It seemed to be a special thing in the early days of stock car racing to combine a young man's love of all things mechanical with that poker he had found solace in during long and often boring days of service in WWII.  Hence, many of the cars from the late 1940's and throughout the 1950's carried numbers with direct references to either a playing card of a combination of them. As a very young race fan at Rutland's Pico Raceway in 1951, one of the few cars I could instantly recall was the Five Aces of local driver Jerry King.

Courtesy of Jerry King
You had to get up close to make out the Five Aces idea on Jerry King's car; he made it kind of small.

         People from the Great New York City area can speak of Al DeAngelo's Ace of Spades cars. I am sure people from almost anywhere watched a car with some card reference on it somewhere. I have decided to see how many photos of such cars I have. Today, some of the younger fans have almost none of these cars to see, as everything now is so corporately correct and so dependent on pleasing somebody somehwere with deep pockets and a willingness to fund a car.

Courtesy of Paul Connors A second version of King's 5 Aces, at Stateline Speedway.	Ladabouche Photo History - minded Mike LaDuc fielded thgis 5 Aces as a Jerry King tribute at Devil's Bowl around 2006.	Courtesy of Edw. B. Brown III Al DeAngelo's Ace of Spades is arguably the best known of the card cars.	Conde & Parry Website Al Sanders' A2 The 2 Aces on the side are too small to make out.	Credits on the Photo Jackie WIlson drove this  Ace of Spades some time in the 1970's.	Bob McDowell Photo Courtesy of Ken Gypson Jack Nichols drove this Ace of Hearts in eastern NY.
Courtesy of Robert Clock Al DeAngelo teammate, Bill DeVercelly with the Deuce of Spades.	Bob McDowell Photo Courtesy of Phil Miller Jokko Magiacommo  drove for the same Ace of team in eastern NY - likely places like Rhinebeck, Poughkeepsie, or Pine Bowl.	Courtesy of John Howe Mike Rubino, with Ed Ackerman's Deuce of Spades.	Courtesy of Robert Wilson Bob WIlson's 9 of Spades.	Joe Cryan Photo Courtesy of Chas Hertica A later Bob WIlson's 9 of Spades.	Russ Clock Photo Courtesy of Robt. Clock Jack Hart's 1 of Hearts.
Courtesy of Richard Chicchetti Bill Murdock's Deuce.	Via Northeastern Spdwy Site Ned Lemieux's 4 Deuces ran northern VT.	Courtesy of Otto Graham PA ace Leroy Felty.	Walter Mateer Photo Via Joe Grossetti Another Bob WIlson.	From Chuck Brownell Roger Dunsmore's 3 Aces.

_{Courtesy of Ron Wetzler}
Jim Shampine started early with the trademark 8 Ball.

                    Whether cards, dice, pool or whatever, using gaming references when numbering or graphic scheming a race car seemed to be the thing to do in the earlier days of stock car racing. Eventually, as NASCAR got more autocratic and most of the fun and individuality was taken out of the sport [as well as the fun] you didn't see many cars with numbers that were supposed to be ab 8 ball as used in pool. But, in the earlier days - led by great drivers like Dick Dixon of Warehouse Point, CT and Jim Shampine, king of Oswego [NY] Speedeway.

Courtesy of NE Mod Site Dick Dixon ran 8 Balls in various divisions in southern New England.	Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock Big Ben Keys had a brief run at tracks like Airborne [NY] and Malletts Bay.[VT]	Courtesy of David Laloma Bennie Laloma ran his 8 Ball at tracks like Civic Stadium, Buffalo and Ottawa's CNE.	Courtesy of Tom Fish Bob Fish drove this one at tracks like Whites Beach Speedway, Ballston Lake, NY.	Courtesy of Otto Graham Bob Arnold. Don't know much else.	Russ Bergh Photo Both of my shots of Dick Diamond's 8 Balls show only traces. Above - The white Buick over Charland's left shoulder. Below - the Lazzaro - looking car behind Doc.
Ladabouche Photo Joe D'Avignon's purple 8 Ball in Vermont. He bought it, with this scheme, from Herbie Swan.	Courtesy of Big John Midwestern driver Dave Whitcomb.	Courtesy of Chris Chernoski Like Dick Dixon, Jim Shampine was high profile and had many different cars with 8 Balls.	Shany Lorenzet Photo Mal Phillips Collection Courtesy of Dave Dykes Joe Couillard ran at New London - Waterford Speedbowl.	Courtesy of MIke Gilbert Ed LaFrenniere drove this one at the Dog River Speedway, Northfield, VT	Russ Bergh Photo
RIchard Mosher Photo Via Cavalcade of Auto Racing John Cedarberg, at Shangri - La in NY.	Lebanon Valley Classics Spud Chandler, an early Valley driver.	Source Unknown Lou Caso's Plainville car. It must have something to do with living in Cornwall. Joe D'Avignon lived in Cornwall, VT.	Ladabouche Photo It took over 52 years from the time this was snapped to find out the car belonged to Art Wilson of Chestertown, NY, with Roger Bolton as driver. Ran places like Warrensburgh, NY.	RacersBored Message Site This is a 1953 photo of Staeline Speedway near Bennington, VT. The middle car is said to be an 8 Ball, belonging to Thurber.	Via Marty Himes Ernie Borelli at Weissglass Stadium.
		Via Cavalcade of Auto Racing Smokey White at Watertown Speedway.

_{Courtesy of Gerard Major}
More than one Canadian driver used the Lucky 7 on a car - but Frank Hodge is best known for it.

The early days of stock car racing could be enbough of a risk - but they had a little more chance of probability than a mere roll of the dice. Still, the images of sharply - dressed movie stars at fancy casinos were attractive to the general public; and - besides - anyone could get ahold of dice and play a little craps. So, many race cars had dice or dice - related referencesas part of the graphic scheme in those days.

Rutland Herald Photo by Aldo Merusi This unidentified car, shown at the opening of Pico Raceway in Rutland, VT, had dice on the side.	Lorraine LaBelle Photo Dick Foley [shown here at Bouvrette Speedway] was an early user of the Lucky 7.	Source: Cam Gray This earlier Frank Hodge car was a former Vic Wolfe Airborne Speedway car.	Via Gerard Major George Griffiths was another early Lucky 7 driver. It wasn't lucky, as he had a bad crash with one of his 7's.	Courtesy of Rob Trombley This is said to be Charlie Trombley, likely with an early Mose Surprenant car at Airborne Speedway.	Via Gerard Major Marcel Simard's Studebaker.
Via Gerard Major Very early George Griffiths at an early track.	Via Gerard Major Don LaJoie's number and style certainly intimated dice.	Via Gerard Major An early Paul Hamel car.	Via Gerard Major Lucky 17, a bit of a departure for Frank Hodge.	Via Cavalcade of Auto Racing An early Dave Kneisel car at Five Mile Point.	Vintage Modified Site Bob Polverari at Riverside Park.
		Via Cavalcade of Auto Racing Junior Ambrose, at Riverside Park.

Return to the Main Page
Return to the Main News Page
Return to the All Links Page