Eric Berndt started racing SK Modifieds at the Speedbowl in 1995 at only 16 years old. He was actually only 15 during the pre-season practice sessions prior to opening day where there may or may not have been a forged birth certificate involved, since 16 was the minimum age to compete at the time.
Driving for his grandfather Ron Berndt, he won his first race holding off defending champ Dave Gada on Sept 30th. At the time he was the youngest winner in Speedbowl history. He earned Rookie of the Year honors by season’s end.
Eric would win 15 races at Waterford from 1995-2002 driving his family’s North End Auto Parts #54. His best season in that era was arguably 2001, when he won 6 times and finished 3rd in the final point standings. He also won back-to-back Budweiser Modified Nationals SK 150’s, the second of which he pocketed over $8,000 for the victory.
Berndt would leave weekly competition for close to 20 years, racing at other Connecticut tracks and the NASCAR Modified Tour. He later returned to the Speedbowl SK Modifieds driving the Ferguson Motorsports #11. He added 17 more wins to his Speedbowl total from 2020-2025
STATISTICAL SNAPSHOT
| TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS | 0 |
| CAREER WINS | 32 SK Modified |
| SPEEDBOWL RECORDS | 17 seasons between SK Modifieds wins |
| SPEEDBOWL FIRSTS | First 16 year old to win SK Modified race at the Speedbowl |
| OTHER NOTABLE STATS | 5th on the SK Modified Career Wins list |
| 12 different seasons with a SK Modified win at the Speedbowl | |
| AWARDS & HONORS | 1995 SK Modified Rookie of the Year |
| 1996 SK Modified Sportsman of the Year | |
| 1998 Chief Starter’s Award |
All stats through 2025 season. Eric Berndt is still an active competitor – his stats will be updated after each season he competes at the Speedbowl
ERIC BERNDT
SPEEDBOWL PHOTO ALBUM
