C.J. Frye

C.J. Frye, whose real name was Christopher Lawrence Frye III, began competing at the Speedbowl in the early 1980’s. He won the Most Improved Driver Award in 1982 before pairing up with car owner Gordon Rodgers for the 1983 season.

The pair would find success immediately winning 3 races that year. In 1984, Frye had an epic battle with Mike Lovetere for the track title. Lovetere led the points for most of the season, but his DNF in the second-to-last race coupled with C.J. winning the last race gave the 6x team the Super Stock Championship.

The following year, he won a career best 5 races but finished runner-up to Phil Rondeau for the title. C.J. would drive as a teammate to Art Moran Jr in 1986, once again visiting victory lane during the season. Frye won 13 races from 1983-1986.

C.J. was a jack-of-all-trades off the track and was a licensed electrician, plumber and carpenter. He left the racing scene after the 1986 season, but returned in the early 1990’s to compete at all 3 Connecticut tracks, once again driving Gordon Rodgers’ 6x late model. He won a race at Waterford in each season from 1991-1994, including 4 times in 1994 when he finished runner-up to Jay Stuart for the championship.

Away from the Speedbowl in 1994, Frye won the Late Model Championship at both Stafford & Thompson speedways, at the time joining Phil Rondeau as the only drivers with LM titles at all 3 CT tracks.

Then C.J. left the racing scene again, this time for good. A hugely popular driver with many Speedbowl fans, Frye had equal success at the Speedbowl both before & after it was repaved prior to the 1988 season. Sadly. C.J. Frye passed away on July 13, 2020 at only 60 years old.

STATISTICAL SNAPSHOT

C.J. FRYE
SPEEDBOWL PHOTO ALBUM