CARS WHICH HAVE STOOD OUT IN MY EXPERIENCE
AS MEMORABLE, FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER

I have witnessed stock car racing from before the time when I could really form and retain lucid memories. [Some would say I have returned to that condition now]. From those days in 1951 at Pico Raceway to now, I have seen [or maybe even worked on] stock cars that are, in my opinion, legendary. It might be because of a high degree of success, it might be because of something exceptional in the appearance, or it just might be immense popularity of that particular car. Anyway, I always wanted to do a page on just that sort of car. This is pretty much from my persepctive, so I am sure I left out some of your legends.

 Ladabouche  Collection
Source Unknown
The original Bob Mott 3 was a rocket from the onset. It was driven by Jeep Herbert [shown above], Mott, himself, and Pete Corey. It was finally banned at Fonda due to a NASCAR rule about body age. It was kind of an excuse to get rid of a dominating car.

George Barber  Collection
via Cho Lee
The original George Barber 46 was a horror to look at. Seen here with first driver, Stub Piper, the team went on to travel all over New England with the famous Roy Forsyth at the wheel, winning a huge percentage of its races. Barber would go on to more success with better looking cars, but this was the most amazing. 

Joe Grossetti  Collection
It is pointless to try and pick out which of the Van Vricken RU21's was the most notable... the whole team was. Here is its best known driver, Link Pettit. Ken Goodermotte was also a standout. 
 Maine Vintage Race Car Assoc.  Collection
If you're from Downeast, Blackie Hilliard's car was one for the ages.
Lafond Family Collection
via Mike and Tom Lafond
Although this one's well along in his career, ANY Steve Danish car is legendary. 

John Grady Photo
via Gerry LaVallee
Dick Bennett's Bernie's Liquor Shop 71's went on forever, but this car and driver Lee Millington really stick in my mind. 

via Gary Nephew
The Mohawk Chief cars were legendary in early Quebec sportsman racing. Thye bore no actual number. Here, Jean - Paul Cabana, the  best known of the team drivers, is at left.

Warrensburgh Hist. Soc. Collection
Vern Baker's Hudson coupe started out as the Super 6, winning with driver Wally LaBelle. Ten years later, the same car [then called 6 PACK] won races with Ed Baker as driver.


Ladabouche  Photo
This particular George Janoski 40 CT
seemed to run forever - and well.

via Lorriane LaBelle
Starting in the 1950's with Dick Foley [above], the Lucky 7 brand continued on into the 1970's at Quebec tracks  - particularly with Frank Hodge.

Ladabouche  Photo
Buddy Bardwell began driving his car 13's in 1949.
  This Hudson is best known. He was still driving some right up to near the time of his passing.

 via Cho Lee or Paul Zampieri
This Gordon FItzgerald - owned team may have begun around 1950 with Bob Bissell, but John Gammell [above] is synonymous with the car.

Otto Graham  Photo
Although he did not drive in his state very much, Rhode Islander Don Rounds made a name for himself in this car. 
 
Ladabouche  Photo
Henry Merrow fielded this car for George Schnyer, Mike Cody, and lastly, Art Cody [seen walking away with his helmet].


via the HAMB Chat Site
Rene Charland must have driven a buzzillion differentcars, but the checker flag #3's he drove during his championship years are what I recall the most strongly. 
 Bob Bruno Collection
Vic Wolfe's many white 66 sportsman cars were not only dominant but often continued to excel with new owners. This one, however, burned at Syracuse.
 Ladabouche  Photo
Bob Hoffer's X9m with the trademark pipes exxtending out of the truck, never exactly tore the ass off the world. But it did go through four different owners, and Vince Quenneville, Sr. did pretty well with it in 1963.


Ladabouche Collection
Source Unknown
Russ Bergh Photo
The Ken Shoemaker - driven 111 was created in the Henry Caputo era and driven to more glory in the Chris Drellos
era.
 
 Doug Fetterly Collection
Floyd Geary's distinctive white coupes with blue graphics were all effective, but none so much as the C38's, with Buck Holliday.

Paul Michaud Photo
When you think of Bill Slater, you think of those black  "Connecticut Valley Rocket"  V-8's.

 

 Via Cho Lee
If the Riiska yellow X's aren't legendary, I don't know what is. They began with Lew
Ransom as driver and ended with Butch Jelley.
 Via Kristin King
Beginning in the 1950's, the Frank "Stroker" Smith cutdown came out of a small, nondescript garage and was a legend almost until 1970. Its only driver ? Sonny Rabideau. Shown here with an overhead, it ran a flathead for most of its life.

Source Unknown
Richard Welch's 77 began as Rollie Johnson's car. Always 77, it lasted for
several years and numerous drivers, like George Baumgardner shown here at Stafford.

NE Modified Site Photo
Before the famed Pinto, Bob Judkins fielded a fantastic Ford coupe. Here it is shown with its best known driver, Ed Flemke, Sr. 

Vintage Modified Site  Photo
The storied Tant/Mitchell 11, out of Richmond, VA, raised its share of hell up North with driver Ray Hendrick. 
 Bob Mackey  Photo via Cho Lee
Charley Trombley's maroon and black
6 7/8 cars were iconic in the 60's and 70's. Seen here with everyone's favorite Bardahl dealer, Bob Doyle.

Bill Farress  Photo
Dutch Hoag made the orange Tunrer 18
coupe into one of the most iconic cars ever.

Paul Michaud Photo
Often ugly and always fast, Len Boehler's 3's were well driven by Bugs Stevens and Fred DeSarro. 
 HAMB Chat Site Photo
Was there any cars much more recognizable than Buzzie Reutimann's 00. ?
 Shany Lorenzet Photo
Ernie gahan in an early Koszella 15. It is debatable whether these or Ernie's own
50 NH's were more legendary.
Lazzaro Family Photo
Lou Lazzaro wqith one of his first maroon and white 4 coupes.
 That
whole look is legendary.


Bob Frazier  Photo
Dexter Dorr gers two of them. This Chevy hobby car at Fairmont changed the whole way that class was looked upon in 1964. 
 Bob Frazier Photo
This is my favorite Vince Quenneville, Sr. race car ever. It started life as Dexter Dorr's first sportsman project.
 Ladabouche Photo
The Dave McCredy - owned 33's of Bill Wimble are about as iconic as you get. They started out as S33; this shot in 1962 may show the first season Dave
dropped the S.

 Russ Bergh Photo via the Conde / Parry Site
Frank Trinkhaus' 62's were one of the most familiar cars at Fonda for years. He used dozens of top drivers, including Irv Taylor, shown above.
via Cho Lee
Up here, you could just say "The Pontiac" and lots of people knew it was this car. Starting life as an Elmo Langle NASCAR GN car, it went though Jean - Paul Caban, Jack Dubrul [above], Bob Pratt, Denny Dearborn, and Harold Hanaford before facing the crusher. It ran the Permatex race at Daytona at least three times with Cabana, Dubrul or HH.
Gater Racing News Photo
The Worcester Sand & Gravel 69 of Pete Hamilton [above] and Mario Caruso was one of several iconic southern New England modifieds.

Bob Mackey Photo via Mike Watts. Sr.
Graham Trudo came out with this radical hobby car at Fairmont in 1966  The controversial rig rarely lost a race. Here, he is seen running it at Saranac Lake as a sportsman. 
John Grady Photo
Cliff Wright's 1965 car came oout with a number of tech innovations. Driver Ken Shoemaker used them to the max . 
Wood Family Photo
Shown here at Hillside Raeeway in Vergennes in 1965, Len "The Unbeatable Lennie" Wood never lost a race that year in this car if it finished or if it was not running against cars from a superior racing division. 

 

Ladabouche Photo
Legendary mostly to me, Larry Warren's car did the same thing for the Catamount Hurricane Class that Dorr's Chevy did for Faimront hobbies - it elevated the perception fo what the division could be .  
 
Ladabouche Photo
The Pelletier/Falzaro Chevelle of Russw Ingerson was only run for a while but fans never forgot it. 


Ladabouche Photo
The beautiful Ron Barcomb Torino was the class of Northern NASCAR for two years. 


Paul Michaud Photo
Jean - Paul Cabana's 5A brand represented excellence and domination for years.

Ladabouche Photo
Steve Pooulin's Chevelle was an Allison car that also went through Richie Panch on Northern NASCAR. After Poulin, Claude Aubin had more success with the car
 

 via Steve Pecor and Rich Palmer
This Allison - built Chevelle along
with the engine work of John Keefer, allowed Bob Dragon to dominate much of the  1972 - 3 Northern NASCAR seasons. The red Dragon 71 is iconic, in and of itself.
  

Ladabouche Photo
Although he has raced in five decades, many northern Vermont fans still think of this car when they think of Clem Despault.   
Russ Bergh Photo Ladabouche Collection
Although all of Pete Corey's cars were superior, the Falcon was both trendsetting and very dominating.  
 Ladabouche Photo
More than anything particular about his cars, Lennie Stockwell was the symbol of the Flying Tiger division at Catamount and T Road.

 Ladabouche Collection
All those black and white Tremont 115's became legendary and iconic, in themselves.
 Otto Graham Photo
Ed Cloce's Hemicuda, with Jean Guy Chartrand at the helm was one of the most recognizable cars anywhere, anytime.
 Ladabouche Photo
Although he drove for dozens of owners, this Jerry Barnowski - owned 61 is what many of think of with C.D. Coville.
 Mike Shaub Photo
Maynard Troyer built so many cars, the government made him use serial numbers; but, I will always associate him with this Falcon [and his Mud Buss].
Gene Stratton Photo
Frankie Schneider's "Ol' Bess" deserves
a nod.
 Ladabouche Photo
More than even the iconic Pinto, Richie Evans' "Big Orange" hauler might be the most legendary of his stuff.


Big Al Ward Photo
To us folks up here, the Tiger Sportsman of Mark "The Hammer" Barnier is legendary. He won a race a T Road with when it was at least 600 years old.
 NE Modified Site Photo
They don't get any more legendary than the  Batmobile.
 
Stuart Lord Collection
Any Ollie Silva Zero qualifies as iconic.
 Legends of NASCAR Site
The Judkins Pinto. 'Nuff said !
 Yesterday's Speedways.com
If you're going to get into unusual and innovative [like the Batmobile] you gotta consider The Rutledge Rocket, driven by John Clapham. Way the hell out there !

 

Clarence Wolfe Photo
 Deasey [and Wolfe] Big Donkey 707's
were legendary - especially in the hands
of Al Tasnady.

Bob Frazier Photo
Any
Cagle car could be argued in hewre but this sedan that so dominated and caused controversy at Devil's Bowl [and then ran the Valley with assorted ownershiip] really qualifies.


Ginny Ross Collection
via Dick Hansen
Doug Garrison with a classic Gordon Ross coupe at Lebanon Vall.

 John Grady Photo
via Joe Lehman and Three Wide
Parker Bohn with Tom Skinner's legendary six banger 659.

Source Unknown - Lkely Shany Photo
Dick Dixon's 8Balls were iconic.

HAMB Chat Site Photo
One of Fred Borden's Falconi Bros 10's was special and nearly unbeatable due to some tech innovations. It ran places like Brookline, NH.

Bushey Family Photo
 Few people have heard of Bob Bushey [hat on, looking at camera] or his car, the Spud 19. The car's owner was a wholesale potato dealer. Like Danish at Fonda, Bushey set the record at Airborne for wins in a season in 1954 and it has never been beaten.


Source Unknown - Lkely Bob Doyle Photo
Most everything Davee Dion did turned out to be legendary, but this first Torino has a special place in Dion fans' hearts.
       

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