THE NORM CYR CARS

      For many years of my following stock car racing, I was relegated to watching the whole thing from the grandstands. Too young ! Then, when I was old enough to be on a team, I had no useable skills to offer anyone; so I remained on the sidelines. I did get pretty fair woith a paintbrush, albeit before my years of professional lettering. My friend Lloyd Gilbert brought me up to Norm Cyr's place to view his new Thunderbird hurricane division car as it was readied for Catamount's new support class around 1971.

     The car was painted solid bright yellow. Lloyd introduced me and told Norm I coould put some decent numbers on the car. I explained that the ponly numbers I was nuch good at were 2 and 7; so, the car became #27. The boys would let me join the team and "help out" at the races. This was laughable as I knew absolutely nothing about cars. Hell, I'm still a klutz. Not long ago, I nearly killed the legendary Gary Balough trying to help him jackl up a modified. Being quite clastrophobic, Gary was c=glad to have me around but never let me near anything that resembled a tool after that.

Anyway, when I saw what a wonderful job Norm had done with a tribute car to his father, Lee [and the first race car he was involved in, himself], I told him I would get a page together for him... and here we are.

 

THE TRIBUTE CAR

     This car is said to be  Lee Cyr's car, the racer that launched a long involvement in racing for the Cyr family. Lee had veteran Rex Shattuck driving the car, apparently at Thunder Road primarily. After that, Norm always stuck to the theme around the number 9 [or sometimes 6 if he couldn't get 9]. The only exception is the #27 done by the klutzy school teacher.


Ladabouche Photo
Robbie Crouch checks
out the Cyr car.
Ladabouche Photo
The recently - finished
'34 coupe.
Ladabouche Photo
The trunk gives proof
this was Lee Cyr's car.
Ladabouche Photo
The recently - finished
'34 coupe.
Ladabouche Photo
The recently - finished
'34 coupe.
Ladabouche Photo
Robbie Crouch chats
Norm about the Cyr car.

Cyr Family Photo
This 1960's  shot
shows Lee with Norm
[right] and an unknown,
crewman.
Cyr Family Photo
This 1960's  shot
shows Lee with driver,
Rex Shattuck.
Cyr Family Photo
This 1960's trunk view
shows how close Norm
got the car to authentic.
Cyr Family Photo
This 1960's  shot
shows Lee with the car.
Cyr Family Photo
This 1960's  shot
shows Lee with driver,
Rex Shattuck.
Cyr Family Photo
The car , when
first brought home.
I need help with
whose car it was.
   
Courtesy of Steve McKnight
A shot of Norm in
action at T Road.
Courtesy of Steve McKnight
Another shot of Norm in
action at T Road.		    

OTHER CYR CARS

     Norm has built a number of cars, in different eras of racing, since  Lee Cyr's car. He had other flathead coupes, as well as the aforementioned T Bird, a NASCAR late model sportsman, and cars for his sons.


Ladabouche Photo
One of the Cyr cars
at Fairmont Speedway
in 1963. Bucky Dragon was
the driver.
Ladabouche Photo
The same 1940 Ford
 coupe at Fairmont a
few months later. That's
Bucky and Sandra.
Courtesy of Ed Fabian
The Devil's Bowl car,
around 1965, before Norm
sold it for Beaver Dragon
to sue at Catamount.
Cyr Family Photo
Norm, driving Steve
Turner's Chevy hits
John Bilodeau in
Catamount's Flying
Tiger class around 1966.
Cyr Family Photo
Norm, with his
own Tiger in the
later 1960's.		  
Cyr Family Photo
Jean-Paul Cyrand Greg
Gilbert with that 98
after a less than
successful race at
Catamount. [See below]
 
Courtesy of Steve McKnight
A shot of the Catamount
pits in 1969 with Norm's
car in the middle. [Boy,
Norm, that thing looks
shortened].
Cyr Family Photo
The infamous T Bird,
before they did away with
the idea of racing with the headlights and no track
lighting. 
  
Courtesy of Cho Lee
A very familiar sight
at Catamount in 1970 or 71
as Norm and the T Bird,
won almost every race.		  
Courtesy of Chris Companion
A very familiar disastrous
night at Catamount in 1973 when Norm built a  powerful Chevelle that didn't handle for crap.		  
Courtesy of LaFond Family
Check the background
and see Norm, Louise,
Jean-Paul and Ricky [RPM]
Paya, at Devil's Bowl, as
JP was beginning a career.		  
Cyr Family Photo
Greg and Jean-Paul
early in JPC's career
in ACT.
 
Gilbert Family Photo
The Gilbert family
real estate business
would sponsor the
Cyr family late model. 		          

OFFSHOOTS OF CYR CARS

     Norm has built a number of cars, in different eras of racing, since  Lee Cyr's car. He had other flathead coupes, as well as the aforementioned T Bird, a NASCAR late model sportsman, and cars for his sons. Many of these cars went on to rich and full lives after he sold them.


Dragon Family Photo
Beaver Dragon [no
relation to Bucky]
bought the snub - nosed
D Bowl car for Catamount.
Dragon Family Photo
This shot sort of
confirms that Beaver's,
sportsman coupe did,
in fact, come from Norm.
Dragon Family Photo
Ernie Preiss, Beaver,
and Johnny Bourgeois
pose after the big
upset win in 1966.
Ladabouche Photo
TDon Turner bought
the Thunderbird for
use by radio host Ernie
Farrar around 1972.
Courtesy of Phil Butler
Look carefully in the
background and you'll
see the T Bird, when John
Lewis was running it.		  
Courtesy of Chris Companion
No one bought this
one. I don't understand
their attitudes.


Steve McKnight Photo
Norm makes a point with Vermont racing commissioners Tuffy Champney [left] and Beaver Dragon at Thunder Road.


Courtesy of George Hill
Another Norm Cyr fielded this car in New Hampshire for driver Jim Fifield.

 

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