DAVE DION

A Major Player on the Stock
Car Stage of Vermont

Norman Morley Photo
Ah Dave, wouldn't you love to be this age again ?

Photographer Unknown

Dave Dion at a Quebec track with photographer
Denis "Le Boy" LaChance - around 1986.

Dave Dion is easily one of the most beloved dd a Ford, and it was usually orange or reddish-orange.

Photographer Denis LaChance

The Dion car waiting to qualify 1980. Standing with his hand on his
leg, in the black shirt, is sponsor C.J. Stewart. of Cuttingsville, VT.

Because of his immediate popularity and his effectiveness [partic

Photographer Denis LaChance

Dave Dion entering the Catamount racing surface around 1978.

Dion found himself caught up in the mess in the 1980's when Catamount drivers were split into two camps: th

Courtesy of
OutsideGroove.com
Dion with an early Ford, probably at Norwood Arena.
Courtesy
Courtesy of Norwood Site
Dion with an early Ford, probably at Norwood Arena.
CLICK HERE to see more early Norwood Dion shots.
Courtesy of Norwood
Arena Site
Dave with the Torino
as it looked when he first arrived at Northern NASCAR.
Courtesy of Catamount
Program
Dave with the Torino
as it looked when he first arrived at Northern NASCAR.
Unfamiliar [to us] sponsors.

Peoples gets by on the outside.

Ladabouche Photo
By this 1972 shot, Dave now has a local sponsor - the Familiar Steward Ford.

Courtesy of Glen Tavares
Dion, misspelled name and all, still with the Torino.

Courtesy of Glen Tavares
Still with the Torino in 1974.
leading the Milk Bowl.
Courtesy of Mike Bruno
DevilsBowl: 2 1973 For stawarts -Dion and Bridges.

Courtesy of Michael Sherman
The DIon boys thrashing
on the Torino somewhere.
Courtesy of Stephan Beattie
The DIon boys thrashing
Unknown Source
Early Torino shot.

Source Unknown
I think this Ford came in between the Torino and the Cougar.
Courtesy of Cho Lee
Dion chases Marvin the Mauler [warily].
Courtesy of Andy Boright
Dave and Bill Dennis chase
a car 88, who definitely is not
Peter Pizzagalli. [No idea]
Courtesy of Stephan Beattiettie
The stunning Cougar,
on the track at T Road,
in front of his best fans.
Courtesy of Denis LaChance
Next came the fast and homely Cougar. Photo by Denis LaChance, a big Dion enthusiast.

Courtesy of Andy Boright
The lovely Cougar at Thunder Road. Dions said looks don't shave a second off the lap times.

Courtesy of Walter Newell
The Cougar chases Teddy Palino at Oxford.

Source Unknown
Dunno... kinda looks
like the Cougar.
Courtesy of Denis LaChance
More of that gorgeous Mercury. This time at Mt Carmel, in Quebec.
Courtesy of L.A. Weate
Dion at Martinsville with the Cougar. Looks like they might have spruced it up slightly.

Courtesy of Dan St. Pierreee
Dave, fussing with the
Cougar at the season opener.
Courtesy of Denis LaChance
Sometime in this Mercury
phase, the number 29 made its way in.... I can't recall why.

Courtesy of Denis LaChanc
Sometime in this Mercury phase he also picked up the Green MT Ford Dealers deal.
Courtesy of Denis LaChance
More of that Mercury.

Courtesy of Johnny Racer
Courtesy of Denis LaChance
The Mercury heading out
for practice.
Courtesy of Denis LaChance
The Futura, on the front stretch at Catamount with C.J. Steward [hand on leg]. It had almost the same sponsors as the Mercury.

Courtesy of DelBridge
This is about the time they did some racing down South with late models. I am thinking there may have been another owner in the mix here. See below for more photos.
Norman Morely Photo
Another Futura with a
different graphic scheme.

Tom Curle

Courtesy of Marty Kelly, Jr.

Courtesy of Mr. Chevy Black Here he's in the shot -same car; same day.	Denis LaChance Photo Courtesy of Andy Boright Here he has some of the Green MT Ford Dealers with the Futura.	Courtesy of Andy Boright More of that Futura.	Courtesy of Rich Palmer I think Dion took his Southern Futura and set it up for Kevin Lepage to drive at Catamount.	Courtesy of Denis LaChance The Futura, on the front stretch at Val Belair with a Canandian sponsor.	Courtesy of Denis LaChance The Futura, on the front stretch at Oxford with a familiar sponsor. t	Denis LaChance Photo More Futura at OPS.	Vin Hilliard Photo Somewhere in this time period, Dave took Harvey Sprague's six banger and won a race with it.
Photographer and Source Unknown Bravely smiling at Catamount with a banged - up car.	Courtesy of L.A. West After the Futura, Dave's order of cars becomes a blur for me; so, I will keep the ACT cars last and bunch the rest togerther. This odd Futura variation comes towrads the end of the Futura era..	Photographer and Source Unknown A good mug shot.	Courtesy of Freddie Richmond The Champion Buses T Bird.	Courtesy of Denis LaChance TA kinda radical - looking T Bird at Oxford.	Courtesy of Stephan Beatie Throwback number and look, but a very unfamiliar body scheme.	Courtesy of Andy Boright Beside Bob Dragon in what was the latter's arguably least popular graphic scheme efver.	Courtesy of L.A. West That far out T Bird sure could draw a crfowd at Oxford.
Courtesy of L.A. West The Futura, carrying the Canadian sponsor but at Catamount.	Brian Manning Photo Courtesy of L.A. West The T BIrd, at OPS.	Al Ward Photo The Tate Bros ACT plastic car at Catamount.	From the Outside Groove Website At last an ACT FORD car !	Al Ward Photo The Tate Bros ACT car. Dave was playing both sides in 1987 - running this at ACT and another car at BGNN.[right]	From the Outside Groove Website A BGNN car	From the Outside Groove Website A BGNN pit stop. No more rough looking cars allowed.
Justin St. Louis Photo At the 2006 Oxford 250.	Karl Baitz Photo 2005 Milk Bowl.	Courtesy of Andy Boright A more recent car - at Thunder Road - 2005.

THE SOUTHERN LATE MODEL CAMPAIGN

Woody Delbridge Photo
Dave had a year when he ran tracks like South Boston, VA. Check out the car - it is attractive and has professional graphics.

Woody Delbridge Photo
South Boston, VA. II

Woody Delbridge Photo
South Boston, VA. III

Woody Delbridge Photo
South Boston, VA. IV

Woody Delbridge Photo
South Boston, VA. V

THE GRAND NATIONAL CAMPAIGN

Source Unknown
The Grand
National car, at
Nordic Ford.

Photo Source Unknown
Behind Petty
at Richmond.

Courtesy of LA West
Arrival at
Richmond.

Courtesy of LA West
At speed, at
Richmond.

Courtesy of Jack Anderson
Spinning out at
Richmond. Can you believe how much Richmond has changed from then ?

Courtesy of Jeff Elliott
At speed, at
UNK track.

DAVE 'N OTHER FOLKS

Source Unknown
God, CJ! I've never seen that done from an infield flag pole before, let alone a 70 year - old woman !

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Dion watches T Road action with who looks like fellow Ford guy Jay Yantz at right.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Dion and Dragon. Probably deciding if they want to let
anyone else win thnat month :)

Courtesy of Walter Newell
Dave and NASCAR executive Pete Keller.

Courtesy of Stepahn Beattie
Dave and NASCAR star Butch Lindley.

Courtesy of Jack Andersone
With former circuit driver Jack Anderson at the Living Legends of Auto Racing banquet.

Courtesy of Pascal Cote
Dion joins Kevin
Lepage and Jean - Paul Cabana in a post - race conference.

Courtesy of Pascal Cote
Dion joins George McRae for a mug shot.

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Courtesy of OutsideGroove.com Dion with an early Ford, probably at Norwood Arena.	Courtesy Courtesy of Norwood Site Dion with an early Ford, probably at Norwood Arena. CLICK HERE to see more early Norwood Dion shots.	Courtesy of Norwood Arena Site Dave with the Torino as it looked when he first arrived at Northern NASCAR.	Courtesy of Catamount Program Dave with the Torino as it looked when he first arrived at Northern NASCAR. Unfamiliar [to us] sponsors.	Peoples gets by on the outside.	Ladabouche Photo By this 1972 shot, Dave now has a local sponsor - the Familiar Steward Ford.
Courtesy of Glen Tavares Dion, misspelled name and all, still with the Torino.	Courtesy of Glen Tavares Still with the Torino in 1974. leading the Milk Bowl.	Courtesy of Mike Bruno DevilsBowl: 2 1973 For stawarts -Dion and Bridges.	Courtesy of Michael Sherman The DIon boys thrashing on the Torino somewhere.	Courtesy of Stephan Beattie The DIon boys thrashing	Unknown Source Early Torino shot.
Source Unknown I think this Ford came in between the Torino and the Cougar.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Dion chases Marvin the Mauler [warily].	Courtesy of Andy Boright Dave and Bill Dennis chase a car 88, who definitely is not Peter Pizzagalli. [No idea]	Courtesy of Stephan Beattiettie The stunning Cougar, on the track at T Road, in front of his best fans.	Courtesy of Denis LaChance Next came the fast and homely Cougar. Photo by Denis LaChance, a big Dion enthusiast.	Courtesy of Andy Boright The lovely Cougar at Thunder Road. Dions said looks don't shave a second off the lap times.
Courtesy of Walter Newell The Cougar chases Teddy Palino at Oxford.	Source Unknown Dunno... kinda looks like the Cougar.	Courtesy of Denis LaChance More of that gorgeous Mercury. This time at Mt Carmel, in Quebec.	Courtesy of L.A. Weate Dion at Martinsville with the Cougar. Looks like they might have spruced it up slightly.	Courtesy of Dan St. Pierreee Dave, fussing with the Cougar at the season opener.	Courtesy of Denis LaChance Sometime in this Mercury phase, the number 29 made its way in.... I can't recall why.
Courtesy of Denis LaChanc Sometime in this Mercury phase he also picked up the Green MT Ford Dealers deal.	Courtesy of Denis LaChance More of that Mercury. Courtesy of Johnny Racer	Courtesy of Denis LaChance The Mercury heading out for practice.	Courtesy of Denis LaChance The Futura, on the front stretch at Catamount with C.J. Steward [hand on leg]. It had almost the same sponsors as the Mercury.	Courtesy of DelBridge This is about the time they did some racing down South with late models. I am thinking there may have been another owner in the mix here. See below for more photos.	Norman Morely Photo Another Futura with a different graphic scheme.