Jay Stuart

Preston, CT native Jay Stuart was the rare Speedbowl car owner who eventually got behind the steering wheel and had even more success. He got his start as a teenager in the Street Stock division of the late 1970’s with Scott Poirier as his driver. They won multiple races together yet lost the driver championship by 6 points to Ed Reed in 1978 and by only 2 points to Ed Yerrington Jr in 1979. Jay Stuart did win the Owner Championship however in 1979.

Stuart continued to field his #66 cars with other drivers like Bob Faiella and Brian McCarthy behind the wheel in the early 1980’s. He even built an SK Modified during the 1985 season with Tom Fox as his driver, but quickly realized they were a different, and more expensive race car. He soon returned to building fendered cars. His first win as a driver came in an Enduro event during the 1986 season.

For the 1987 season, with the division now revised to traditional Late Model rules, Jay Stuart built what is widely considered the first true G-metric chassis car at Waterford and put 1985 champion Phil Rondeau behind the wheel. They would dominate the division winning a record 11 races and the track championship. Rondeau and Stuart would split after the season and with Jay deciding to get behind the wheel the following season, the two became engaged in arguably the greatest rivalry in Speedbowl history over the next decade.

Jay went winless in his first season as a driver, but ran consistently and earned Rookie of the Year honors. He found his stride in 1989, winning 6 races. He won 6 more in 1990 to clinch his first Speedbowl Championship as a driver. In all, Jay Stuart won 39 races from 1989-2000 and 4 Late Model Championships (1990, 1994, 1999, 2000) in what many consider the greatest era in the division’s history. He was also the NASCAR ShorTrack New England Champion in 2000.

After a few seasons away, Stuart returned to the Speedbowl in 2004, driving Pete Aarsand’s #35 to 2 wins while Bruce Thomas Jr was temporarily sidelined. His last 2 wins at the track in came in 2006 driving his own car once again. With the advent of the ACT style cars, Stuart left Speedbowl as a competitor.

Nicknamed “The Professor” for his vast knowledge of chassis and set-ups, Stuart remained involved in the sport through his JMD Chassis business. He has built racecars and supported drivers in several fendered divisions at multiple tracks for decades. As a driver, he also won championships at Stafford Speedway & Riverside Park Speedway. Jay Stuart is considered one of the greatest Late Model drivers and fabricators in Speedbowl history.

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