08/31/2025
We love ya, Pete!! Congratulations!
🏁 This week we meet our final committee member, Pete Silva, and this week's introduction is going to look a little different.
When I reminded Pete about content for his introduction it was during the height of the buzz surrounding his trip to Hickory, NC where he, alongside others, were being celebrated.
When he called, he said to me, “I’ve been talked about and heard my name so much this week, just write up whatever you feel is best.” Or something to that effect – though he may come to regret that statement by the time he gets to the end of this. 😁
So, thus, here I am, giving you a very small glimpse at Pete Silva from my point of view. Not so much the driver, he truly needs no introduction in that aspect, but Pete Silva the man who loves racing.
Pete Silva is a pioneer of Maine Racing. Drivers find their way into racecars because it’s something they’re passionate about, but sometimes that passion ends up as a dream of something that is so much more. Pete was able to break through the barrier that is Maine and find success all throughout New England and along the East Coast, something that so few from our small rural state are ever able to do. His passion for racing and his success found him becoming a figure that would not only put Maine racing on the map, but that would be celebrated for years to come.
A second-generation driver, Pete’s storied career in the seat of a racecar began in 1970 at Unity Raceway and though his days behind the wheel are in the rear view, his foothold in the racing world stands firm through his involvement with the Maine Vintage Racecar Association, the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame, the Unity Raceway Hall of Fame, and SO much more.
Inducted as a member of the Unity Raceway Hall of Fame, Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame, and New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame, Pete is a pillar of the racing community. His dedication and passion for not just Maine racing but Unity Raceway, is unmatched. He speaks of Unity Raceway and the individuals that have shaped its history with passion, care, and conviction. It is truly something so profound to see firsthand.
While I am much too young to have ever had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Silva in his prime, there are moments that feel as though I did through his vivid story telling of “the good old days.” It is an honor to not only serve alongside such a humble human being but to also consider him family knowing that he is someone who has been so influential in paving the way for the future generations of Unity Raceway, separated throughout decades, but sharing the same love of a place that means so much to so many.
For everything you do for Maine racing, Unity Raceway, and the preservation of history, “thank you” will never seem like enough.
-B
