the entire track.
Former Street Stock Champion Shawn Monahan was named the new General Manager and Scott Tapley returned as Race Director for 2015. Monahan simplified the schedule with each Saturday division getting one 50 lap race during the season plus a SK Modified 75 lapper during the Finale. The 2-day opening event was replaced with a regular Saturday night show. Wild N’ Wacky Wednesday was rebranded to Thursday Night Thunder as to not conflict with Thompson Speedway, who ran numerous oval events on Wednesday. Despite a positive response to Monahan during most of his tenure, he resigned at the end of 2016 and returned to active competition at Thompson Speedway soon after.
Former Legend Car Champion George Whitney took as track GM for the 2017 season. Guy Beaudoin and then Chris Forster were the Race Directors. The mid-week series returned to Wednesdays. Whitney would resign late in the 2018 season with Mike Serluca finishing out the season.
Legal issues for Bemer resulted in the track not opening until June 24th in 2017 and not opening at all in 2019, ending the Speedbowl’s run of 68 consecutive season’s of operation. This also led to NASCAR and INEX dropping their sanctions prior to 2017 season, although INEX returned for the Legend Cars and Bandoleros in 2022.
While the track was closed in 2019, the wooden grandstands and tower were demolished and replaced with metal grandstands, except at the start finish line, where instead a bus was parked and has acted as race control for scorers and announcers ever since. Mike Serluca resigned during the global pandemic of 2020 without ever promoting a race after the 2018 season.
Mike Marfeo replaced Serluca and opened the track on August 8, 2020, the latest opening day of any Speedbowl season. Longtime track official Eric Webster was the new Race Director. With such a long time in between regular competition, the Speedbowl surface lost its trademark two-grooves, with the highest possible lane, even around the turns, becoming the preferred racing groove.
During the June 18, 2022 event, Marfeo notified the competitors at the driver’s meeting that he was resigning in protest of the return of the Monaco Modified series later that August. Former Stafford Speedway competitor Sean Foster was then installed as the new GM. He kept things afloat through the end of the 2023 season, but was unsuccessful in implementing his vision and parted ways with the Speedbowl that October. Eric Webster also retired after the 2023 season and was replaced by Chris Williams in 2024.
No GM was announced after Foster’s departure, with Heidi McDonough and Chris Austill largely taking on those responsibilities. Hall of Fame crew chief Brad LaFontaine was brought in as Race Director for 2025, but his tenure lasted only 1 season.
OPERATIONAL TENURE AT A GLANCE
| OWNERSHIP TENURE | 2014-present |
| OPERATIONAL TENURE | 2015-2016 – GM Shawn Monahan |
| 2017-2018 – GM George Whitney | |
| 2018-2020 – GM Mike Serluca | |
| 2020-2022 – GM Mike Marfeo | |
| 2022-2023 – GM Sean Foster | |
| DIVISIONS INTRODUCED | 2025 Crown Vics |
| SANCTIONING BODY | 2015-2016 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (Saturday divisions) |
| 2015-2016; 2022-present INEX (Legend Cars & Bandoleros) | |
| 2017-present unsanctioned (Saturday divisions) | |
| EVENTS INTRODUCED | Monaco Modified Belltown Motors 100 (2022-present) |
| Full Fendered Throwdown (2022-2024) | |
| Bill Greco/Terry Baribeault SK 43 (2023-present) | |
| REGIONAL SERIES INTRODUCED | 2015 Granite State Pro Stock Series |
| 2015 Tri-Track Open Modified Series (now Monaco Modifieds) | |
| 2021 Super Modified Atlantic Charter | |
| 2022 Pro All Star Series North | |
| 2022 New England Supermodified Series | |
| OTHER NOTABLE CONTRIBUTIONS | installed new perimeter catch fence |
| installed new scoreboard on backstretch | |
| rebuilt turn 2 & turn 4 towers, installed new turn 3 tower | |
| replaced wooden grandstands with aluminum bleachers | |
| reverted the track to it’s original name of New London-Waterford Speedbowl | |
BRUCE BEMER
SPEEDBOWL PHOTO ALBUM
