THE MODIFIEDS AND SPORTSMAN COUPES OF.........

            When I first stated watching races at Pico Raceway, some of the big stars came over from New York. When I began going regularly to Otter Creek Speedway, the big names in the NASCAR sportsman division were from New York. When I spent almost every Sunday from 1963 to 1966 at Fairmont Speedway, the big names who occasionally came and  starred were the Fonda and Lebanon Valley, New York coupes.
            The names were nothing short of legendary: Pete Corey, Steve Danish, Kenny Shoemaker, Bill Wimble, Jeep Herbert, the Kotary brothers, Irv Taylor, Lou Lazarro, Paul Marshall, George Baumgardner, Roger Gauthier, Nelson Moore, and many more. So, too were some of the owners like Allie Swears, Chris Drellos, Frank Trinkhaus, Pop Wilcox, and Martin Riiska.
            Whether invading our tracks and making off with all the loot, or just serving as the examples of what state - of - the - art stock cars were to be like in the 1960's, New York was the place to which to turn. On this page, I will attempt to give a good representative sample of the cars, owners, and drivers from the most golden of eras - the coupes of 1960's New York.

Bill Ladabouche Photo

The Allie Swears #51 Chevrolet certainly merited being the poster child for New York coupes. It lasted for multiple seasons and was driven by a "Who's Who" of New York drivers. Here, the car is trailered into Fairmont Speedway on the afternoon of its demise in a qualifying heat, driven by Nelson Moore.

Russ Bergh Photo Pete Corey, Crescent, NY A.C. Caprara's  37	Conde & Parry Photo Pepper Eastman, Madison, NY His own 181	Russ Bergh Photo Don Wayman, Cobleskill, NY One of the Wright/Zautner Cars	McDowell Photo Jeep Herbert, Rotterdam, NY Sam Kitler & Gibby Wolfe 37	Bill Fifield Photo Robbie Kotary, Rome, NY Ward Petit's 148	Bob Mackeyy Photo Gaston Desmarais, Tupper Lake,NY His own car	Cope Collection via Chas. Hertica Danny Mitchell Middletown driver.
Bob Mackey Photo Gaston Desmarais, Tupper Lake,NY His own car	John Grady Photo Lou Lazarro Utica, NY Maugieri's 4	John Grady Photo Tom Kotary, Rome, NY Joe Romano's 97	John Grady Photo Andy Romano, Johnstown, NY Joe Romano's 97	Mike Russo Photo Ed Pieniazek, Schenectady, NY Rollie Johnson's 77	Ladabouche Photo Irv Taylor, Crescent, NY Richard Welch's 77	Roger Liller Coll via Chas. Hertica Barry Tripp Ernie Martin used the same number, in the same exact style.
Russ Bergh Photo Jim Luke, Utica, NY Floyd "Pop" Wilcox 32	Mike Russo Photo George Baumgardner, Saratoga Springs, NY The Young/Vine 75	Mike Russo Photo Bob Bruno, Schuylerville, NY Allie Swears' 51	Bill Farress Photo Buck Holliday, Waddington, NY The Floyd Geary C38	Russ Bergh Photo Rene Charland, Agawam, MA Fred Rosner - built sedan.	Russ Bergh [from Bill Fifield] Photo Pete Corey, Crescent, NY Tony Villano 37	via Chas. Hertica Dick Berggren Jewish Lightning team"at the Valley
Russ Bergh [from Bill Fifield] Photo Steve Danish, Cropseyville, NY His own car at Fonda	Mike Russo Photo Don Wayman, Cobleskill, NY Bennett's 71	Bill Farress Photo Dutch Hoag, Bath, NY Turner's 18	Russ Bergh Photo Jack Johnson, Duanesburg, NY Tony Villano 37	MSSCRA Photo Johnny Flach, E. Westerlo, NY Fred Searing 77	Mike Russo Photo Irv Taylor, Crescent, NY Richard Welch 77	Courtesy of Richard Chartrand Guy Chartrand, Motreal QU At Fonda here.
John Grady Photo Lefty Quandt, Schenectady, NY His Own Car	Bob Mackey Photo Bruno Collection Melvin "Bob" Bruno, Schuyler Falls, NY Vic Wolfe 66	John Grady Photo Bruce Doestal, Johnstown, NY His Own Car	Photo Source Unknown Lou Smith, Munnsville, NY The Frank Trinkhaus 62	Photo Source Unknown Jerry Cook, Lockport, NY His Own Car	Ladabouche Photo Joe Donhahue, Binghamton, NY The Fran Kelly 41	Courtesy of Willard Martin Irv Taylor, Crescent, NY Drellos 111
John Grady Photo Cam Gagliardi, Lockport, NY His Own Car	Dan Ody's 8MM Old Speedways DVD Al Parry, Saratoga Springs, NY His Own Car	Rick Parry Photo Cliff Kotary, Rome, NY His Own Car	Photo Source Don Rounds Jr. Chuck Mahoney, Utica, NY The Dave McCredy S33	N.E. Modified Site Bill Wimble, Lisbon, NY The Hal Kempeny 113	Masynard Johnson Photo Pete Corey, Crescent, NY His Own Car	Virginia Winne Decker Collection via Chas. Hertica Johnny Flach, So.Westerlo, NY Searing Racing Stable
Ladabouche Collection Irv Taylor, Crescent, NY His own car.	Courtesy of Arnie Ainsworth Tag Brod, NY Typical Valley Car of That Era	Courtesy of Midstate Club Jimmy Winks, Oak Hill, FL At Syracuse.	Courtesy of Gerry LaVallee Ken Jones, Canajoharie, NY Early Dick Bennett Car.	Courtesy of Arnie Ainsworth Harold Montayne, Oak Hills, NY One of the Better Valley Cars of That Era	Courtesy of Arnie Ainsworth Harold Montayne, Oak Hills, NY One of the Fred Searing Oak Hills Stable.	Joe Lawrence Collection via Chas. Hertica Jackie Wilson, Fishkill, NY Joey Lawrence coupe out of Newburgh, NY.
Ladabouche Collection Cliff Kotary, Rome, NY The Mike Michaels [Suraske] 10-10.	Ladabouche Collection Ken Goodermotte, Oak Hills, NY	Russ Bergh Photo Ladabouche Collection Ken Meahl, Lockport, NY J. Snediker's 28.	Courtesy of Arnie Ainsworth Phil "PJ" Spiak, Troy, NY His Own Car	Ladabouche Collection Rapid Ralph Palmer, Glens Falls, NY An early Dexter Dorr house car.	Ladabouche Photo Howie Fassett, Canajoharie, NY His Own Car	Chas. Hertica Photo Karl Haeussel, Latham, NY Valley driver shown at Langhorne.
Ladabouche Photo Pepper Eastman, Madison, NY Bob Zimmerman's Car	Courtesy of Otto Grahm Jerry Townley, Catskill, NY Tom Chewins' 108.	Ladabouche Collection Paul Hamel, Montreal, Canada Roland Ballinger's Car out of Malta, NY.	Courtesy of Arnie Ainsworth Jack Farquhar, Ephrata, NY Teresco & Mancini 685.	Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock Dick Manning, Chateauguay, NY An Airborne Car	Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock Howard Rock, Cadyville, NY Early Airborne Hudson	via Chas. Hertica Kenny Coon Kennedy Garage 8.
Ladabouche Photo Al Rodd, Shushan, NY His Own Car	Hackel Family Photo Unknown car, Ashland Park Speedway, Warrensburgh, NY	Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock George Baumgardner, Saratoga Sprgs, NY Henry Caputo's 11 Plymouth entry.	Vogel Family Photo George Baumgardner, Saratoga Sprgs, NY Ted Vogel's Coupe.	Courtesy of Wes Moody Bernie Kentile, Saranac Lake, NY His own car, the former Royce Tucker 14VT.	Ladabouche Photo Bill Threw, West Glens Falls, NY His Own 7A.	via Edw. B. Brown III Jack Reinhard Long Island driver.
Stevens Family Photo Bill Stevens, West Sand Lake, NY Not around much after 1962.	Courtesy of Wes Moody Bill Rafter, Clarence Ctr, NY Gil Bruss' 22.	Ladabouche Photo Bob Boyd, Salem, NY Maybe a team car to Rodd's 536 ?	Otto Graham Photo Bill Wimble, Lisbon NY Dave McCredy's 33.	Hackel Family Photo Bob Fisk, Sidney, NY At Ashland Park.	Moody Family Photo Al Charesse, Saranac Lake, NY Meant to be a Mate to Wes Moody's 63.	via Chas. Hertica Lovable Les Alberti Valley driver.
Lawrence Collection via Chas. Hertica D. D. Rebel Harris, Poughkeepsie, NY Joey Lawrence AAA.	Ginny Ross Collection via Dick Hansen and Chas. Hertica D. D. Harris The Gordon Ross 19.	Courtesy of Joe Ramundo Rich Ricci	Walter Mateer Photo via Joe Grossetti and Chas. Hertica Roger Hornbeck, Skokan, NY	JTTricks Photo Ray Anderson Onteora Speedway, Olive Bridge, NY	Chas. Hertica Photo Ron Narducci, E. Haddam, CT Raced mostly in NY.	Ladabouche Photo Jollie Ollie Palmer,Westmere, NY Bill Fowler's 27 Jr.
Snape Family Coll. viaCrystal Snape Fred Snape's 26 and 25 ran at The Valley.	Ace Lane Photo Tom Vroom Collection via  Chas. Hertica Sonny Strupp Middletown driver	John Gallant Collection via LVC Ted Baldwin Lebanon Valley car.	via  Chas. Hertica Tommie Corellis, Mechanicsville, NY An early Valley sportsman ride for him.	via  Chas. Hertica Walt Schubert Valley and Middletown entry.	Midstate Club Allen Shirley No. NY tracks like Watertown.	John Bisci Photo via Richard Chicchetti Bob Brunell, Peru, NY Fred Rosner - built Pontiac coupe.
via Stephen McDonald Butch Jelley, N. Pownal, VT Ed Winn's Y team car.	Courtesy of Arnold March Carleton Hughes The 57 Pickle Wagon.	Midstate Club Bernie Davis No. NY tracks like Watertown.	Midstate Club Bernie Ingersoll  Watertown Photo but he raced all over NY.	Courtesy of Robert Clock Rene Charland, Agawam, MA His Utica - Rome car.	Courtesy of Robert Clock Rene Charland, Agawam, MA Injected Russ Betz car used often in NY.	Courtesy of Greg Rickes Steve Danish, Cropseyville, NY At Victoria Speedway.
Rick Parry Photo Pepper Eastman, Madison, NY Entering Fonda with his own car.	via Stephen McDonald Maynard Smith, Clinton, NY John Cross' 47 car	Ladabouche Collection Butch Jelley, N. Pownal, VT One of his Valley cars.	Rick Parry Photo Pete Corey, Crescent, NY Chris Drellos' 11 team car	Rick Parry Photo Dutch Reed, Glens falls, NY Tom Hammond's 90A car	Rick Parry Photo Ernie Reid, Massena, VT Bert Ratigan's Studebaker 88A	Proctor Family Photo George Proctor, Crescent, NY His own Valley car.

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