ISSUE 2V

Burlington Free Press
Although the emphasis was on the open wheel cars,
history was made. This is likely the first stock car
race in Vermont.

     The old, paperclip - shaped fairgrounds track at Northfield, VT. once staged only horse racing. After it had sat, unused for a period of time, a group including contractor Ruie Dubois purchased the site and - in 1949 - began running sprint car races. These involved a small, but active group from New York that was run by Phil A. [Pa] Soper of Bouquet Valley. This bunch raced at such farflung venues as Champlain Speedway, Ticonderga; Richelieu Park near Montreal; Moffitt Park SPeedway near Plattsburgh; Green Mountain Farms Raceway in Sheldon, VT and more.

Dubois Construction Site
Bill Dubois [the judge] is at far left and Ruie is on the bulldozer in this shot as they worked on the track.

     One of the non - Empire State racers was South Burlington native John  "Jackie" Peterson [misnamed in the article as Art] who would also go on to win some important stock car races at Northfield as well. Peterson's main rivals were Art Prairie and Kenny Gallup of Albany [misrepresented as being from Fair Haven in the article. His car was from Fair Haven].

Peterson Collection
Jackie Peterson plies his sprint car on the Green Mountain Farms Raceway in Sheldon in 1950. He had passed Prairie and Gallup.

     The stock car exhibition races that day involved men, none of whom went on to much further glory in the stock cars  much beyond maybe 1950. I have no photos of Ladd, Johnson, Knapp or Savina. I do, however have one of Pop Goodwin, who was so enthused by his experience that his family built their track [The Twin State Jalopy Track] in West Lebanon, NH in 1950. The Northfield track would run, off and on until 1962.

Courtesy of Sandra Goodwin Fontana
Pop Goodwin receives a trophy at the family track in West Lebanon in 1950.
Don't you love the Marlon Brando - trype motorcycle club hat ?

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