Silva drove in modifieds, supermodifieds, pro stocks, late models and sprint cars.

[8] One of 16 children born to Portuguese immigrants, Silva started driving at age 10, steering a tractor and a pickup truck on his family's large produce and poultry farm in Topsfield, Massachusetts.

By the time he was 14, he had secretly purchased a car and hid it in woods near the farm to "practice drive" on rarely used back roads.

[8] Silva joined forces for several years with car owner Vic Miller in a unique 01 Supermodified which was very successful.

Silva once lapped the entire field twice at the 1974 Hott Wheels 100 All-Star race at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl.

Silva won New England Super-Modified Racing Association (NESMRA) championships at Star Speedway in 1967, 1968, and 1978.

Silva's career nearly ended in 1978 when he was seriously injured while racing at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, New Hampshire.