The racing community in Connecticut lost one of its legends on Thursday.
Charlie Mitchell was honored at Stafford Speedway following his retirement more than a decade ago. Pictured (left to right): Peter Vanderveer, Matt Buckler, Jack Arute Jr., Charlie Mitchell, Jack Arute Sr., Shawn Courchesne and Deane Mercier)
Longtime Norwalk Hour motorsports journalist Charlie Mitchell passed away Thursday.
Mitchell was 74.
Mitchell, a Norwalk native, began working at the Norwalk Hour in 1969. He started in the news department but moved to covering sports in 1971 and began covering racing for the paper that year.
He retired from The Hour in 2001, though continued to contribute a regular motorsports column regularly well after “retiring.”
Mitchell’s last column for the paper ran on Nov. 28, 2010.
“He was absolutely the dean of motorsports journalists in Connecticut,” said longtime racing journalist and former Hartford Times reporter Pete Zanardi, a longtime confidante of Mitchell’s.
For more on Mitchell check out the Norwalk Hour: Charlie Mitchell, The Hour sports editor and auto racing writer, passes away
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Charlie was the best at providing local racing news & results. He would also give a needed mention to local teams that might be struggling, those mentions were a great moral booster as I recall.
RIP Charlie Mitchell.
Charlie was a true gentleman and a master of his craft.A real racer as heart.He always made sure the local competitors got their "ink". We will be forever grateful for his dedication to the racing community and all of the local teams. RIP and Godspeed Charlie…Bill Jr., Janice and Brent Sweet.