THE WEBSTER FLATS RACE TRACK

Lyndonville, Vermont

 
Caledonian Record


Courtesy of Pete Racine

Apparently, the place was formally called by the name of its promoter.

 

 


Courtesy of the Northeastern Speedway Site
Ned Lemieux, who would go on to race at Northeastern and Thunder Road.
Courtesy of the Northeastern Speedway Site
Jackie Coolbeth, who would go on to race at Northeastern and Thunder Road.
Courtesy of Pete Racine
Dunie Berube, a friend and
crewman of Pete Racine.
 

Courtesy of Paul Zampieri
Perley Densmore, who
would go on to race at
Northeastern and T Road.
Courtesy of Pete Racine
Henry Whipple, father of current historian,
Phil. Not sure which man here.
Courtesy of Pete Racine
A crowd at the races. [Very small photo]
which blurs as you enlarge it.
 
  
Courtesy of R. Scott Haskell
 Pete Racine 


Courtesy of Biggy

Bobby Bissell takes a victory lap with
Stub Parker in the car. This looks a lot like
the #32 Gammell drove later, but is it ? 
From Biggy, Caledonia Record
A family relaxes around one of the cars after the races. 


Courtesy of Pete Racine
An early race lineup.


Courtesy of R. Scott Haskell
Lining up the cars in a slightly later photo, considering the photos below do not reveal the bleachers, hay bales, or fencing.

  
 Courtesy of Bob Bigelow
 Jerry Bigelow's early coupe seen in color shots below.


Courtesy of Ken Paulsen
 Johnny Gammel's first car, a Ken Fenoff - built sedan.
From Ken Paulsen
Gammell's second car - probably still at Webster Flats.. 

Via Neal Davis
A very early Joe Bijolie car.  		   
Caledonian Record
August, 1950 This kind of stuff is about all the
Record would print other than ads the track paid
for. Nice support.

  
Caledonian Record
September, 1950 a few bumps
along the way to a good season.
   
Courtesy of Scott Haskell via Paul Zampieri
St. Johnsbury's Ted Rivers almost certainly raced
at the Flats , but this car is a later one.		  

       Very little is known about the Webster Flats track right now. I have not had a chance to talk to Dennis Bean, Johnny Gammell, or any of the other guys who might know more. From the few photos, it is evident that it was the forerunner of some of the newer tracks like Northeastern Speedway in Lower Waterford. Also, it was very informal, with few safety precautions - much like the Morrisville track. But it had a very big effect on racing in the northeastern part of Vermont.
       Since finding a few newspaper clippings of that era, I now know it had to compete, in 1950 with a track just down the road called the East Lyndon Jalopy Track [which I think may have been at the local fairgrounds - not sure]. Webster Flats lasted a little longer than the other, which seemed to be run by a state trooper. I can find no hint of an oval track in the actual town
of East Lyndon.


Courtesy of A and A Ward Photography
Spectators take the opportunity between races to run across the track into the pits. So much for crowd control.

RAY NADEAU'S CREATIVE WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ADS FROM 1950
  
Caledonian Record
Earliest 1950 advertisement found.
This one is looking for cars to
run at the track. June 1st.


Caledonian Record
Next earliest 1950 advertisement found.
Bigger and better wouldn't be
hard. The track had virtually no infrastructure. June 17.
Caledonian Record
Next 1950 advertisement found.
Follow the crowds - no dust
to "smart your eyes". July 1st.
Caledonian Record
Next 1950 advertisement found.
A thrill a minute. July 8.

Caledonian Record
Next 1950 advertisement found.
More and more; bigger and bigger.
July 22.
Caledonian Record
Next 1950 advertisement found.
Entertain that someone special.
Somehow, by August it was
now Nadeau's Speedway. August 5.
Caledonian Record
Next 1950 advertisement found.
Looking for something to do on Sunday ?
Go watch bigger women race :).
August 12.
Caledonian Record
Next 1950 advertisement found.
Don't miss them there women.
August 19.

Caledonian Record
Next 1950 advertisement found.
Be bored no more !
August 26.
Caledonian Record
Next 1950 advertisement found.
Fastest and wildest in New England.
That's quite a claim.
September 2.
Caledonian Record
Next 1950 advertisement found.
They are still the fastest and wildest in New England. It must be true by now.
September 9.
Caledonian Record
Next 1950 advertisement found.
Got the whole program laid out.
September 16.

Caledonian Record
Next 1950 advertisement found.
We got what you're looking for.
September 23.
Caledonian Record
Next 1950 advertisement found.
The return of the 99 amidst a
mad scramble !
September 30.
Caledonian Record
FInal 1950 advertisement found.
I'm not sure what the track was back from,
but his program could have been
very chilly.
November 2.		 This was in a period when track
advertisements were often the
same every week, all season. Tracks
didn't last long. Whoever was
feeding the material to the Caledonina Record made sure every ad was a little different. There is no evidence the track ever raced another year.

 


Courtesy of Biggy

A field of cars comes towards a turn at Webster Flats. I don't know
which turn, but it is probably #1. Note the proximity of the crowd
to the racing surface.
Courtesy of Biggy

The cars roar by in pursuit of the silver and black car,
which might be the Bigelow boys' father. NIce color for
such an early period.


Courtesy of Biggy
 Another heat race, Again, the silver and black coupe could
be the original #2.

  
Courtesy of R. Scott Haskell
 Pete Racine [lft] with Cuffy Cuthbertson
and an old car from that era.

 

 

 
Google Earth Photo
I really think this is the Webster Flats location, from all I have heard.


Historic Aerials.Com  Photo
This is the Webster Flats location, from a 1964 aerial view. Hard to tell if it
agrees with the location shown above.

THE EAST LYNDON JALOPY TRACK

Lyndonville, Vermont

 

 
Caledonian Record
July, 1950.
Caledonian Record
Another 1950 ad. 		  
Caledonian Record
I couldn't even find the East Lyndon
Road on the internet - let alone
some place OFF it.

Caledonian Record
I notice the admission price got upped a bit.  		  
Caledonian Record
June 15, 1950. A brief but good bit
of information. Part 1. This track got
more actual voerage than the better -
known [today]  Webster Flats track.
Caledonian Record
June 15, 1950. A brief but good bit
of information. Part 2. Interesting.
There was a different Lemieux at the
other Lyndon track. Cleveland ran all over,
including Newport and Enosburg Falls.
 
Barre Daily Times
June 19, 1950. A piece about Barre
drivers who went to this track -
when most went to Northfield.
Caledonian Record
1950. Another writeup.		  

 


Historic Aerials.com
IF the East Lyndon track used the fairgrounds, this is it. I am really not convinced this was the venue
because it is not in East Lyndon, as far as I know.

 

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