Since stock car racing began, there had to be a way to get the jalopies to where they were being being raced. I know quite a few of the earliest racers simply drove their entries up the back roads [or sometimes not - so - back roads] to the track. A few cars were unceremoniously loaded into something like a farm truck. The transport of stock cars, now almost exclusively done in enclosed trailers and stacker haulers, went through phases like stiff hitch [flat towing], flat bed trucks, single axle trailers, double axle trailers, school buses, and finally slant bed haulers before getting to where we are now. I will try to show some of all of these phases - and maybe a few variations. Those  pickup truck with paint schemes matching the car seemed to double as stiff hitcher and trailer puller.

THE OL' STIFF HITCH

Lawrence Collection

Courtesy of Art LaBelle Fairmont Speedway driver Art LaBelle, formerly of Bethel, CT rolls out of a Rutland, VT neighborhood with the family convertible as his crewman keeps an eye on the coupe.	Courtesy of Danish Family Legendary Steve Danish started out with a stiff hitch and even a hired driver.	Ladabouche Photo Athol, NY owner Vern Baker stiff hitched feature winning Ed Baker's 6 PACK the same way he did when equally - successful Wally LaBelle drove it in the 1950's as the Super 6.	Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock The first Royce Tucker car, on trailer arrives from Vermont as Bob Bushey, holder of the track's all -time feature wins in a season record, walks by. his car is stiff hitched from almost the same place in Vermont.	Courtesy of Ed Feuz Collection Early car building legend Bob Whitbeck, of Canajoharie, NY flat towed his cars for a while. This one was run by Pete Corey.	Courtesy of Vogel Family Despite the fact that his then - partner. Loomis owned a trucking firm - Ted Vogel was, at first, flat towing from Granville, NY.
Ladabouche Photo George Proctor hitches out of Fairmont in 1963 after a surprise win. He seems to be faring better than Mac McDonald [50] with his trailer and matching pickup tow truck.	Ladabouche Photo Bob Pratt [left] hitches this Pontiac from Otter Creek Speedway in 1963. Once an Emo Langley GN car, the '59 behemoth was too heavy to run on the 1/2 mile dirt track.	Courtesy of Otto Graham When Midstate Speedway regular Al Sanders towed his former Bob Adams L8, he found out it wasn't in the car's best interests.	Ladabouche Photo John Maguire stiff hitched the F30 of Fairmont's "Unbeatable Lennie" Wood in 1965.	Brown Family Photo Walt Brfown, Jr., of NH could trailer his 409's. But he needed only to hitch it to Claremont Speedway - which was a stone's throw away.	Ernie Bodreau Photo Future HOF car owner Frank "Stroker" SMith tows his 111, in front of Henry Courtemanche's WIllys in the 1950's in New Hampshire.
Maynard Johnson Photo via Chas Hertica Legendary Steve Danish came up with the ultimate stiff hitch arrangement by the end of his career. The dolly kept the rear end from being turned all the  time but he didn't have to tow a trailer.	Dave Brunelle Photo Dave Brunelle hitches up his Coke yellow Flying Tiger to head to Catamount Stadium around 1966. It was even kept at he Coke plant in Burlington, VT.	Coonradt FamilyPhoto via Ron Coonradt Harry Coonradt hooks up a for 1950's local races. In the "Other" section, you will see Harry again.	Ladabouche Photo Fair Haven's car owner had as many as four different black and silver cars with some variation of #6, all at the same time. From around the block, he could hitch the mor even drive them to Fairmont.	Myers FamilyPhoto via Benny Myers Jr. Beech Ridge's lwo budget stalwart Benny Myers, Sr. would use a trailer later but started out flat towing like so many others.	Photo viaBob Barber The 3 1/7 Hudson of Al "Pop" Green, a technical engineer, started out being flat towed.

THE FLAT BED TRUCK 

Ladabouche Photo

Photo via Cho Lee A big flatbed trailer from Bellavance, a granite hauler out of Barre, VT unloads two cars at Catamount Stadium. That concrete loading platform is about all that's left of the track.	Vogel Family Photo Ted Vogel, Sr. used a flatbed to haul this particular car in the mid 1950's.	Bushey FamilyPhoto via Jack Anderson Rex Shattuck pushes Gordy Owen into the pits at Colchester Raceway around 1952.	Laduc Family Photo Barb Laduc smiles out from the cab of the converted farm flatbed they hauled their cars around for several years as Charlie tried different forms of racing. He always went back to Devil;s Bowl.	Paul Connors Photo Paul Connors didn't knowwhen he snapped this shot of Dave Brfoks at Stateline that he, himself, would end up in the Florida racing hall of fame and compete in the Grand Nationals.	Ladabouche Photo Northern NASCAR's shoestring - budgeted Ford star Danny Bridges used this flatbed hauler for years..
Harry Heath Collection Very early NH competitor Ray Sanborn from Andover used this cabover flatbed.	Ladabouche Photo Swashbuckling Shelburne, VT entrepeneur Black Jack Dubrul was a hero of mine when I was younger. Here's his flatbed hauler at Otter Creek Speeddway, Waltham, VT.	Ladabouche Photo John Narducci and driver Joe Tiezzi struggled all the way up to Otter Creek Speedway in northern Vermont from Connecticut  in this awful old flatbed only to not race. I don't know why they didn't run.	Ladabouche Photo Fairmont's 1966 sensation Graham Trudo had this early version of today's flatbed hauler.	Ladabouche Photo Jake Daigle unloads a Plymouth late model on Catamount's loading dock around 1973.	Visconti Family Photo via Mike Visconti Granville, NYer Art Visconti with the '40 Ford he ran atop the flatbed he used for a while around 1964.
Courtesy of Ken Robertson Before running with Frank Smith, NEAR HOFer Sonny Rabideau ran a family car, off this flatbed. This is Keene, NH around mid '50's.	Photo From The Outside Groove Website Milt Wright, one of the most loyal supporters of Tom Curleys's tours, started out with this flatbed and a Huricane car.	Ladabouche Photo Mack Miller, longtime Airborne driver, gave the Northern NASCAR circuit a try.	Ladabouche Photo Marty Warner, another Granville, NYer with a flatbed had a short but very popular stint at Fairmont around 1964.	Ladabouche Photo Fairmont received an unknown visitor around 1963. I never did figure out who this was. They didn't run.	Courtesy of Cho Lee An unidentified Chevelle off loading at Catamount. around 1974.

MATCHING PULL TRUCKS

Probably Courtesy of Richard Chartrand

Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock This Pete Corey hauler matched the car. It could have also been in the flatbed section.	Jeff Martel Photo Rene Charland, in the midst of his championship years.	Connie Stevens Sanders Photo Bill Stevens, West Sand Lake, NY. They were red and black.	Joe Grossettie Photo Martin Riiska's truck qualified as matching until he went to a school bus.   From A. Ainsworth	Hoffer Family Photo via Ron Hoffer Bob Hoffer's Argyle Racing Team truck. Ladabouche Photo	John Grady Photo Bob Mott's pickup matched his Pete Corey - driven coupe.
	Joe Cryan Photo Henry Caputo's haul vehicles always matched the cars.	Danish Family Photo Earlier in his career, Steve Danish often used matching tow vehicles.

SINGLE AXLE TRAILERS 

Courtesy of Phil Butler

LadaboucheCollection Jeep Herbert and Bob Mott's 3 were one of the first cars I can recall seeing, back in 1952 at Pico Raceway.	Ladabouche Collection One of Buddy Bardwell's earlier cars, at Keene, NH.	Ladabouche Photo Hank LeClaire, entering Fonda around 1963.	Vogel Family Photo via Ted Vogel, Jr. George Ingalls and Cecil Bosworth came up with this newly - purchased coupe for Devil's Bowl in 1967.	Ladabouche Collection Local driver Rudy Charbonneau used this coupe to win the 1964 Vt State Championship at Fairmont.	Ladabouche Photo Da Champ decided to try the Northern NASCAR late model toour in 1972. [Not with much success].
Walter Mateer Photo via Joe Grossetti and Chas Hertica An early Karl Hauessel car.	Ladabouche Photo Bob Zimmerman's car 72, Pepper Eastman, driver.	Ladabouche Photo Ed Winn's second car, Frank Hatch's M2.	Ladabouche Photo Chet Doaner's second car.	Rick Parry Photo The beautiful '54 Chevy of Joe Johnson.	Walter Mateer Photo via Joe Grossetti and Chas Hertica Neal Dunston, Voorheesville, NY
Woody Woodbury Photo Butch Jelley at Fairmont with his own Y car.	Denzil Rice Photo An unknown car, early in the history of Bear Ridge Speedway, Bradford, VT.	Dundon Family Photo via Mike Dundon Gael Dundon - owned car for Vince Quenneville, Sr.  1966 version.	Chas Hertica Photo Clyde Smith's VS Falcon in Port Ewen, NY	Chas Hertica Photo 43 of Jim Horton, Sr. for Mike Grbac.	Ladabouche Photo Ken Canestrari, Cohoes, NY

DUAL AXLE TRAILERS
[The more popular choice by six to one]

Ladabouche Photo

Ladabouche Photo An early Ray Sitterly car entering Fonda in 1963.	Ladabouche Photo Guy Chartrand arrives at Fonda all the way from Montreal only to find it has rained out.	Ladabouche Photo Bill Fowler shows up at Fonda with Ollie Palmer's 27Jr.. Looks like another Fonda rainout is nigh.	Ladabouche Photo Lou Smith,  Munnsville, NY	Ladabouche Collection One of Canada's cars which never used a number.	Rsce Songs Photo Lucky Jordan's famous deuce, renumbered for some reason.
Joe Grossetti Photo Martin Riiska's famed X when Doug Garrison was driving.	Otto Graham Photo NJ / PA circuit driver Tommy Sheetz.	Jeff Ackerman Photo "Whip"Mulligan, Whippany, NJ Barney 14	Ladabouche Collection Early car for legendary NY car owner Frank Trinkhaus.	Walter Mateer Photo via Joe Grossetti and Chas Hertica Possibly John Ody.	Chas Hertica Photo Bernie Darling's 70 coach in Port Ewen, NY.
Ayotte Family Photo Roger Guillemette, Quebec dirt car.	Robert Clock Photo Sal Mauro, another NJ/PA car.	Leb. Valley Classicsn Photo Barry Tripp	Midstate Club Photo Bob Wing at  Midstate Speedway with a former Bill Wimble car.	Source Unknown The actual Wimble car after what might have been the career - ending crash.	Midstate Club Photo Maple Grove Speedway, Waterloo, NY driver Chuck Stillwell.

SCHOOL BUSES

 
Ladabouche Photo

Wayne Mohr Photo Courtesy of Mike Shaub via Chas Hertica Winsted, CT owner Martin Riiska wasone of the first to use a school bus hauler.	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Part of Bob Dragon's brain trust, outside his hauler around 1978.	Dragon Family Photo Beaver Dragon's first bus, which came before the one above.	Forumauto.com Thisshot really shows a good bus hauler.	JustaCarGuy.Com Even the Brits got in on the school bus hauler craze.	PicStopin.COm Two black buses and one black street stock..
Pascal Cote Photo Well - sponsored Langis Caron, of Quebec City, was the only Canadian to use a school bus. Like Barcomb's, the rack was on the back, outside.	Johnny Racer Photo When Dave Dion and his brothers hauled a Grand National Ford down South in this old bus, the GN establishment laughed. When he outqualified most of them, they shut up.	Ladabouche Photo Ronnie Barcomb surveys the Catamount pits from the ramp off the back of his school bus hauler. Stub Fadden's bus is at left.	Ladabouche Photo Harry Rathburn used this bus to haul two, almost identical Grand American Camaros on his team.	Claudy Lessard Photo Brad Kennedy's bus is seen in the background.	TheGentlemanRacer.COm A Torino getting a ride.

THE STANDARD HAULER 

Ladabouche Photo

Courtesy of Lew Boyd Sharkey Gaudiosi had one of the more typical haulers of the day. This one has the flatter bed.	Vogel Family Photo via Ted, Jr. Future car builder extraordinaire, Dexter Dorr started out with what is essentially a flatbed.	Paul Michaud Photo An earlier hauler for Canadian great Jean - Paul Cabana..	Ladabouche Photo Caban's later J.E. Fortin - supported hauler with a tandem trailer in tow..	Mike Parenteau Photo Russ Betz had the standard flatbed hauler setup.	Otto Graham Photo Collection Ed Pieniazek shows up at the Valley with two Pintos on what looks a lot like Corey's hauler.
Ladabouche Photo Bob Brunell's flat bed hauler, from Peru, NY.	Alexander Family Photo Alex Alexander's hauler after wife, Linda ran somewhere on the dirt with the Granada.	Dragon Family Photo Quint Boisvert's slant bed hauler was fairly state of the art for years.	Ladabouche Photo Stub Fadden's Northern NASCAR slantbed, from No. Haverhill, NH.	Ladabouche Photo Fast Eddy Ruggieri's Northern NASCAR slantbed, from Springfield, MA.	Ladabouche Photo Jack Anderson's hauler out of Burlington, VT.
Russ Dodge. Photo Wall Stadium's Don Stumpf had a hauler of this type before very many others did.	Hot Rod Craft.Com Upstate NY's Grand National independent Dick May's hauler.	Marty Kelly, Jr. Photo Devil's Bowl's unpredictable Bucky Dragon.	Manny Family Photo via Marco Manny A well -traveled slant bed hauler for Andre Manny prior to his Northern NASCAR days.	Marty Kelly, Jr. Photo The first hauler of flamboyant VT owner Ausitin Dickerman.	Dick Sconnernmaker Photo Danny Mitchell came prepared for any eventuality at Nazareth.
Dick Schoonmaker Photo The hauler and two cars from the NJ team of Joe Kelly.	Randy Ayers Modeling Forum Well - heeled PA modified driver Tighe Scott.	Ayotte Family Photo Quebecer Guy LeClerc's rather rudimentary hauler.	Wayne Dempster Photo An earlier hauler for Marvelous Merv Treichler.	Cho Lee Photo Lennie Stockwell's unique hauler The Munstermobile..	Jalopy Journal Photo An early Benny Parsons hauler..

OTHER

Mercury Racing.Com

Courtesy of Andy Boright Canadian Claude Aubin used this construction trailer as one of his haulers.	Photo From The Catamount History Program of 1986 Red Mead used to bring  this Hurricane car to Catamount in 1970 hooked to a garbage truck.	Ladabouche Photo Roger Dutton came out of Keene, NH to Fairmont in a dump truck.	Ladabouche Photo Tom Bennett came down to Fairmont from the Warrensburgh, NY area - also in a dump truck.	Ladabouche Photo Carl Moore used the same mode a year or so later.	Lew Boyd Photo Collection Gino Spada's hearse could go here or under Matching Pull Trucks.
	Cho Lee Photo Joey LaQuerre once brought so many cars to Catamount he needed a salvage yard hauler.	Fred DeCarr Collection via Midstate Club It may be another trailer but not everybody towed with a Cadillac like Dave McCredy.	Davis Family Photo Lefty Casey came in on the wrecker every week. Ladabouche Photo	Source Unknown Hebron, Maine's Alan Wilson has been known to take a race car to Oxford Palins Speedway on a log truck and unload it with that log hoist.

Return to the Main Page
Return to the Main News Page
Return to the All Links Page