Crossing the finish line first is Dick Peterman, in the second race ever run in the Niagara Falls Convention Center. The date is January 26, 1985, and the other car in the photo, #79, was not the second-place car. Dick had a commanding lead.
While this was Dick’s last indoor race victory, it was not his first.
His first came a remarkable 25 years earlier, on February 20, 1960, in the Teaneck Armory. He won again in Teaneck before recording a substantial number of outdoor race victories in the late 1960s.
Dick drove for several car owners through the years, but this Niagara Falls win came at the wheel of his own car, numbered 98 as were all the race cars he owned throughout his career.
Standing at the right in the victory lane photo below is Paul Mecca, who was one of the race organizers at Niagara Falls at the time. Earlier this month Mecca visited the indoor TQ races in Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall, there with drag racer Ron Capps on behalf of event sponsor NAPA.
Dick Peterman, now in his 80s, is still very much with us and is seen regularly at the track.
As always, you can click the photos for an enlarged view.