A documentary short produced by Waterford Speedbowl historian Tom ‘Sid’ DiMaggio was shown at the inaugural Silk City Flick Fest in Manchester, CT this past weekend. The film, chronicaling the championship contenders for the 2008 SK Modified Championship at the Waterford Speedbowl, was shot by DiMaggio’s Vault Productions team over the course of one week leading up to the track’s final event last October. DiMaggio edited the piece himself. It was submitted in a non-competitive category.
The film featured interviews with 7 SK Modified competitors including Tyler Chadwick, Ron Yuhas Jr, former champions Jeff Pearl & Ed Reed Jr and the contenders for the 2008 title Keith Rocco, Rob Janovic Jr and Dennis Gada. Gada would capture his record 7th career championship at the track. The film premiered at the Wateford Speedbowl’s award banquet in January.
DiMaggio’s team is returning this season to film the Finale Weekend event once again at Waterford. This time, they plan to chronical the championship battles in all 4 of the track’s NASCAR divisions – SK Modifieds, Late Models, Street Stocks and Mini Stocks. It will once again premiere at the Speedbowl annual banquet.
First annual Silk City Film Festival an indie film lovers’ smorgasbord
By Kory Loucks for the Journal Inquirer – Oct 21, 2009
The first annual Silk City Flick Fest, which ran Thursday through Sunday, was nothing if not eclectic.
Over 75 feature-length and short films and documentaries produced from as far away as South Africa shared screen time with local productions at four venues throughout the town.
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‘2008 SK Modified Finale 100’
Even if you don’t dig car racing, “2008 SK Modified Finale 100” a 54-minute documentary directed by Tom DiMaggio, is a fun and educational inside look at the world of amateur local auto racing at the Waterford Speedbowl. The footage is raw and choppy at times, but the music is good and rocking, with the race announcing from none other than the Journal Inquirer’s own television critic Matt Buckler.
The racers are individually interviewed before the race, with appropriate names like “Kid Roc,” “Ronnie U,” “Dennis the Menace,” and “Fast Eddie.”
By introducing the racers, you get to know and like the individuals, which ultimately gives a human face and heart to the otherwise impersonal racecars and making the race at the end all the more exciting and meaningful. You get why these guys do what they do and love it almost as much.