Bushey Family Photo Gallery

     Apparently, I saw Bob Bushey race once - at the Vermont State Fairgrounds in Rutland, when C.J. Richards staged his first attempt at stock car racing there. Bushey, not in his element, was driving the Bull brothers 586 Hudson Terraplane, and was involved in that huge sun - blinded pileup between turns 1 and 2. That was a good example of the accomplishments and the skills of this Burlington - born driver.
     Bob and his car owner, Ralph Bushey [no relation], are important names in the history of Northern Vermont racing. They raced at all of the Colchester tracks, as well as the local fairgrounds and probably a few of the other tracks in the region. I am not certain if Bob ever ran at Otter Creek, as did many of his old Malletts Bay counterparts, but he did manage to pile up a bunch of wins.
     Ralph Bushey, a prominent wholesale potato dealer, funded race cars - first, for Gordy Owen and later for son, Bob. Bob's # SPUD 19, in particular, is considered by many to be the prominent car/driver combination of the Colchester race track era. These are photos lent to me and to Jack Anderson by the Bushey family. I will feature shots showing Bushey family efforts first, and then some other figures of the day afterward, when I have more time.

Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson Gordy Owen and a crew member confer around Ralph's car around 1951.	Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson Gordy Owen practices with Ralph's car around 1951. We don't know, but this might be Harvey Moody's Colchester Speedway on Williams Road.	Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson Gordy Owen and a crew member confer around Ralph's car around 1951. Quite a feat of race engineering, eh ?
Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson Gordy Owen and crew work on Ralph's car around 1951.	Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson Lots of attention is paid to Ralph's car in the infield - probably at Moody's track.	Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson Gordy Owen and many his wife after the races.
Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson The first SPUD 19. MacMcDurfee, a sponsor, is the gray-haired man. Car in back is probably Junior Graves' car.	Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson Another shot of the preparations on the first Spud 19.	Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson Ralph and the first SPUD 19, somewhere in the midst of a tow to a track - 1952.
Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson Ralph and Bob work around a car that would become the first SPUD 19	Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson The first SPUD 19 is in 4th place here at the ill-fated Champlain Valley Fair race. An onlooker was killed. That is Ed Charbonneau in 3rd.	Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson Bob old car, the Gordie Owen 31 is given a push into the pits by Rex Shattuck. It could be Malletts Bay or the fair.
Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson By the looks of most of its contemporaries, the new SPUD 19 was a thing of beauty.	Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson Bob and crew work around the new SPUD 19, most likely at Malletts Bay.	Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson Ralph and Bob pose proudly beside the newest SPUD 19 around 1952.
Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson Rex Shattuck's wife, Peg waits for Bob to get the payoff. Note the announcer's / payoff stand in the background. The family is packed up and ready to leave with the car.	Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson Blurry shot shows SPUD 19 at speed, probably at Malletts Bay.	Bushey Family Photo Thanks to Jack Anderson The newer SPUD 19 in action at Ivanhoe Smith's Green Mt. Raceway.
Courtesy of C.J. Richards Bob with the Bull Amoco car or some other car of his own I thin I can detect a 6 on the end of the numeral, which would make it the Bull Amoco car.	Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine Bob with other Airborne drivers.	Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine Bob with the original Spud 19
Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock and Bobby Castine Bob in the original Spud 19

SPUD 19ville

The Bushey Family Photo Gallery