Ron Berndt

Ron Berndt is a legendary car owner who first started fielding race cars at the old Plainville Stadium in the 1960’s, winning a championship there with Sparky Belmont in 1964. After Plainville closed after the 1981 season, Berndt took his operation to Waterford.

He had several drivers pilot his cars, like Ronnie Rocco and Rick Donnelly, before teaming up with Ted Christopher for the 1987 season at Waterford. TC scored 1 win at the ‘bowl that year, which helped him clinch the NASCAR Tri-Track Series Championship that season. The team won 24 races together though Blast Off 94, but soon after that season-opening win, Berndt & Christopher parted ways. Ron put 6-time Late Model champion Phil Rondeau in the car for the rest of the season and he earned 2 victories.

In 1995, Ron put his 16 year old grandson Eric in the car. At the time, it was a bold move as drivers typically didn’t get opportunities to drive Modifieds at such a young age. Eric would prove the nay-sayers wrong by getting his first career win late in the season and earning Rookie of the Year honors. Eric would win 15 SK Modified races from 1995-2002. His last win at Waterford during that stretch was his second consecutive Budweiser Modified Nationals SK 150 which, with contingency money, the team won over $8,000.

The North End Auto Parts team would leave weekly competition after the 2002 BMN win to concentrate at the other CT tracks, winning the 2003 Thompson Championship. They also ran part-time on the NASCAR Modified Tour through 2010. Eric would continue racing after that for other car owners as Ron retired as a car owner. Berndt was inducted into the NEAR Hall of Fame in 2013

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RON BERNDT
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