Welcome to .....
 

This sign used to welcome fans to the track. The late Otter Creek veteran Dick Hawkins [shown at right] ran there and built cars for competition.

An aerial shot of the still-visible Otter Creek race track. Coming from lower left is the road that used to lead, down the hill, from the Monroe family house and barn to the pits. The black object is the middle is a pond that was always located there. 

OTTER CREEK SPEEDWAY

1961 to 1971

        The Otter Creek Speedway promoter, Hi Monroe, had done himself a big favor picking up a Nascar's sanction for the little race track in the pasture beside his farm. Monroe apparently partnered with Lee Tucker, a noted builder from a little further North in Vermont. Together, they carved out a little speedway that would change hands several times - and even change names three times.

       The "fields" of  cars were very unusual, to say the least. The track drew a strange brew of new locals, veterans from the race track in Malletts Bay, near Colchester, Vermont, some cars that were also running the newly re-opened Fairmont Speedway in Fair Haven, Vermont, the occasional Thunder Road car, and even a New Yorker or two.

        The race for the National Sportsman championship was very controversial in 1961. It came down to two Upstate New Yorkers, Bill Wimble of Lisbon in the Dave McCready #33 cars, and Dick Nephew of Mooers Forks in his own #6. Both men were racing almost every night somewhere on the Eastern Seaboard to gain more points than the other.

        Monroe grabbed at an opportunity to have such a points-counting race late in the season [November to be exact]. With snow actually flying in the air, a number of Nascar's sportsman coupes from New York showed up, including Nephew. Wimble may have been running elsewhere, as his name does not appear on the Otter Creek program as one who appeared at the track that year.

        The championship chase ended in a tie, which was very controversial and cries of "foul" were heard - especially from the Nephew camp. But, that little cow pasture track in Vermont may have played a pivotal role in the naming of those National Co - Champs that year.

        Judging from the two Dutch Reed action photos, the track had very banked turns and dipped down to the straightaways, ala Lebanon Valley. Also like The Valley, it had a pond in the infield. Unlike the Valley, I never heard of any car ending up in the pond. However, I do remember the management going through a period of time where they had trouble with water running across a protion of backstretch, near turn three. Otter Creek Speedway was described by Buddy Bardwell as "A real dust bowl". One Dutch Reed photo below seems to bear that out.

We got photos from another source which appear to be from the same photographer as many of this I have had on this section for years. The beauty of this is that they are not cropped off, as were my previous photo copies. In this case, the bigger photo will be under the other one.

Cho Lee Photo Collection This is a heat race from the first year of Otter Creek Speedway. Most notably, the white car in second place is that of future Hall-of-Famer Harmon "Beaver" Dragon, of Milton, Vermont. 2+1 is jim Hampton, the 1 is Jack Dubrul. Below - A wider anlge version of same shot.	Courtesy of Bourgeois Family The Dragon coupe at the gas station of owner John Bourgeois	Cho Lee Photo Collection NASCAR starter Bucky Barlow [or Archie Blackadar, we aren't sure] looks over the field for the "one to go" sign. Below} The 2nd photo shows more cars. From right: 2+1 Jim Hampton, 12 Ollie Wescott, 7 Beaver Dragon, UNK, 5 Jack Anderson, 1 Jack DuBrul, UNK, 3Jr Red Dooley, and 3Sr Wayne Chandler. Cho Lee Photo Collection	Cho Lee Photo Collection - Courtesy of Darrell Tucker Dutch Reed, of Glens Fall, NY  runs away from the field in a heat at Otter Creek in 1961 with his Royce Tucker - built sportsman coupe. Note the dust.  Cho Lee Photo Collection	Cho Lee Photo Collection - Courtesy of Darrell Tucker Dutch Reed takes a heat victory lap. Note the considerable banking going into Turn One. This portion of the track would be shortened by C.J. Richards by Year Three.   Cho Lee Photo Collection
Courtesy of Darrell Tucker The 3Jr of Red Dooley sits nearby as the team car, Wayne Chandler's 3Sr. Hudson catches on fire. [Below] A man watches, concerned. Cho Lee Photo Collection	Courtesy of Darrell Tucker The #5 of Jack Anderson sits, awaiting the extinguishment of the Chandler fire. Ahead of him is a hobby car that was used to fill the field in that heat. Below is a better shot of Jack's car. Courtesy of Jack Anderson	Cho Lee Photo Collection This newly - found photo shows spectators and their cars on the hill watching as Monroe's very crude water truck works and one stock car runs in the track.	Cho Lee Photo Collection Someone has brought their regular ca out to work on a race car on the track.	Cho Lee Photo Collection r Spectators sit and wait for something to happen. The fire truck seen in the photos to the left is below. Long waits were the order of the day at the early Otter Creek shows.
Cho Lee Photo Collection More waiting on the hill.	Cho Lee Photo Collection Apparently there weren't bleachers yet. The sound system seems to be coming from the van truck.	Cho Lee Photo Collection Parking and seating were much the same in the first week at the track.

Check Out These Interesting Point Standings From the NASCAR Media Book

Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine
A 1962 field thunders out of Turn Four at Otter Creek. I recognize 30, Ed Foley; 95, Jack Cutter; Vince Quenneville [[2nd from Left];115, Bob Russell [inside two other cars in turn]; 66, Bob Bruno [all white]; Ken Meahl, 38 [highest to top]; Doc Blanchard, 95; and 111a Kenny Shoemaker. Only the car at far left remains unidentitfied.

Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine
Hi Monroe's pace car from Vergennes Pontiac.

Of Local Interest - The Hobby Standings

        
Ballard Portrait Photo by Norman McIver Courtesy of Cho Lee

Keith Ballard, Hinesburg, Vermont  [He is in the white 1932 Ford Coupe at right]

In this heat picture, we can see Vince Quenneville [00], Phil Russell [Checkmate], and the purple roof is probably the 8Ball of Herbie Swan. Most likely, the red 1932 Ford roof you see is Rex Shattuck. The white coupe could be Beaver Dragon, but it is unlikely, as he had a Buick and that looks like a Ford. Bob Russell, one of the fastest cars there, is the red and black #115, and Kenny Martin is the silver and black car. Martin's presence suggests this is 1962.

ACT Archives Courtesy of Cho Lee

In another heat, another day, you can see Beaver Dragon [white coupe near front], Harland "Red" Dooley [white coupe near back], and Ollie Wescott [12], another regular who apparently didn't score points, for some unexplained reason. I firmly believe these other cars should have had points, and I can't explain why they don't: 2+1 - Jim Hampton, #5 [3rd car] Chet Streeter, Jack DuBrul* [1], and Jack Anderson #5 the 1950 Chevy . Don't know much about that huge Pontiac in the rear.

* [If recent findings bear out true, then this probably DuBrul because Dutch Reed might have been the first driver of the 7 VT, not Jack].

ACT Archives Courtesy of Cho Lee

A good look at Chief Starter Archie Blackadar, and at Beaver's, Jim's, Ollie's ,and Chet's cars. I have found out that the Pit Steward at the track during its NASCAR days was Kay Hanson, who also worked at Airborne, according to Jackie Peterson. Jackie ran here , too but not in these hobbies. He may have had a turn in Tucker's 7VT, along with Dutch Reed.

     To sum up the rest of the guys in those points standings:  the late Aimer "Sonny Gover" ended up running in Catamount's Hurricane and Grand American divisions. He used # AAA at Vergennes, for his name, brother Alvin, and the third brother whose name I don't know. Ansel Quintin had an odd - looking 1949 Ford and that's all I know. Eddie Foley turned out to be quite a sportsman and modified star - especially at Devil's Bowl He ran a gold #30 at Otter Creek. I don't know anything about Homer Hamel, but I will ask Dick Hawkins, who should have been in these standings, too.

Courtesy of the Nephew Family

Kay Hanson [2nd row] was the NASCAR Chief Pit Steward at Otter Creek.

     
McIver Photo Courtesy of Cho Lee and C.J. Richards

Archie Blackadar [above] flagged at Otter Creek, as did Bucky Barlow [right].

     I knew Jack Anderson at Catamount, I now know what he drove at Otter Creek - a 1950 Chevy Sedan #5. Steve Phillips probably drove the same car that former Fonda driver Ken DeLong drove. I believe it was #54. George Pritchard, a veteran from the early 1950's, had a gold #9 1938 Chevy [check out the Fairmont page]. Jack Cutter, whose name had eluded me until I saw this list, had a really slick-looking blue #95. There are a million pictures of Ted Brown [some right on this page], who was an absolute terror on this track the following year. His first wife told me that this place was one of the few where she didn't see him race [good thing]. I have no idea who Poirier was, or what car he owned.

Norm Vadnais Photo Bob Russell, Shelburne, VT Ladabouche Photo This cropped blowup gives you an idea of the 115's colors.	Norm Vadnais Photo Ansel Quintin, Charlotte, VT Bob Frazier Photo Courtesy C.J. Richards	Norm Vadnais Photo Jack Cutter, Essex Jct., VT Photos Courtesy of the LaFond Family	Courtesy of Norm Vadnais Kenny Martin, Fair Haven, VT
Norm Vadnais Photo Ed Magoon, Middlesex, VT Bob Frazier Photo Courtesy C.J. Richards	Gary Poirier Photo Bud Poirier, Burlington, VT Possibly the "Bob Poirier" mentioned. This might be the #5 driven by Chet Streeter.	Ladabouche Photo Joe Spellburg, Glens Falls, NY From dan Ody's 8MM Old Speedways DVD's Joe Spellburg, actually at Otter Creek in 1961.	Ladabouche Photo Henry Abbott, Londonderry, VT Placed 3rd here in September of 1961.

NASCAR SPORTSMAN POINTS FROM 1962
For a better look at them CLICK HERE

Ken Shoemaker, in his ride of that era - the Chris Drellos 111 out of Glens Falls, NY

     I have a photo of almost  everybody in these standings except: Bill Chepulis, a complete mystery. He might have been someone's mechanic, sneaking  turn at the wheel at Otter Creek. He is no one who ran at Fonda that year, as near as I can ascertain; I also don't have Gahan on the page. So, here are two possible cars from approximately that year below; Nelson Moore, probably driving the Allie Swears #51; and Fred Fuller. I remember seeing him, but I have no pictures. I also saw Fred Sit in with the Clayton Ryan "Shelby Cobra" #11 at Fairmont in 1965.

Photo Courtesy of Bob Novak

Jim Koehler, Coventry, Conn.

A SECOND YEAR PROGRAM FROM OTTER CREEK SPEEDWAY

Monroe always stuck with NASCAR. This enabled him to land the occasional big name driver from New York. The NASCAR sanction disappeared with Richards by 1963.

FRONT COVER

INSIDE PAGES

 An Explanation of Some of the Entries

Some are linked to thumbnails of the driver or car.

	U2	Howie Miller	Founded Miller Chevrolet - now Denecker, In Vergennes, VT
	111's	Ken Shoemaker,  Schenectady, NY Paul Marshall, Schenectady, NY	Owned by Chris Drellos of Glens Falls, NY- Big at Fonda Marshall actually drove the Allie Swears #51 then.
	75	George Baumgardner, Saratoga, NY	Started in 1940's in open wheel cars; apt to drive a bit "fortified"
	C37	James "Sapphire" Leclair	Painted to look like Buck Holiday's then-famous C-38
	6	Dick Nephew, Mooers Forks, NY	He was to become the 1961 NASCAR National Sportsman co-Champion
	3's	Red Dooley and Wayne Chandler	Malletts Bay Sunset Speedway Cars
	6 PAC	Actually Eddie Baker	A rare Hudson - powered car. Mostly a Fairmont car
	Me 2	Actually Len Baker
	8 Ball	Herby Swan, Jr., Middlebury, VT	Car went over to Joe D'Avignon, one of Otter Creek's most successful drivers and a future promoter there.
	33	Art Cody,  Keene, NH	One of best from Claremont Speedway
	66	Bob Bruno	One of Airborne's best drivers
SOME DRIVERS WHO APPEARED AT OTTER CREEK AND DIDN'T MAKE THE PROGRAM	90	Dutch Reed,  Glens Falls, NY	The Tom Hammond 90A
Eddie Pieniazek, Schenectady, NY with the potent Welch '37 Ford	30	Ed Foley,  Leicester, VT	Although not mentioned on the program, Ed ran Otter Creek that year.
Left Photo - John Grady   Right - Bill Fifield  Tom Kotary, Rome, NY, with the Joe Romano 97.	88	Ernie Ried, Massena, NY	Ernie favored strange powerplants. This car had a Studebaker engine.
The Royce and Lee Tucker car out of Burlington had assorted drivers, but most notably Ernie Reid. This particular time, Wayne Chandler might have been driving.	1	Hank Schmidt Gansevoort, NY	Future CVRA Official
Rex Shattuck, shown here at Thunder Road, drove a #19 coupe at Otter Creek.	S29	Bill Stevens West Sand Lake, NY	Often appeared at tracks with an immaculate '40 Ford.
Wayne Coon, Delanson, NY. Appeared once at Otter Creek in 1962.	49	Doc Blanchard, Gloversville, NY	A Whites Beach and Fonda competitor
	115	Bob Russell, Shelburne, VT	He must have also run at Malletts Bay. A fast car !
Lee Rivers won a feature in September of 1961.	F80	Don Smith, Winnoski, VT	One of the wierdest stock cars I ever saw.
	D9	Bill Bigleow, Winooski, VT
	26	Lee Rivers, Glens falls, NY
	7A	Bill Threw, West Glens Falls, NY
	52	Nick Tigenson, Barre, VT
Andrews came from Maine and drive a Vermont car to stardom at Northeastern Speedway and Thunder Road.	54	Sonny Greenwood, Whitehall, NY
	16	Glenn Andrews, Oxford, ME

 
Burlington Free Press
Royce Tucker owned the car which won the first - ever feature at Otter Creek.

Vergennes Enterprise and Vermonter
This recently - found and very rare is the only one that ever showed track owner Hi Monroe [2nd from left].
Others inclde NASCAR CHielf Pit Steward Kay Hanson, feature winner Ernine Reid, and a WCAX
representative named Bob Thomas.

LIST OF EVERY DRIVER'S NAME I CAN COME UP WITH FOR THOSE FIRST TWO SEASONS

         
Burlington Free Press                                                                         From 8MM DVD by Dan Ody
September 11, 1961 Free Press article states Lee Rivers [26] of Glens Falls won a feature at Otter Creek.

 
Courtesy of Bob Novak

This is a points standings list mimeographed and put into a Fonda track scorecard in 1962.
It shows many of the cars and teams that appeared at Otter Creek Speedway in its first two years.

 
Courtesy of Marty Kelly Jr.

Photos in the following table are by me or in my collection unless otherwise stated.

Ken Paulsen Photo  Art Cody, Keene, NH	Photo courtesy of Otto Graham's Website George Baumgardner, Saratoga, NY Photo Courtesy of Bob Novak The Young/Vine #75	Ken Shoemaker,  Schenectady, NY	Eddy Baker, Warrensburg, NY	Dutch Reed,      Glens Falls, NY This car was a replacement, built after the original 90A, a 1937 Ford, was wrecked on the way home from an Otter Creek program.	Herb Swan, Panton, VT
Art making a "pit stop" at Otter Creek. That meant driving up a hill and into the promotor's farm yard for welding. Future CVRA star Russ Shaw is leaning on the car, wearing the white sweatshirt.	Ed Foley, Leicester, VT	Courtesy of Gary Nephew Dick Nephew, Mooers Forks, NY 1961 NASCAR National Sportsman Co-Champion Photo Courtesy of Bob Novak The Allie Swears #51	Courtesy ofOtto Graham Paul Marshall, Schenectady, NY	Photo courtesy of  John Rock Ernie Reid, Massena, NY	Lennie Baker, Athol, NY
Hank Schmidt, Gansevoort, NY	The Welch's #77 made an appearance at Otter Creek driven by New York legend Eddie Pieniazek, a Pete Corey protege. CLICK HERE for a page on this car.	Photo courtesy of John Rock The Jim "Sapphire" Leclair C37 looked a lot like Buck Holliday's C38, a really famous car in the North Country. Both cars had zebra stripes across the roof. Built by Lee Tucker and Dick Hawkins	Photo courtesy of Yves LaDouceur, ANCA A very early photo of Melvin "Bob" Bruno, who had been featured on the cover of Nascar's official newsletter in 1960.	This car is photographed at Otter Creek, but it known as the winner of the first feature at Fairmont. Bardwell usually had the Hudson coupe with the bullhorns. Promoter Hi Monroe's family car, all lettered up to advertise the track, is in the background.	Courtesy of  Darrell Tucker Red Dooley, with the 3 Jr., watches warily as the car next to him starts to burn at Otter Creek. The other car is the 3Sr. of Wayne Chandler. [Shown on fire]
Courtesy of Howie Miller Howie Miller, Vergennes, VT	Bill Stevens, West Sand Lake, NY Faithful crewman, daughter Connie carrying the oil cans.	Courtesy of John Grady Doc Blanchard, Gloversville, NY	Photo courtesy of Otto Graham's Website The legendary Cliff Kotary with Mike Michael's 10-10. Michaels [whose real name was Mike Suraske] drove the cat at Otter Creek.	Bob Russell, Shelburne, VT	John Quenneville, Whiting, VT or Phil Russell, Salisbury, VT Courtesy of LA West CLICK HERE for Checkmate Page
Russ Blake Collection Russ Blake, Pittsfield, MA	From Dan Ody's 8Mm Old Speedways DVD's Don Smith, Winooski, VT	Bill Bigelow, Winooski, VT Likely the black car on the inside. It was a 1950 Chevy.	Russ Bergh Photo via Bob Novak Doc Blanchard, Gloversville, NY	Russ Bergh Photo via Johnny LeClaire Wayne Coon Delanson, NY	Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock Jim "Sapphire" LeClaire Plattsburgh, NY The 111 car in the foreground was also a regular at Vergennes.

Stevens Family Photo Courtesy of Connie Sanders
Bill Stevens returned to Otter Creek in 1962 and took a heat. Flagger is Danny Ruimpf.

 
Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock                                                                                                                          Courtesy of Norm Vadnais
Bill Wimble [left] and Bob Russell. Below - Rex Shattuck with the car of that era.

Courtesy of Cho Lee

OTTER CREEK PHOTOS FROM DAN ODY'S 8MM OLD SPEEDWAYS DVD

Don Smith, with a strange car that looked like one of those French Citroens.	More Don Smith.	Both Drellos 111's, along with the C37 of Sapphire LeClaire and Ernie Reid, 88.	The sportsman of Sapphire LeClaire flies by the limited sportsman of 66 Bob Bruno. Bruno was better, but Otter Creek was a horsepower track.	Don Smith, chases an unlettered red and white coupe.	The unknown red and white coupe.
		The black and white 7 sedan of Joe Spellburg comes up on a lapped car.	Spellburg moves on by. On the inside it looks like the Allie Swears - owned 51.

PHOTOS FROM AN OLD 1961 SERIES
All Courtesy of Cho Lee and Likely Taken by A Spectator

                             Spectators had to sit way too far away from the track, waits in between events were interminable, and the racing was just plain awful. But we didn't
care. We hadn't seen any racing in literally years and it was nice to be made to wait at a race track. This set of photos, and the larger, closer up[ versions above, are all that I know of from the track's first year. Very precious indeed.

Archie Blackadar looks over a field that includes Jim Hampton [2+1]; Ollie Wescott [12];Beaver Dragon [all white];Chet Streeter [5]; Jack Anderson [5]; JackDubrul [black flat top coupe]UNK;, UNK; Red Dooley 3Sr; and Wayne Chandler [3Jr]  .	In this one, Hampton is still in the lead, wkith Dragon moving up quickly. Dubrul - moving on the outside in the second bunch - is clearly the fastest car.	Dutch Reed is seen winning the first ever feature in the Royce Tucker 7VT, which Dubrul would have by the next season.	The sportsman of Dutch Reed flies checkers in the first Otter Creek win. In enlarged versions of this photo, you can still see the stakes in the ground from the initial grading and building of the track.	Up on the spectators' bank, a man watches the drama unfold as a local fire truck moseys over to Wayne Chandler's burning 8Sr Hudson. That car, as well as several others was an old Malletts Bay Raceway car.	You did a lot of waiting around at Otter Creek. This shot shows a view of some of the spectaor parking, and looks over turns one and two . What I recall as the world's worst water truck is out on the track.
	Spectators eschew the small bleachers for a spot on the grass. This is looking off toawrds US Rt. 7.	Spectators wait patiently during one of the interminable delays between races. Looking over at  the backstretch.	In the slow process of lining up [which they did on the track] Jim Hampton's 2+1 sits as the car next to him to actuially being worked on.	A view across spectator hill to some of the parked cars above turn one.

Go Back to the Program

Return to the History Page

THE SECOND YEAR - OTTER CREEK SPEEDWAY

        The track operated under Hi Monroe for two seasons or so. Although the track had a few more famous visiting drivers in that first year of 1961, the second year was more successful because Monroe was able to draw from a number of Fairmont Speedway cars, which filled the fields much more. Many of the very substandard locals who had struggled around the track in 1961 faded from the scene in 1962. Few Malletts Bay cars were seen any more, and that was too bad.

View of Otter Creek Speedway from the bleachers on the hillside. This is the more successful second year. Note how the track, which was
probably in excess of a half mile, has been shortened. The old banking is still visible.

An  Otter Creek Speedway heat, in the more successful second year, lines up on the front stretch. The red 00 is the late Vince Quenneville, Sr., and the yellow and black Checkmate was driven alternately by Quenneville's brother, John and by Phil Russell. The white coupe is unidentifiable; the red flattop coupe is the Norm Cyr - owned #19 driven by Rex Shattuck; the maroon coupe in the back is probably future track promoter Little Joe D'Avignon. In the right photo, Quenneville is visible, as is the black and silver #6 of Kenny Martin. The black car in the front may have been Bill Bigelow, an employee of the Barcomb family who owned Malletts Bay Speedway. Or, the Bigelow car could be the last of the Ivanhoe Smith cars that ran the Colchester tracks in the 1950's. Ollie Wescott's #12, shown in an above photo, is such a car.

The Connecticut Sportsman team of JohnNarducci packs up to leave the track in 1962. This is shot from behind the grandstands.
The third and fourth turns are barely visible over the car, in the distance. Narducci was father to the famous Ron Narducci,
although Joe Tiezzi was the driver of this particular car.

Photos in the following table are by me or in my collection unless otherwise stated.

This visit from the Lockport, NY driver, Kenny Meahl in 1962 is very significant because the car owner was an eighteen year-old named Jerry Cook. Cook would go on to be a two-time NASCAR National Modified Champion.	Invasions from the Keene, NH gang were frequent and successful. This is Leo Howland, team mate of the famous Ted Brown.	Keene, NH's legendary Ted Brown. The team is stopping on the side of the highway after the race to re-adjust the trailer hitch. Brown was unbelievable fast at Vergennes.	Williston, Vermont's Bob Pratt [by the car] brought the former Jack DuBrul Daytona car to Otter Creek in 1962. The heavy Nascar late model was too heavy and overpowered. It was reportedly driven by Gordie Owen, a veteran of Malletts Bay.	Reigning Nascar National Sportsman Co-Champion Bill Wimble and car owner Dave McCredy visited Vergennes in 1962	Veteran Vermont driver and Fairmont star Gene Tatro, Manchester Depot, VT, ran infrequently at Otter Creek.
				.
	Norman McIver Portrait Photo Courtesy of CHo Lee Keith Ballard of Hinesburg, VT-  a regular at Malletts Bay and Thunder Road, as well with the red and white #71. Courtesy of Cho Lee	Veteran Vermont driver and Fairmont star George Rogers, Casteleton, VT	Up and coming Vermont drive, Vince Quenneville of Whiting, Vermont  actually started at Vergennes before making his name at Fairmont, Devils Bowl, and other late '60's tracks. This is his second car.	Visconti Family Photo Granville, New York's Art Visconti bought a Norm Scarborough '37 Chevy that had been driven at Otter Creek by the late Vince Quenneville, Sr. Here, the car is seen at home with son, Mike in attendance.
	THE TUCKER  CARS   Photo Courtesy of Cho Lee via Darrell Tucker The first Royce Tucker Chevy sportsman coupe. It ran with Dutch Reed at Otter Creek and Jackie Peterson [Below] at Airborne. Bob Mackey Photo courtesy of John Rock	THE TUCKER  CARS   Photo Courtesy of Cho Lee via Darrell Tucker	THE TUCKER  CARS Another immaculate  Nascar Sportsman built by Lee and Royce Tucker of Burlington. This one was owned and run by "Black Jack" DuBrul of Burlington, VT. It raced at Otter Creek, Fonda,and a number of other venues.     CLICK HERE for a DuBrul page.	THE TUCKER  CARS   Photo courtesy of John Rock The Jim "Sapphire" Leclair C37   Also built by the Tuckers and Dick Hawkins	THE TUCKER  CARS An immaculate  Nascar Sportsman built by Lee and Royce Tucker of Burlington. They owned this one and had drivers Ernie Reid, Dutch Reed, and Wayne Chandler. The car had a bad wreck at Airborne that year, Ried was seriously injured, Royce suffered a fatal heart attack as a result, and the family never fielded another car.

ALL - STAR SPORTSMAN SHOWS

    The following shots from his own Devil's Bowl programs show some of the competitors who showed up for the extra money. Some of these races took place at Otter Creek Speedway. I am not sure how they ended up in C.J.'s collection, unless he was already promoting the track by then. Others were clearly at Fairmont.

From a Devil's Bowl Program, Courtesy of Ed Fabian

From left - Jean-Guy Chartrand, Ron Narducci, Ken Shoemaker, and Pete Corey line up in front of the starter's stand at Fairmont.

Bob Frazier Photo, Courtesy of C.J. Richards

Ken Shoemaker's car sits in the foreground at Otter Creek as Jack DuBrul [tall man in the center] talks with other drivers,
The 14VT in the background is the Tucker car, and the white car at far right is Harley Chamberlain.

From a Devil's Bowl Program, Courtesy of Ed Fabian

Will Cagle stands by his 24, behind Frankie Schneider and Buzzie Reutimann.|
This had to be a Fairmont show as Otter Creek had no night races.

Back to the Top of the Page

THE HILLSIDE RACEWAY ERA

        The track operated under Hi Monroe for two seasons or so. The track was inactive for a year or two, then Cornwall, Vermont's Joseph "Little Joe" D'Avignon, a driver who always seemed to flourish on the Vergennes track, took over promoting for a year. He renamed it Hillside Raceway.

Courtesy of Val Blicarz

Addison County Independent

A large ad in the local paper shows promoter Joe D'Avignon, who doubled sometimes as a driver; Orwell farmer Charlie Laduc
and misnamed Proctor newcomer Bob Ames who would begin racing with the former Dexter Dorr 29 [now called the #P59].

HILLSIDE CARS {BEGINNING WITH THOSE MENTIONED IN THE AD

Bob Frazier Photo -  Ladabouche Collection The last [and best] D'Avignon car. He had tried running a car from former neighbor Herbie Swan [seen below], but this was a far better car. The car is shown at the 1962 Rutland Fair show. Norm Vadnais Photo	Bob Frazier Photo -  Laduc Collection The Charlie Laduc car. It had run at Otter Creek Speedway as Dick Hawkins' 17.	Ladabouche Photo -  Ladabouche Collection The Bob Ames car.	New England VInatge Mod Site Sonny Rabideau with the Stroker Smith 311 car.
Ladabouche Photo -  Ladabouche Collection Gene Tetreault,  Manchester Depot, VT   That's  Gene, at left. This version of the car was his second. It would be chopped considerably by 1965.   Saratoga Auto Museum Photo	Ladabouche Photo -  Ladabouche Collection The Norm Scarborough sedan which began the 1965 season with rookie driver Russ Shaw. Clayton Ryan, another car owner, stands beside the car.	Ladabouche Photo - Ladabouche Collection The first #2 car of Ed Foley. Not sure if this is what he had in 1965	Ladabouche  Photo -  Ladabouche Collection The last [and best] D'Avignon car.
Bob Frazier Photo -  Rutland Daily Herald The D'Avignon car [far left] and the Rabideau car [far right] in action at the 1965 Rutland Fair track.	Poster Courtesy of Dick Hawkins & Darrell Tucker This is one of the last surviving promo posters from Joe D'Avignon's Hillside Raceway. Former driver Dick Hawkins had this poster in his garage. Every week, the boys at the garage would change the date on the poster to coincide with the following race date. [Click on and look carefully at the bottom of the poster on the right.]	Courtesy of The Davis Family Ladabouche Photo - Ladabouche Collection   Harry "Boo" Duffany of Shoreham, VT made the jump from a hobby driver at Fairmont to a modified at Hillside. This was the Ken Elithorpe-owned former ride of Vince Quenneville, Sr. Photo quality is quite poor. The picture underneath is the same car, next to Quenneville and Art Johnson at Fairmont in 1965.	Ladabouche Photo - Ladabouche Collection Vince Quenneville, Whiting, VT. [standing with leg on trailer] with owner Gael Dundon [kneeling] and the two Beeman brothers.
Photo Courtesy of Neal Davis    Graham Trudo     Benson, VT	Ladabouche Photo - Ladabouche Collection  Lefty Casey, Manchester, VT	Ladabouche Photo - Ladabouche Collection  The Julius Mestyan cars, from Fair Haven, came up to Vergennes with drivers like Kenny Martin, Gene Tatro, and Skip Wilcox.	Ladabouche Photo - Ladabouche Collection Art Visconti , having moved to near Vergennes, was able to run the track easily. He may have used the car shown below. Ladabouche Photo - Ladabouche Collection
Photo Courtesy of The Davis Family Dexter Dorr,  Manchester, VT.   Future Car Builder	Bob Frazier Photo Buddy Bardwell,        Keene NH	Photo Courtesy of The Davis Family Frank Hodge,   Montreal, Que. This very car may have raced here when it was Otter Creek Speedway - as the Bob Bruno #66	Photo Courtesy of The Davis Family The A. G. Ryan #28 Roger Gauthier,  Fort Edward, NY  News clippings seem to suggest that this car was driven at Hillside by Dutch Reed.
Photo Courtesy of The Davis Family       Jim Koehler,       Coventry, CT Koehler had run another car - the 31 here in 1962.	Photo Courtesy of The Davis Family       Phil Laduc,       Orwell, VT Brother, Charlie turned this over to Phil when he moved up to the sportsman class.  This car is seen in the elad in the top photo in the Hillside section.	Photo Courtesy of The Towslee Family       Charlie Towslee,       Dorset, VT	Photo Courtesy of The Dragon Family       Harmon "Beaver" Dragon,       MIlton, VT  hot runner Charlie Tow Then mistaken for one of the Dragons from nearby Ripton, VT, Beaver had run here in 1961. Not only did he chase hot runner Charlie Towslee across the finish line here - but he did the same to the "Unbeatable Lennie Wood" at Fairmont also in 1965. Dragon's car was a pavement car.
Photo Courtesy of The HAMB SIte       Clayton Ryan,       Orwell, VT Owner While Dutch Reed drove this car at Fairmont, it is not clear who driove it at Hillside.	Photo Courtesy of The Racers Bored Site       Ted Brown,       Keene, NH Car owned by Curt Dragon of NH.  Probably no relation to either Dragon family mentioned here.	Ladabouche Photo - Ladabouche Collection  Johnny Richmond, Peacedale, RI Listed as winning oen fo the Hillside feature that year.	Courtesy of Diana Peters   Herb Senecal.

LaDuc Family Photo
This blurry photo is definitely from the Hillside era. I now think that white car of Phil LaDuc [Charlie's old hobby Oldsmobile]
is the white car leading the race shown in the big color photo. [CLICK HERE to  see the one I mean]

Courtesy of the LaFond Family
The Unbeatable Lennie Wood, at Fairmont with the car he also raced at Hillside. Below - Wood
gets a win as starter Pat McGrath, from Milton, VT looks on. You can see part of the Hillside layout.

Courtesy of Dave Wood

THE RAINBOW RIDGE ERA

Bill Ladabouche Photo, Courtesy of Darrell Tucker.

This crudely - lettered sign was nailed to a tree on U.S. Route 7.
It was given to Darrell Tucker by former track land owner, Hi Monroe.

Courtesy of Lou Senecal
via Diana Peters
One of the only known shots of Rainbow Ridge Raceway, taken early in 1970.

        Very little has been found out about the Rainbow Ridge track operation. It seemed to depend on a few locals and some Hurricane Division and hobby division competitors from  surrounding tracks like Catamount and Devil's Bowl. The Rainbow Ridge operation seemed to be around 1969 or 1970. I can only guess who ran there, until I discover someone who actually attended these races.
        A Proctor native and former Devils Bowl driver named Louie Senecal is purported to have tried the rebirth of the old track. He apparently added caution lights, a flagger's stand, and a few other upgrades. Butch Jelley said he ran there and Bruce Keith remembers attending races with Ed Keenan.
        Darrell Tucker, son of one of the track's originals creators, says he has a crudely - lettered Rainbow Ridge sign that used to sit down near the main highway, to direct fans up the the South Middlebrook Road.

Courtesy of Lou Senecal
via Diana Peters
Lou Senecal [right] and C.J. Richards might be talking about Rainbow Ridge at this 1969 Devil's Bowl banquet.

Courtesy of Mike Richards
The newspaper wasn't too accurate with names. Pete Jelley was, most likely, either Butch or Lyle Jelley. I never heard of Curt Prescott as a driver.

Courtesy of Arnie Ainsworth Chuck Ely, Bennington, VT supplied this car for Butch Jelley to drive	Gator Racing News Photo Dick Pennock, Warrensburg, NY ran this Fonda late model	Devils Bowl Photo Charlie LaDuc, Orwell, VT	Courtesy of Bob Ely The Tremonts say they took this car to Rainbow Ridge with Chuck Ely as the driver.
Dan Nolin Photo Moe Dubois apparently brought his Dodge over from Hinesburg to run the Ridge. Perhaps, this is why Bob Daniels, from nearby New Haven ended up buying the car. Courtesy of Cho Lee To the right, you can see the car when Daniels had it.	Courtesy of Lou Senecal via Diana Peters Lou Senecal, the track promoter, had his own race car at Devil's Bowl. I don't know if he ever ran it on his own track.	Courtesy of Lou Senecal via Diana Peters Stosh Timinski and the Mike Winship 88 may have run at Rainbow Ridge.	Courtesy of Lou Senecal via Diana Peters Tim Baker, Dorset, VT may have run at Rainbow Ridge.
Courtesy of Lou Senecal via Diana Peters Jim Byrne, Clarendon, VT may have run at Rainbow Ridge.	Courtesy of Lou Senecal via Diana Peters Herb Senecal and the Hank Champine 02 probably ran at Rainbow Ridge.	Courtesy of Lou Senecal via Diana Peters Bill Messer and the 101 may have run at Rainbow Ridge.	Chuck Ely Photo - Lebanon Valley Clisscs Collection  The "Pete Jelley" mentioned in one of the few newspaper writeups on Rainbow Ridge may have been this guy - Lyle Jelley.

Hurricane Division driver from Catamount like Milton's Ralph "Chick" Bessette supposedly drove at Rainbow Ridge. Courtesy of  Lonnie Terry	Larry Warren, Burlington, VT	Jay Yantz, Monkton, VT A very likely competitor from nearby. Courtesy of  Lonnie Terry
Courtesy of  Lonnie Terry Leo Bushey, Burlington, VT	Courtesy of  Lonnie Terry Ray Ringer, Vergennes, VT	Courtesy of  Lonnie Terry Milo Lockerby, Isle La Motte, VT
Courtesy of  Lonnie Terry                  Kevin Holcomb,             Essex Jct., VT	Courtesy of  Lonnie Terry Jim Barton,  Milton, VT	Bob Lash, Middlebury, VT
Courtesy of  Lonnie Terry Don Johnson, Colchester, VT	Courtesy of  Lonnie Terry    Papa Leon Bundy, Essex Jct., VT	Courtesy of  Johnny Racer    Jim Duell, Winooski, VT

VIEWS OF THE TRACK'S REMAINS
Also CLICK HERE to see another page of remains

OTTER CREEK/HILLSIDE/RAINBOW RIDGE VIEWS
Shots Which Give A Good Idea of the Layout, Back in the Day

This shot was taken at the site of the Otter Creek Speedway about ten years after it had closed. As luck would have it, someone had taken a mowing machine right around where the track surface had been, so turns three and four are visible in the distance. Still standing at the tie were the announcer's tower, a concession stand, and some of the poles left from when someone envisioned lighting the track. Barely visible is the little pond they had in the infield. I have put the other photo next to it for comparison. The tower was barely out of sight to the left.

This shot was taken at the site of the Otter Creek Speedway about ten years after it had closed. Some sort of small structure sits near the track, maybe in the infield. The hay mower's recently cutting makes it possible to see the backstretch. The bleachers would have been directly in front of the camera. The poles that never got lights, are visible. A few of those still stand in 2004. I have put the other photo next to this one for perspective. 

Courtesy of Val Blicarz

This is the single best shot of the track, as it was when C.J. Richards began to operate it [with the shortened length]. In this shot, we can see [from left] Jim Koehler on the infield pit road, Joe D'Avignon's purple tow pickup, Gael Dundon's tow pickup [red & white], someone's late model #77 in the foreground of the pits, and Art Visconti's coupe [orange and white] sitting idle in the infield. In the race, Phil LaDuc's white car paces Russ Shaw's sedan, Charlie LaDuc [maroon car], Ed Foley, Gene Tetrault [sedan inside], Ted Brown [outside], Don Miller, Lefty Casey, Sonny Rabideau, and Vince Quenneville. The race was waiting for a stalled car [out of sight on the first turn] to be hauled away.
 

Courtesy of CJ Richards This shot from further up on the page gives a perspective from down, on the track surface. [Looking Northeast].	Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock My opinion of the best shot on this page, this shows a similar perspective, but you can see all the way to US Rte 7.	Ladabouche Photo This is the lousy fans spectators got at Otter Creek.
Bob Frazier Photo Courtesy of CJ Richards Ken Shoemaker, on the track, at Otter Creek. It shows the spectator area better than most shots.	Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of Dave Wood A never-before-seen shot of the Unbeatable Lennie Wood, at nearly the same spot as Shoemaker. This is Hillside Raceway, with newly - built starter stand. The flagger is Pat McGrath.	Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of Val Blicarcz Hillside promoter JoeD'Avignon was a great carpenter, in the sense he put up a lot of fencing, stands, and outbuildings.

		LOCATION OF THE OTTER CREEK SPEEDWAY
	The track is left of center of photo. Note the back road leading off at an angle from the straight U.S. Route 7.				Note Rte.7 in photo for track location.
					The track is roughly between the word "boundary" and the "M" in Waltham - and up a bit.

This layout shows the exact location of the track in Waltham, on Terraserver satellite photo, and on two different maps. The upper map is from and the bottom is a Terraserver topographical map.

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