CATAMOUNT COMPETITORS

Courtesy of John Bourgeois
A very rare shot of a Flying Tiger accident involving Bobby Dragon and his first car. Anyone know who 48 is ?
Could the other driver be Jim Barton ? He did run a Tiger early on at Catamount.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Early pit shot at Catamount showing the Mrs. Frances Lackey - owned #44, driven by Red Fiske, of Northfield. The white Chevy
in the front might be Ron Bettis. Thomas "T Bone" Curley also drove the car.

When Catamount opened for business early in 1965, it was assumed that the track's principal focus would be the firmly-established NASCAR modified and sportsman cars, As it turned out, the coupes left Catamount during the 1968 season and only returned for a few special shows, from that time forward. There had always been a support division, called the Flying Tigers. These had evolved from the late model support divisions of tracks like Thunder Road, Northeast, and even Airborne. They were distinguished by the single racing slick they were allowed to run on the outside front wheel.

Many of the Tigers were already established late model runners, and a few were even former coupe drivers who could not or would not keep up with the increasing costs that NASCAR involvement had brought on the coupe. There were many locals, just starting their careers in this division. Because of this interesting mix of competitors, and the division's having taken on a life of its own beyond the founders' wildest dreams, it would become the star attraction.... for years to come.

Courtesy of Cho Lee & ACT Archives

Art Taylor, of Swanton, Vermont leads Lennie "The Tiger" Stockwell and Bobby Dragon at Catamount around 1968. Taylor
was Catamount Stadium points champion in 1968.

Courtesy of Cho Lee & ACT Archives

Ron Perry leads a field of early Flying Tigers down the backstretch on a parade lap around 1968.

MAIN COMPETITORS PAGE	From Cho Lee Collection Ron Perry, Milton, VT, leads the lineup at the start of a 1968 Tiger feature. Also can ID Johnny Gammell [25], Ed Doggett [90], and Gene Bonnette	From The History of Catamount Stadium Norm Burl & Bill Branham Plattsburgh, NY Courtesy of Bucko Branham Gene Fountain, Bill Branham, Don Burl	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Ron Lamell, Sr. Essex Center, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Click here for Bob's page Bob Dragon Milton, VT Courtesy of John Bourgeois Bobby's 1st car - rare shot. Courtesy of Rich Palmer Bobby's 1957 Chev from 1969. Became his 1st Devils Bowl car.
COUPES ERA	G. King Milne Barre, VT Courtesy of Rich Palmer This car was a former Tom Tiller car. Note the Tiller shot from T Road. Courtesy of Rich Palmer, from Burlington Free Press	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Red Fiske Northfield, VT Courtesy of Rich Palmer The Mrs. Frances Lackey #44	Courtesy of Cho Lee Ron "Red Dog" Barcomb Winooski, VT CLICK HERE for Ron's page. Courtesy of Rich Palmer	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Al Belval Milton, VT
EARLY FLYING TIGERS	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Cosimire "Coke" Lomartire Colchester, VT Courtesy of Joan Pecor	Myrick Bourgeois Alburg, VT Courtesy of Rich Palmer Courtesy of Andy Boright	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Earl Machia Sheldon, VT	Via Chris Companion Art Taylor Swanton, VT A Catamount Flying Tiger Champuion McIver Portrait Courtesy of Cho Lee
LIMITED SPORTSMAN	Courtesy of Cho Lee Mitch Barrows Middlesex, VT	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Larry Robare Burlington, VT	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Mickey Wilcox Milton, VT	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Ray Sprano Milton, VT
HURRICANES	Courtesy of Cho Lee T-Bone Curley Colchester, VT Courtesy of Cho Lee	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert David Brunelle Burlington, VT	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Norm Cyr Milton, VT Cyr Family Photo Future ACT star Jean -Paul Cyr [hat] and Gregg Gilbert [helmet] play atop Norm's wrecked Tiger	ACT Archives Stub Fadden North Haverhill, NH Courtesy of Cho Lee Late in a season
LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN Early Later	Catamount Stadium Hist. Larry Demar Hardwick, VT Norman McIver Portrait via Cho Lee	Boomer Cleveland Morrisville, VT Courtesy of Rich Palmer	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Gil Rhoades Milton, VT	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Homer Durkee Sheldon, VT
MINI STOCKS	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Al Graham Burlington, VT	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Click Here for his own page Beaver Dragon Milton, VT Courtesy of Rich Palmer	Courtesy of Andy Boright Russ Ingerson Littleton, NH Courtesy of Steve McKnight	via Phil Butler Tom Tiller Winooski, VT Courtesy of Rich Palmer
GRAND AMERICANS	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Don Bilodeau Milton, VT	Clem Despault Waterbury, VT Used same car as a limited sportsman. Courtesy of Rich Palmer Courtesy of Cho Lee	ACT Archives Buster Rivers, Milton, VT Pauline Rivers, [ Sister ] Powder Puff Driver	Mike Cain Photo Hector LeClaire, Fairfax, VT
STREET STOCKS	Mike Cain Photo Larry Parsons, Fairfax, VT Courtesy of Rich Palmer	Cyr Family Photo Norm Cyr hits Don Bilodeau while driving Steve Turner's #65	More Family Photo Dick More, Grand Isle, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Doug Ingerson, Littleton, NH
ACT CARS	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Ed Doggett, Plymouth, NH	Photo Source Unknown "Gentleman" Jim Gallison, Montpelier, VT ACT Archives Gallison with an early crew	ebay Auction Photo Henry "The Frozen Logger" Montandon, Littleton, NH Not a thumbnail	ebay Auction photo Ron Bettis, Middlesex, VT Winston Machia in the background. McIver Photo A portrait of Ron
NEW TIGERS	Orrill Martin, So. Burlington, VT Free Press Photo from Rich Palmer	ACT Archives Rene Maxfield, Essex, VT Courtesy of Rich Palmer	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Jim Gates, Hardwick, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Ira Turner, Milton, VT See the Turner Boys Page
LIMITED SPORTSMAN 2ND ERA 1976	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Lennie "Tiger" Stockwell, Bethel, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Cuffy Cuthbertson, West Rutland, VT Courtesy of Cho Lee More of Cuffy	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Bobby Giroux, So. Burlington, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Gary Bevins, So. Burlington, VT
	Both Courtesy of Rich Palmer Joe Couture, Fairfax, VT "The Racing St. Michaels College Student"	ACT Archives John Clark, Williamstown, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Jim Thomas, Plymouth, NH	Courtesy of Rich Palmer John Palmer, Georgia, VT
	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Webster Krupp, St. Albans, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Johnny Gammell, Passumsic VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Lennie Stockwell, Bethel, VT He dropped the 2 and kept the 00 when he went from B Class to Tigers	Catamount Program Ron Gonyeau, Iodine Springs, VT
	Catamount Program Photo Ernie Turner, Milton, VT Ladabouche Collection See the Turner Boys Page	Courtesy of Andy Boright Russ Waite, Alburg, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Frank Snyder He ended up helping a young Jay Yantz, who kept the #64.	Courtesy of Andy Boright Unknown driver. Might be Paul Norton's car
	Courtesy of Andy Boright Al Burbank, future Bear Ridge Driver	Courtesy of Andy Boright Fred Little, Huntington, VT Not the same as the Devil's Bowl Fred Little; car also driven by a Jackson.	Courtesy of Dave Brunelle Dave Brunelle, Burlington, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Unknown 05 Tiger leads heat around 1970.
	Courtesy of Ron Turner Steve Turner, Milton, VT See the Turner Boys Page	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Gary "Scooter" Palmer Georgia, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Gene Bonnette St Albans, VT	Catamount History Program Gene Bonnette with Archie Blackadar

Photos Courtesy of Cho Lee
Eldon Fleury, gradfather of recent late model driver Shawn Fleury and the first man to   build a '64 Chevelle late model.

Courtesy of Rodney Campbell
The previously - unidentified car 10 seen in some early Catamount Tiger shots is thought to be Albert Campbell.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
A very early Tiger heat takes checkers at Catamount. Beaver Dragon, #70; Jim LaFountain, behind; and Bob Brunell
in #17. Beaver looks about ready to blow one here. 71 is not Bob Dragon. The 3 on the pole is not yet identified.

Catamount History Program
A very early Tiger heat in action at Catamount. Ron Weston, #23; Lennie Stockwell, #00; Al Belval, #45; and Coke Lomartire #82.

Catamount History Program
The early Tigers raise a little hell in front of the Catamount grandstands. Far left: Larry Granger, GT-1; Stub Fadden, 16; Clem
Despault, 3 [spinning in white]; Moe Dubois [closest to camera] spinning]; others can't be identified. Pace car looks nervous.

Courtesy of MKelody Anukem
Flying Tiger era stars Norm Cyr, Larry Demar, Tom Tiller, and Lennie Stockwell - with Ken Squier.

This Mick Wilcox shot shows not only the pit area before the checkerboard-colored handicappers' stand was moved in from the former dragstrip; but, you can see the infamous treehouse of the Sibley boys, whose house was adjoining the track.

A big mixup in the first year of the Tigers. 11 cars were bent up in this one, according to the newspaper caption. The mess includes: 11, Ron Lamell, Sr.; 77, Tom Tiller; 02, Ray Sprano; John Benoit [unmarked two-tone Chevy, I guess]; 23, Bill Weston; and ), Paul Niquette.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Ernie Turner [58] chases former Malletts Bay and Otter Creek driver Jimmy
Saltus down the backstretch at Catamount in 1968.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
A view of the 1967 or 1968 pits at Catamount. Although the #20 in the foreground looks like a Hurricane, it is not.
Notice the gas station is gone and the checker board handicapper's stand is not yet in place. The 98 of Norm Cyr is
prominent in the foreground. Is it just me or did he have a shorted car ? Also identifiable is Bobby Dragon [right behind Cyr],
Larry Demar [Ford above Dragon] and the 84 of Earl Machia.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Bobby Dragon receiving another trophy from Ken Squier. Note a young Bob Rushford
standing at right in the background.

Courtesy of Dragon Family
Early Tiger action at Catamount. See caption. This is one of the reasons Catamount got rid of the ARMCO barriers.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Early Tiger lineup. P2 is probably Maurice Trahan, from Swanton. Ray Manny [Swanton] is in the 4; and Beaver Dragon is outside in the 70.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
New Yorkers Jim LaFountaine [1] and Joe Bruno lead as Beaver Dragon follows behind in third. The Empire Staters had an advantage that
first season as they had been running full NASCAR hobby late model for a while the Vermonters and New Hampshirites were still using"less effective
former B Class cars. LaFountaine was the class of the field in 1965.

Courtesy of Paul Michaud
A 1968 Tiger field at the track. Early in the season, judging from the condition of the car bodies.

Courtesy of Andy Boright
The Tigers of Jim Gates [left] and Ron Barcomb [center] leave Catamount on haulers in the twilight.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Freeloaders try to watch action from the interstate, as Bobby Dragon leads a race in his first car.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
An attempt at closer up sees Bobby Dragon [71], Ray Sprano [2], Tom Tiller [77], Bobby Giroux [95], Roger Rushlow [22], Car 1 [it's not Larry Demar],
Ernie Turner [also sliding], Dave Brunelle [26], and Tom Curley [44]. Likely 1966.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Different freeloaders try to watch action from the infamous Sibley family treehouse. The field includes: Roger Rushlow [22], Jimmy Gates [383],
Homer Durkee [7], UNK car 10, Bobby Giroux [95], Ray Manny [4], Bobby Dragon [71], Ray Spranon [2], UNK car 1, and
Earl Machia [84]. The Sibley boys got jobs at Catamount in exchange for forsaking the treehouse. The insurance company was having a fit.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Beaver Dragon had taken over the Blake/Devarney. Here, he is in action with a temporary paint job on the car.

Courtesy of Rich Palmer
Lennie Stockwell and Russ Ingerson piled 'em up at Barre around 1968.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Art Taylor is congratulated at Catamount by Bb Doyle. Partner and sometimes - driver Ray Many is at center.

Do you have pictures of other drivers from this era at Catamount ? If you would like to make them available for me to place on this site contact me at: wladabou@comcast.net

Courtesy of Cho Lee Larry Granger, Northfield, VT Joey LaQuerre's Chevy	Courtesy of Cho Lee The Tigers crowd up after Art Taylor [4] spins into infield. Also seen are Russ Ingerson, Hardluck Fenwick, and Milo Lockerby.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Ron Gonyeau spins in front of the field. Hector LeClaire is at far right.	Courtesy of Mike Cassani Bobby Dragon, with his second Flying Tiger.	Courtesy of A and A Ward Clem Despault, with an earlier version of his familiar '55 Chevy.
Courtesy of Dave Brunelle Dave Brunelle, with his first Tiger - a 1953 Merc.	Courtesy of Dave Brunelle Dave Brunelle's 2ndTiger - a Coke yellow Ford, at the Coke plant. That's Team mate Carl Bushey with the open shirt.	Courtesy of Dave Brunelle Dave's most familiar Ford, which I think was a Tiger before becoming a Hurricane later.	Courtesy of Bob Bigelow Jerry Bigelow's B Class #2 Ford at Northeastern. It MAY have been run as an early Tiger a few times.	Courtesy of Shawn Fleury Ron Bettis' sharp '55 chevy Tiger, obviously before the season has begun.
Courtesy of Mike Gilbert Bob Cota leads Jimmy Gallison and Ron Bettis around 1967.	Courtesy of Dana Cota Bob Cota's 1967 entry to the Tigers.	Courtesy of Mike Gilbert Bobby Giroux.	Courtesy of Andy Boright Flying Tiger car 45. UNK driver, it's before the time of Boomer Cleveland. Might be Al Belval.	Courtesy of Dana Cota Bob Cota's unsuspecting Chevy sits at home before the`1967 season. Now look at it in the photo at far left in this row - same car.
Both Courtesy of Cho Lee Ray Many, Highgate, VT.	Courtesy of Andy Boright Flying Tiger car 8. The Studebaker could also be a B Class car.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Beaver Dragon, in the Flying Tiger era.	Courtesy of Cho Lee An unknown Tiger #13.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Johnny Gammell with Gil Rhoades' 25

All Brunelle Collection Photos Dave at Catamount in an earlier Ford Flying Tiger.	A Ford Tiger at the Coke plant. I guess he shared this one with Bill Bushey.	I think Milo Lockerby must have bought this one from Dave. One of his first cars looked identical.	Dave, in a pose at Catamount.	A win at Catamount.

The demise of the Coke yellow earliest Ford Flying Tiger.	Burlington Free Press Dave at Catamount with fellow rookies Bill Bushey and Gil Rhoades.	Thunder Road. It says "Dave" but it looks more like Bill.	Looks like Bill, posing at Catamount.	The last Ford, at Dave's Citgo station. Check out the price of gas.