1966 NASCAR NATIONAL MODIFIED CHAMPION AND SO MUCH MORE

Frank Simek Photo [Obviously]

           Dave Dykes wrote about Ernie: "For decades, our late friend Ernie Gahan remained one of the nation’s top Modified drivers. Virtually a one-man show for a good part of his career, the winner of the 1966 NASCAR National Modified Championship started racing in the 1940s at New Hampshire’s old Dover Speedway. Well-before the days of the much-heralded “Eastern Bandits” he won over three-hundred features on a well-traveled road that stretched from his home state of Maine, to the coast of Florida. A multi-time NASCAR Grand National (now the Sprint Cup Series), starter, his resume also includes two top-10 finishes, one in the Daytona 500. It was during his Grand National days in 1963 that he was credited with saving the life of Marvin Panch by pulling him out of a burning race car at Daytona. For his courage he won the Shuman Award and the Carnegie Medal for Bravery – that’s the type of racer Ernie Gahan was. This coupe-era image captures him following a win on the early dirt of the Stafford Springs Motor Speedway, a facility where he grabbed the checkers on twenty-one occasions. Ernie retired from driving following an event at Thompson in 1975 and was inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1998."

           Ernie had two distinctive careers: early and the NASCAR phase. As Dave said, Gahan came out of Dover, and first ran at tracks right near him. These tracks included the old Dover track, Sanford Speedway, and the early Beech Ridge track. Eventually he began to venture out, to places like Safford Park [the old Cheshire County fairgrounds] near Swanzey, NH, Rhythm Inn, Brattleboro Speedway, and others in that busy corner of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Masschusetts.  Ernie was successful at track like Safford Park, near Keene, NH. In this time, he ran with a tremendously - impressive group, many of whom went on to join him in various halls of fame.

THE EARLIER PHASE

Via David Topham A very early car , on the Dover Speedway in his hometown. It might have been his first car.	Via David Topham That early sedan, with the crew.	Via David Topham Another very early car , after  he had a less than successful night.	Via David Topham Another very early car.	Via David Topham Apparent success with an early 50NH..	Via David Topham Another very early 50 car. This might be at home. The man inside is said to be George Nichols.
Via David Topham This car is likely earlier than some of the others.	Source Unknown Very early on, Ernie drove in the potent Stoney's Diner at local tracks like Dover, NH; Sanford, ME;; and Beech Ridge,  Scarborough, ME. He always kept the number 50 and a similar scheme with his cars.	Walt Perkins Photo An early win with the Stoney's Diner 50 , at Safford Park, Keene, NH.	MVRCA Photo An early win with he Stoney's Diner 50 at Sanford, Maine.	Ladabouche Collection JackTeehan Photo Keene Sentinel Photo Ernie is pictured after races at Keene, NH for the old Mondadnock Racing Assoc.Art Rousseau, at left had also raced with Ernie at Dover Speedway.	Don Monahan Photo An early finish at Safford  with the Stoney's Diner car.
	Via David Topham Lined up beside Ollie SIlva at the Belknap track, which is said to have been a road course.	Via David Topham What looks to be a Stoney's Diner car and maybe a forerunner to the supers they would soon run at tracks like Dover.	Via David Topham A pose at Dover with one of the Stoney's DIner cars.

                    He began to become more involved in the NASCAR sportsman division by the end of the 1950's, running anywhere from Fonda, to Victoria, to the old Stafford Springs dirt track, and more. During this earlier NASCAR time, he hooked up with New England owner Sonny Koszella, driving Sonny's 15 CT cars while also keeping his his own 50NH cars. In his earlier NASCAR phase, Ernie would leave home for a wek of racing, having every possible cent to his wife to run their household. It would be up to him to finish well enough [and stay in one piece] several times a week to make a living. Running a sportsman until 1966, he managed to make a living fine, getting to drive South regularly.

Source Unknown
Ernie [ctr] getting his national championship awards on stage with Don MacTavish and David Pearson.

              Ernie ran regularly at at least four tracks and had top ten finishes - including a second at Fonda. Those tracks only supplied half of his 6,000+ points he earned that year; the rest must have come from special appearances and Southern appearances such as the Permatex races. Coincidentally, Gahan [Dover, NH] won the modified title while MacTavish [Dover, MA] took the sportsman. Ernie would be a charter member of the All Star Stock Car Racing League in 1967 as member of the title - winning Fonda team. He would race modifieds out of the coupe era and into the next era, which involved such as the Pintos. He was a familiar figure at reunions and halls of fame activities until his passing.

Courtesy of Ken Moeller Ken Moeller found this newspaper item that shows one of Ernie's earlier NASCAR sportsman. A Ford was rare for him.	Russ Bergh Photo Ladabouche Collection That same Ford at Victoria around 1966.	Russ Bergh Photo Cavacade of Auto Racing Another Ford - this time Koszella's at Fonda around 1964.	Courtesy of Rick Gosney Ernie in one of Sonny Koszella's logging - themed sportsman coupes around mid '60's.  This is the Woodchopper.	Ladabouche Photo Ernie arrives at Fonda with one of Sonny Koszella's logging - themed sportsman coupes around mid '60's. This is the Logroller.	Shany Lorenzet Photo Ernie in one of Sonny Koszella's logging - themed sportsman coupes around mid '60's. The Logroller at Stafford.
John Grady Photo Ernie with a mid '60's 50NH. It might be the one he bought from the Drellos team.	Russ Bergh Photo Ernie with  the one he bought from the Drellos team.	John Grady Photo Ernie with a mid '60's 50NH. This 3 window coupe was one of his last coupes.	Ladabouche Collection I remember these two women would often sit in front of us at Fonda with those sweaters on.	Frank Simek Photo Ernie with a well - behaved mid '60's win at Fonda. A well - deserved one Considering how outsiders were treated there.	Neal Davis Photo The well -used Koszella 15 at unknown track.
Gahan Collection via Lew Boyd This is the famous "Erine" car. The sign painter screwed up his name. When restored, they left it that way. [See right]	Ladabouche Photo The restored car complete with Erine on the side - when it was owned in the Plattsburgh, NY area.	Ladabouche Collection NASCAR National Champions meet at Fonda: Gahan [mod] MacTavish [sportsman] for 1966.	Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock Ernie and Marcel Godard pace a talent - laden field at Airborne around 1965.	HAMB Chat Site I think this is Stafford, dirt era with a young fan in Vic. Lane	Ron Wetzler Collection Ernie, borrowing the M3, usually driven by Bob Leach - at Stafford.
Sandy Clark Photo Coll. via Lew Boyd Lining up beside Fats Caruso at Stafford with the 3 window coupe.	Courtesy of Dave Dykes The 15 is said to be Ernie at Norwood in late '50's.	From Dan Ody's 8MM Old Speedways DVD's At Malta, mid '60's.	Shany Lorenzet Photo via Andy Fusco An early win with the Koszella car - maybe the first. [Stafford]	Frank Simek Photo [Obviously] The 3 window coupe, at speed, at Fonda.	Shany Lorenzet Photo via Andy Fusco An early race action shot with the Koszella car - Stafford.
Shany Lorenzet Photo via Andy Fusco Another early win with the Koszella car.	Shany Lorenzet Photo via Andy Fusco The Drellos car at Stafford before being re-lettered. Sorry about the quality and angle of these. We were off to the side, snapping them off a projector screen.	Frank Simek Photo [Obviously] The Woodchopper coupe, at unknown track.	Shany Lorenzet Photo via Andy Fusco The Woodchopper at Stafford .	Shany Lorenzet Photo via Andy Fusco The Log Roller at Stafford . Same angle.	Shany Lorenzet Photo via Andy Fusco The former Drellos car at Stafford .
Frank Simek Photo [Obviously] The 3 window coupe, at Fonda.	Source Unknown Ernie with one of his 29 cars. I don't know much about these. A rare shot of him with his All Star League helmet.	Mike Shaub Photo A mysterious 50. Apparently a temporary arrangement with a Rhode Island owner.	Ladabouche Photo The arrangement Ernie used in the early 1970's. This is the All Star League race at Catamount around 1971.	Shany Lorenzet Photo Lined up in the three window coupe beside Shoemaker - likely at Stafford.	Getty Images A pose with the Koszella Woodchopper around 1964 or 5.
Shany Lorenzet Photo via Dave Dykes Another view of the early Stafford win with the whole Koszella crew.	NASCAR Site Closeup of Ernie with the three window coupe.	Source Unknown Later color portrait.	Source: Jalopy Journal Ernie with one of his 29 entries, this one being red instead of gold.	Courtesy of Midstate Club Ernie with one of his 29's in its gold version.	Stock Car Racers' Reunion This a later graphics version of what may be the Drellos car.
Source : Dave Dykes A night shot of the Koszella Woodchopper.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Ernie is said to have occasionally driven this unusuakl Marty Hartyy car at Thunder Road.	Source:Norwood Arena Site A mixup at Norwood with the earlier Koszella car.	Source: Jalopy Journal Another shot with the 29. Anyone know who owned it ?.	Source:Norwood Arena Site Arriving at Norwood with the familiar Koszella car.	Source: Jo Jo Farone Another version of the more technically advanced 29 car.
Courtesy of Jalopy Journal The Woodchopper on an unknown track.	Courtesy of Jalopy Journal The Logroller on an unknown track. Both UNK tracks may be Stafford.	Courtesy ofFonda Book Ed Feuz Collection The famous "Ernie From CowHampshire" phot in the Fonda book.	Courtesy of Fonda Bool Russ Bergh Photo A different photo of the two NASCAR national champs meeting at Fonda in 1967.	Courtesy of Mark Austin An autographed fact sheet.	Courtesy of Mike Anop A relaxed moment in the 3 window coupe.
Courtesy of Mike Anop The gold 29 coupe at Malta.	Courtesy of Mike Anop With the car and motor home he was using in the early 1970's.	Courtesy of Mike Anop A different color scheme for the 29.	Courtesy of Robert Clock On some UNK in the 3 window coupe.	Source: Jalopy Journal Around 1971 or 2 - with what must have been one of his last rides.	Courtesy of Phil Smith Another of what must have been his last rides - the famous Simons 9.
Courtesy of Ken Moeller An article about Gahan mentions the Woodchopper.	Courtesy of R. C. Hunt Another pose in one of the 5 window coupes.	Ladabouche Collection In a mixup at Fonda with an earlier Koszella car.	Frank Simek Photo  Ernie was unloading at Fonda when Frank Simek snapped the Corey coupe.	Ladabouche Collection Ernie joins  Andy Romano, Ron Narducci, and Bill WImble with trophies at Fonda. The official might be Ralph Oudekirk.	Courtesy of Blackjackracing Piling into a mess that also involves Steve Danish at Fonda.
Courtesy of Jim Conlon  A nice color shot of the Log Roller on the track at Stafford, mid 60's.	Courtesy of Scott Belknap  Ernie sits in the Fonda pits.	Bob Farley Photo via Bob Burd  Ernie sits beside Rene Charland in the early 1960's.	From Dan Ody's 8MM Old Speedways DVD's  Ernie sits beside Ed Flemke in the % at Malta.	via BFlemke.com  Ernie returns checkers at a wet Fonda to Chet Hames. This is an earlier Koszella car.

RETIREMENT AND NASCAR BIG LEAGUES 

Norwood Site Ernie in a Gran National car in the 1960's. Sonny Koszella bought it from Jim Reed	Getty Images Gahan drove this Rocky Hinton - owned, Holman Moody prepared Ford in some GN races in the early 1960's..	Source Unknown Posing with Marvin Panch and two of his associates after their having rescued him from a fiery crash the season before> Ernie is 2nd from right, next to Wimble..	Ladabouche Photo Ernie, at one of the reunions at Ron Bouchard's in Fitchburg, MA.	Ladabouche Photo Ernie's plaque at the DIRT HOF, Weedsport, NY.	Ladabouche Collection The reunion of the 1967 All Star League Champion team, Fonda Speedway: Ernie, with Bill WImble and Ron Narducci.
Ladabouche Collection Another earlier reunion of the 1967 All Star League Champion team, Fonda Speedway: Ernie, with Bill WImble and Ron Narducci.	Ladabouche Photo The reunion at Ron Bouchard's around 2006. Ernie talks to Buddy Bardwell with Don Rounds in background.

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