OLD NEWSPAPER RACING ARTICLES


 

For a Section on Wayne Bettis' Burlington Free Press Racing Photos - CLICK HERE

HACKER FIRST RACEWAY CAR


BALLSTON LAKE -  Lou Hacker of Nassau won the 20 – lap stock car feature at Raceway Park. George Gowey of Defreestville was second and Earl Madison, Ballston Spa, was third.  Heat winners were Paul Dwyer, Johnstown; Jack Roode, Scotia; and  Hacker.

          Yogi Bear, Schenectady, was first in a ten – lap windup for sedans. Heat winners were Lyle McNulty, Esperance; Don Willy, Schenectady; and Chuck Weatherwax, Schenectady.

          Mary Newkirk of Amsterdam won the powder puff test after a close race with Norma Roode.

          Kiwanis Day is slated today at Raceway Park with a card of nine events on tap. There also will be an exhibition of Class A modified Go – Karts. Proceeds will go the Mayfair – Burnt Hills Kiwanis Club for their underprivileged children’s fund.

 


Cavalcade of Racing Photo
Lou Hacker,
Nassau, NY

Courtesy of Russ Blake
George Gowie,
Defreestville, NY

Photo Source Unknown
Paul Dwyer,
Johnstown, NY
The sign on the car
says Ronnie Dwyer, but
it is supposedly Paul.
 

Dan Ody DVD 8mm Photo
Jack Roode,
Scotia, NY
 
Fonda Book Photo
Ed Feuz Collection

Drivers in this photo
from that article: Earl
Madison [far left - standing]
Jack Roode [Back row, 4th
from left], and Paul Dwyer
[Front row - far right]

Vogel Family Photo
Yogi Bear might be
Ken Shoemaker, who
was known to use that
pseudonym.
Albany, NY
 

STOCK CAR OFFICIALS PLAN ELECTION

Saturday, February 27, 1954 – The Troy Record, Troy, New York (page 17)

 

              The annual election of a new member to the board of directors of the Tri-City Racing Association will be held Monday at 7:30 a.m. at the Menands Grill, off Broadway, in that village.

              One new board member is elected annually by the members of Tri-City for a five-year term.  Stan Curtis of Troy, is the outgoing member having served his term of office.  The other members of the board are Arthur Stuarts, Jr., Jim Brush and Doug Garrison.

             A discussion of the coming racing season will follow the election and further plans will be made for the season’s opener at State Line Speedway on Sunday, April 17.

            Pico Raceway at Rutland, Vt., is the newest member of the tracks to be sanctioned by the association.  Racing will open there on Sunday afternoon early in June following the switch from Sunday to Saturday night racing at State Line.  The Menands oval is scheduled to open the latter part of April, weather permitting.

           An organizational meeting of all drivers and owners interested in racing at the Pico track will be held by Tri-City official sat the Fairmount Restaurant, in Rutland, Monday March 8, at 7:30 p.m.

          New memberships will be signed at the meeting and rule books containing all necessary information on the association’s requirements for drivers, owners and pit men will be passed out.  Carl Roupp and Bill Thompson, the new co-promoters of the track, will be in attendance at the meeting.  The entire board of directors of Tri-City will be on hand to answer all questions on the coming racing season at the track.

          Refreshments will be served at both the Menands and Rutland meetings.

 

 


Aldo Merusi Photo
Courtesy of Rutland Historical Society

Pico Raceway on opening day in 1951.

Courtesy of Ken Gypson
Ollie Palmer with
the Jim Brush -
sponsored 27 Jr.

Cox Photo
Doug Garrison,
with Art Stuarts
at left.

 

From Dan Ody's 8MM
Old Speedways DVD

Tri - City officials at work
at Stateline Speedway
.

Wayne Bettis' Burlington Free Press Racing Photos


Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Ron Barcomb's state
champion 1970 team
 works on the 09 Ford.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Racing engineer John Merrick [rt], the brains
behind Bobby Giroux's
early '70's super
seasons, talks with
Cabana and Barcomb.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Ron Barcomb's Torino
avoids a spinning George
Rettew, of Chicopee,
MA. Rettew was right
in with Charland's
Agawam bunch.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Ron Barcomb

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Allison drove the Barcomb
'63 Ford backup car.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Beaver Dragon stands
with brother, Bob by his
1973 entry - The County $
Chevelle [my first big
sign painting job].

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Beaver did his best
to my sign business
busy.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Don Bevins loops his
Cabana - built Chevelle in view of his car builder.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Bobby Giroux.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Giroux and Merrick's
prize-winning car.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Bob Dragon beats his brother by inches at
T Road in 1973. Beaver's
car shows the effects of
his scrape with Tiller, shown in the top row [far right].

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
A very young John Keefer,
known to my daughter
as Sarah Keefer's Dad.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Bobby Dragon

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
This is the year Dragon landed the Howard Bank from Giroux. I got to redo
that credit card on the
trunk once - it was fun !

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
1972, the year Giroux
had the Howard backing.
Maybe here he is warning
Dragon to stay away from it.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
The spoils.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
A career highlight
for any local driver.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Cabana was untouchable
in 1971.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Cabana after learning he
was the champ in 1971.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Oops, sorry Bob.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Oops,. sorry Bob II
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Cabana was not untouchable to Marvin the Mauler.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Cabana- around 1974.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Cabana leading Fadden
and Despault, during the
Desperate One's Mopar
era.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Cabana at Catamount.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Cabana and Squier.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
The Cabana - built 05A
of Don Bevins blows. This
car became Dubrul's 1,
Austin Dickerman's 57, and finally won 1973 Rookie Of the Year with Bob Ellis.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Jake Daigle bought
this Plymouth from
Orrill Martin and spent
a season being lapped.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
1969: Red Fisk took over
the Lackey 44 from Tom Curley and put it
on its roof - something
Tom would have done.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Charland and Marvin
take to the Catamount
infield in 1972 to
avoid Barcomb.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Charland takes off on one of his two trips up the
widowmaker in 1973.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Charland on his second jump in the season. He
was even less pleased
this time.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Chester T. Woods gives
Tiller a slight nudge
with his low budget
Plymouth.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Danny Bridges, who - along with Woods - was hope of the low budget racers.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Danny Bridges
celebrates his Milk
Bowl win.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Danny Bridges
celebrates his Milk
Bowl win.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Dave Dion, at the
height of his incredible
popularity, especially at
Thunder Road.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Dion and Cabana,
probably not exchanging
Christmas card
addresses.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
One - season wonder,
Fast Eddy Ruggieri.
Never saw him again
after one great year.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Oops ! 17 year - old
Richie Panch seems to
walling Stub Fadden.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Stub Fadden.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
A promo shot of
George Horne and
the famous 409 Chevy
 he had for a while.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
George Horne and Russ
Ingerson in Vic Lane.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Moe Dubois and his
sometimes team mate,
Gentle George LeClaire.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Moe Dubois, at the height of his career in late models.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Hector LeClaire and
his supporter, George
Goldring.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Hector,boucning off the
wall, a national sport
at Thunder Road.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Hector, taking out a
brand new Chevelle
at Catamount in April
of 1973.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Hector, signing
autographs on the
hood of that new
 Chevelle.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Jerry Driscoll came up"to Northern NASCAR from
Massachusetts in 1971.
In his 70's, he still excels
at the Mt. Washington
Hill Climb.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Popular Jimmy Gates is
one of the many good
Flying Tiger stars who
were forced out when
late model costs became
too high.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Little John Rosati
and his well - heeled Ford
team were an instant
hit with Vermont media.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
John Rosati was a
shoo - in for 1971
Rookie of the Year.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
I believe the Free
Press might have the
sequence reversed here.
Every photo of Larry
I ever found in the Free
Press involves him
crashing.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
This is the hard - to
- find shot of Lennie
Stockwell clearing
the ARMCO before
hitting that wall.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Lennie, with thatcar,
before the crash.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Lennie Stockwell and
Russell Ingerson in
a Flying Tiger wreck
around 1969.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
The same Stockwell and
 Ingerson Tiger wreck
with John Untied in he background.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Red Fisk, shown here with his Tiger, replaced Stockwell in the 00 Chevelle after
Stockwell broke his neck.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Red Fisk leading
Tom Tiller at T Road
around 1969.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Big LMS wreck.
The caption says it all.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Richie Panch wasn't much older than some of the
kids seeking his autograph.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Richie's sister would
have also been a media
darling in Vermont.



Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Richie's Mer-Chex
sponsorship was the
first time we heard of Tom
Curley since his days
as a driver.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Another Jerry Driscoll
pose.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Ron Bettis built his
own Chevelle in 1973
and won best appearing
car. Too bad he couldn 't
keep it right side up.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Not quite as good
looking after this.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Ron Bettis in 1972,
after he bought Cabana's
championship Chevelle.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Ronnie - when he had hair.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Big John Rosati and
one of their crewmen
look at the Ford,
concerned.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Little John Rosati
raising a little hell with
Boomer Cleveland, Chester T. Wood, and Cabana.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Little John Rosati
just after the shot
at left.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
The opening of Sanair's
infamous flat track.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
A typical huge
Thunder Road crowd.

Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Barcomb's famed Torino
chasing Cabana in 1971.
Ron kept the car for 2
full seasons.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
A mysterious car 38
helps wad up the field
at T Road. It is NOT a Bob
Ferreira car... no idea.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Bobby Giroux loses
a wheel around
1970.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Jim Roberts paces a
T Road field in 1970.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Russ Ingerson [51]
and Clem Despault
lose it at T Road.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Moe Dubois and
Tiger Stockewell by
the widowmaker.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Cigarette in hand,
Ken Squier conducts
a pit meeting with
John Untied.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
More LMS action.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Tom Tiller was one of
the first to nab major
sponsorship dollars.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
He certainly deserved
this.
     
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Howe, son of one of Bobby Allison's top mechanics, found out this wan't like
any track down there.
 
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis
Tiller, acting as
a racing ambassador.
     

 

RETURN TO THE MAIN PAGE
RETURN TO THE MAIN NEWS PAGE
RETURN TO THE ALL LINKS PAGE