PHOTOS OF TALKS BETWEEN SIGNIFICANT RACING FIGURES
You Wish You Were a Fly on the Wall
Courtesy of Andy Boright Canadian National Champion, Jean - Paul Cabana [right] with the great Andre Manny [left] and a Manny crewman around 1972. Manny is sitting on the beautiful Gaston Ethier East End Auto Body Chevelle #27A. |
Bob Frazier Photo Courtesy of Dragon Collection Something Bob Dragon [far right in white outfit, arms folded] just said has the Ray RIchards pit crew of Beaver Dragon cracking up. Leaning on the front of the car is future 1973 Northern NASCAR Rookie of the Year, Bob Ellis. |
Courtesy of Pinterest Two of the beggest names in the history of NASCAR, Big Bill France and Curtis Turner, talk around a NASH car they would co-drive in the Mexican road race. The two woould butt heads at least once in the next few years, with Turner coming out on the short end. |
Courtesy
of Kourafas Collection Bob Curtiss [left] is apparently advising his young, teenaged driver Joey Kourafas during the 1974 Northern NASCAR season [in which they won about everything including the first Oxford 250]. |
Courtesy of Chas Hertica These were two prominent figures in the super tough New Jersey/ Pennsyvania dirt modified circuit. Cagle would come up to Devil's Bowl in 1969 and win about everything. Rags Carter is cousin to RIchard Becker, Joey's father. |
Courtesy
of Bob Gamache New York dirt and DIRT legends Clarence "CD" Coville [left] and "Jumpin" Jack Johnson have a conversation during an apparently cold Spring race program somewhere in New York. Both men were exceptional drivers and both had their careers shortened by non - racing - related health issues. |
Courtesy of Keith Shoemaker Four - time NASCAR National SportsmanChampion, Rene Charland [right] talks to NY legend Pete Corey. A bit introverted, temperamental, and brilliant - Corey was an antithesis to the extroverted clown, but very talented Massachusetts native Charland. |
John Grady Photo Corey, in a much earlier car, talks to the diminutive Howard "Jeep" Herbert. Both Began racing in the early 1950's. Herbert retired in the mid sixties, having been spared any catastrophic injuries. Corey would lose a leg arouond 1960 and go on to race successfully for years after. |
Frank Simek Photo A confab - said to be at Langhorne. NY racing legend Steve Danish [ctr] with NJ/PA legend Frankie Schneider at right. The muscular giant at left is Paul Marshall, a pretty fair shoe in his own right. They look like they're plotting to run after the photographer and put a snake down his shirt. |
Courtesy of Chris Cardarelli Kentucky native and Catamount Stadium veteran Tom Tiller [left] chats with then - newcomer and Ford sensation Dave Dion, out of New Hampshire. TIller's career would come in two separate sections while Dion would have a long and continuous career - all driving Fords. |
Courtesy of Mike Budka, Jr. Fonda superstar Harry Peek chats with the famed Jack Johnson at Fonda as Johnson's then - car owner Mike Budka, Sr. listens at right. The Budkas also fielded cars for Jay Bleser and C.D. Coville. |
Bob McDowell Photo Courtesy of Roger Liller. Dick Dixon, the driver du jour for the potent Gordon Ross 19 at Riverside Park is in talks with Danny Gallulo [left] and Buddy Krebs [2nd from right]. I Don't know the other guy. These guys could have been an All Star League all by themselves. |
Courtesy of Dan St. Pierre Ford loyalist Dave DIon [ctr] and his brother [above] listen intently to Glen Wood at Martinsville. Northern NASCAR driver and crew chief Dick Glines is at left. The highly accomplished Dion Ford team drew a lot of attention from the Southeast from concerns like Wood brothers and Holman Moody. |
Courtesy of True Racing.com Joey Kourafas [left] and Dave Dion discuss the racing situation at Catamount or Thunder Road. The Bay Stater Kourafas and the Granite Stater Dion both invaded Northern NASCAR having run at Norwood Arena. |
Courtesy of Jefrf Martell Two of the biggest names ever in Northeast modified racing. The veteran Ed Flemke, Sr. [lft] was a former Eastern Bandit who showed the Southerners how to get a mod to handle. Evans, a brilliant and sometimes wild character from Rome, NY won repeated national titles in NASCAR before being killed in a practice in Virginia. |
Petet Stoll Photo Courtesy of MIke Cranston Two of the best to ever race modifieds out of"New England: Ed Flemke, Sr [left] and Pete Hamilton. Flemke would have a long career in the mods; Hamilton would race them brilliantly and end up Down South, first racing in the Grand Nationals and later working in race car development. |
Courtesy of Tim Rogers Likely a Bob Frazier Photo This is a sort of who's who of the Castleton, VT racing community in 1962 - before the staging of C.J. Richards' record - breaking stock car show at the Vermont State Fair. From left: Ken Boutwell, George Rogers, Don LeFrancois, Johnny Spafford, Eli Vadnais and Bob Dumas. I think the guy kneeling is another Vadnais. |
Courtesy of Third Turn Wikia Jack Smith seems to be telling Curtis Turner to be sure and hit somebody when they are out there. Maybe it was that snotty young upstart "Dick Petty". Just don't let Lee or Maurice get their hands on y'all after. |
Courtesy of Chas Hertica Ya know, Aldo ya didn't hafta let me talk to you all day thinkin' you was Mario ! Indy car legends Jim Hurtubise [left] and Mario Andretti. |
Courtesy of John Chris Grady Veteran racing photographers John Grady [left] and Mike Watts, Sr. are likely arguing about who got the cutest girls in their shots this particular night. |
Courtesy of Lou Lazzaro New York racing legends Barefoot Bob McCreadie [left] and Lou Lazzaro having a chat before a race somewhere. Lazzaro had a long career and died doing what he loved the most. McCreadie had a long career, shortened a bit by a non- racing injury. |
Senecal Family Collection Courtesy of Diana Peters CVRA racing promoter C.J. RIchards [left] is bending the ear of one of his Devil's Bowl late model drivers, Louie Senecal. I would be almost willing to bet he was talking Senecal into promoting the old track near Vergennes, VT for the 1970 season. Senecal told me his lost his shirt trying that. |
Courtesy of Walter Newell Maine native driver Pete Silva [right] chats with visiting star Grand National driver Phil Parsons at one of the Oxford 250 races. |
Courtesy of Cho Lee Sixteen year - old RIchie Panch talks to an intently - listening Tiny Lund at Catamount Stadium around 1972. Panch, whose father had been rescued from a car fire by Lund, was regular that year while Lund was a visiting star. Phil Bowl [right] and Steve Hibbard [beihind Lund] are trying to catch every word. |
Kuhn Photo COllection Courtesy of Jeff Hardifer Two stars of very early Northeast stock car racing, Wally Campbell [far left] and Pepper Cunningham [3rd from left] have a quick word before a race at one of the fairgrounds tracks in Pennsylvania in the late '40's. |
Courtesy of Bobby Steele Already veterans in early New England racing, Ed Flemke [left] talks over an engine with rival" driver Chancey "Jokko" Maggiacommo at RIverside Park Speedway, Massachusetts. |
Courtesy of Jalopy Journal The great Jim Shampine [right] talks to interested and delighted fans in the pits at some race track in New York. Shampine was perhaps even more adept at driving the ridiculously fast super modifieds at tracks like Oswego. |
Courtesy of Flemke.com Ray "Zero" Brown chats with fellow drivers Benny Gee [left] and Bennie Germano at Riverside Park after Brown won one of his many victories on tracks in the area. Brown was also a midget ace. |
Courtesy of Steve Leavitt Announcer and promoter extraordinaire Ken Squier [left] meets with chassis builder extraordinaire Steve Leavitt [ctr] and race driver extraordinaire [and Squier son - in - law] Robbie Crouch at Thunder Road. |
Source Unknown Old Catamount rivals Hector LeClaire and Beaver Dragon reminisce at a gathering fro Catamount put on by the Milton Historical Society around 2019. |
Courtesy of Legends of NASCAR SIte Two legendary NASCAR mechanics - Banjo Matthews [lft] and Smokey Yunick. "I'd tell ya how I'm getting that car to handle, Banjo, but then I'd have to kill ya". |
Courtesy of Ken MacIsaac Maybe a Delameter Photo Two legendary promoters - Bob Bahre and Tom Curley. "Jeezus Tom, do you seriously think I'm gonna let all the NASCAR North cars start up front ?!" |
Courtesy of Otto Graham Buzzie Reutimann [rt] and Wes Moody at Syracuse. "Yeah, Slugger, I admit THAT rear end looks better than anything I ever had in any of my cars." |
Chrissy Melnick Haynes Collection via Tom Holland This bunch was at the 1966 Martinsville race at a time Northerners were still resented for their advancements in modified handling. Rene Charland [FIrestone suit], Bugs Stevens [rt] and Len Boehler [2nd from rt]. |
Courtesy of a Don Bartlett 8MM FIlm Ed Flemke [rt], Pete Hamilton, and Richard Petty are probably wondering what's coming out of Rene Charland's mouth next. This was at an Albany-Saratoga Speedway Grand National race. |
Ladabouche Photo Post race talk among men who made up part of the backbone of racing in the Eastern NY/ Western VT area in the later 1960's: Dutch Reed [90 jacket kneeling on the trailer], Roger Gauthier [with helmet], and car owner Tony VIllano [center]. |
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