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.
F
onda 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
Fo
rd 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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