Speedbowl announces lease deal with former racer to reopen track
Waterford — The New London-Waterford Speedbowl will open for the 2017 racing season despite criminal charges against its owner, according to a statement posted on the track’s website.
Staff at the semi-professional racing track have been issuing anonymous statements on its website and Facebook page over the past several weeks amid accusations that its owner, Bruce Bemer, played a major role in a decades-long prostitution scheme in which mentally disabled young men were lured into sex with promises of friendship, money and drugs.
On Monday afternoon they issued another statement announcing a deal that would allow George Whitney, described as a former racer, to lease the Route 85 track for the 2017 season, which was scheduled to begin in May.
“His latest accolades are bringing numerous drivers to National Championships as their Crew Chief,” the statement said. “He now gets his racing fix doing chassis set ups for many drivers as well as Legends car repairs.”
According to the statement, Whitney will operate the track as Whitney Farm Racing, a limited liability company incorporated in late May and registered to an address in Westbrook.
Whitney did not return a request for comment Monday.
"The Speedbowl is my home track and I am proud to be given the opportunity to give back to a track that not only has supported family racing for generations, including mine, but has the best short track racing in New England," Whitney said in the statement on the Speedbowl website.
Chuck Coursey, a spokesman for Bemer who is working with a law firm that represents one of Bemer's businesses, did not provide any additional details about the deal or how the criminal and civil cases against Bemer will affect it.
"The lease agreement with Whitney Farm Racing will help preserve this summer's racing season and jobs at the Speedbowl," Coursey said.
Since Bemer's arrest, several alleged victims have signed on to multiple suits seeking to freeze Bemer’s assets and those of another man who allegedly took part in the trafficking scheme.
If the motion filed April 5 is granted, the court would take control of the assets of 64-year-old Bemer, including the Speedbowl, and William Trefzger, 72, of Westport.
Both men are facing charges of patronizing a trafficked person in Danbury Superior Court. Although Trefzger remains in custody on a $250,000 bond, Bemer posted a $500,000 bond and was released March 30.
The track’s racing director, a longtime race official and two other staff members all have resigned from the track in the wake of the allegations. On April 6, NASCAR announced it would terminate its sanction of the Whelen All-American racing series that was set to begin May 6, effectively ending the track’s major racing event.
