Frederick John DeSarro (July 3, 1937 - November 1, 1978) was an American racecar driver. He was the 1970
NASCAR National Modified Champion. In NASCAR's Modified All-Time Top 10 drivers, he was ranked eighth.
Biography
Career
Fred DeSarro was a successful hydroplane racer as a late teenager in the Rhode Island area. He was also raced go-karts, drag raced and was a competitive bowler before turning to auto racing.
Fred started his stock car racing career at the then
Waterford Speedbowl driving Bob "Slim" Ross' #222 'Bounty Hunter' car. The team then moved over to the
Norwood Arena Speedway by the mid 1960's. Ross' team folded soon after and DeSarro built his own #11 Sportsman coupe. He won the 1967 Sportsman Track Championship at Norwood. He finished runner-up to the NASCAR Modified Championship in 1968.
In 1970, Fred won the NASCAR Modified National Championship driving the Sonny Koszela "Woodchopper" Special #15. Among several tracks, they raced regularly that season at Albany-Saratoga on Friday nights and won the Modified Championship there as well. This was the only season he drove for the Koszela team.
In 1971, DeSarro started his association with
Lenny Boehler and the "Ole Blue" #3, while Bugsy Stevens, who won 3 straight Modified Championships driving for Boehler, took over driving the Koszela car.
In 1972, DeSarro won the inaugural Spring Sizzler and went on to win the
Stafford Motor Speedway
Stafford Motor Speedway is a semi-banked 1/2 mile paved oval located in Stafford Springs, Connecticut. Stafford Speedway holds weekly racing every Friday night May through September. This track is known as the home of the SK Modifieds and drive ...
Championship, and won the Stafford Modified Championship again in 1976.
In 1974 DeSarro won the first of four (1974–1977) consecutive Thompson Modified division track championships, winning 14 feature events alone during the 1974 season. Fred also won the
Race of Champions (modified racing) at the
Trenton Speedway
Trenton Speedway was a racing facility located near Trenton, New Jersey at the New Jersey State Fairgrounds. Races for the United States' premier open-wheel and full-bodied racing series of the times were held at Trenton Speedway.
Racing histor ...
in 1974 in a dramatic photo-finish over Stevens in the Koszela #15 car.
Fred DeSarro was critically injured during a practice session at the
Thompson International Speedway on October 8, 1978 when his car launched over the sandbanks in turn 3. He suffered a massive skull fracture. He died several weeks later on November 1, 1978.
Awards
*1970: NASCAR National Modified Champion
*1999: inducted into
New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame The New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for racing-related people in the New England region of the United States. NEAR was established in 1981. The New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame was established in 1998 by the New Englan ...
References
External links
*http://www.vintagemodifieds.com/fred_desarro/
*http://localracing.nascar.com/node/1625
*http://www.near1.com/HALL-OF-FAME/1999/Desarro_Fred.htm
1937 births
1978 deaths
American racing drivers
NASCAR drivers
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