PICO  RACEWAY

Rutland, Vermont

Courtesy of  Dan Kearney
This is the only known poster from Pico Raceway. Dan Kearney generously allowed us to photograph it.

COMPETITOR PHOTOS LINK

Courtesy of Ted Vogel

We now know this to Pico's opening day, 1951. Ted Vogel is 2nd from left; Jack Barney is 4th from right, and Dave Brooks is
just coming into the photo at right.

I HAVE SEEN A BRIEF FILM CLIP FROM THIS OPENING DAY. CLICK HERE TO GO TO A PAGE ON THAT.

           Supposedly a shot of Pico Raceway action with unrecognizable cars, this shot donated by publisher Lew Boyd shows a very dusty track, with the bleacher area set above it. Concessions would have been behind the bleachers, as would the parking. Note that some cars parked on a hill above the track. To the right, out of sight of this shot would be the Rutland Railroad tracks that bordered the property. The judges' stand in the apparently-muddy infield is a very small and simple structure. A small child at the time, I can remember wondering what happened to those tires that had been sunk to border the racing surface. A recent microfilm of a sports page from the Rutland Herald has verified that this is - in fact - the Pico track [first year before the cement wall].

Rutland Herald - Aldo Merusi - Courtesy of John Nelson

This is the microfilmed Rutland Herald  photo, found by John Nelson and taken by perhaps the Herald's most famous photographer, Aldo Merusi. Note the sand bank and the wooden stairs. This is apparently the first race of the first program at Pico. Below is a clearer shot, added on October 11, 2007.

Rutland Herald - Aldo Merusi - Courtesy of Rutland Historical Society

Same scene, view further back. We need help with who these cars are. The outside pole is a #79, with dice on the sides.
Likely, the inside car in the second row is the #47 I have yet to identify. This is apparently the car of Paul Whittamore,
from Rutland; but he may not have been the driver.

                    Pico Raceway was built to the south of Rutland in 1951 by a partnership of Pasquale "Patsy" Romano, father of the Romano brothers, who owned a successful local trucking outfit, local farmer Abe Newman, and Rutland County Sheriff, Gino Franzoni. One of the Romano brothers, Al, also was a successful driver at the track. The track ran around 1951 to 1952, having to share the somewhat limited number of competitors in the area with the old Fairmont Park Motor Speedway of Hugh Young, over in nearby Fair Haven, Vermont.

                        After that, it appears that unpaid bills forced the closing of the track. This is unfortunate because of its high quality infrastructure and seating. Other groups signed up to run races in 1953 and 1954; but, they never got them off the ground. One pair even aligned with the Tri State sanctioning body before failing [for whatever reason] to get one show off the ground.

Rutland Herald - Aldo Merusi - Courtesy of Rutland Historical Society

Another field from opening day takes off in front of the stands which, in year one, did not have the protection of the cement wall yet.
The middle car apparently won the heat. It is also possible that this is the same race as the photo above and the #15 [which mightb e
Wally LaBelle of West Gelns Falls, NY] was the car that started outside pole.

            I was not very old when Pico existed, but I can remember Al Romano's 303 car, nicknamed the Bumblebee because of the distinctive noise the exhaust pipes made. "Three oh three, the Bumble Bee !", the track announcer, Red Wildey, would dutifully intone every time he mentioned his boss's car.

           I also now that the track featured such prominent drivers as Steve Danish, from Cropseyville, NY.; Jeep Herbert, from Schenectady, NY.; Dave Brooks, from Manchester, VT.; Gene Tetreault, of Manchester Depot, VT.; New Yorker Spence Parkhurst; George Janoski, Stafford Springs, CT.; and Jollie Ollie Palmer, of Westmere, NY.

           The track also had its less - prominent locals such as Fair Haven's Vic Love, Proctor, Vermont's "Steady Tony" Provencher, Pittsford, Vermont's Henry LaVictoire-"The Crazy Frenchman", Cavendish's Carroll "Crash" Davis, Jerry King, and many more. Keene, New Hampshire's legendary Buddy Bardwell assures me he ran at Pico.

Rutland Herald - Courtesy of John Nelson

This Rutland Herald article on opening day at Pico lists a few drivers and other details; but, the most interesting data is about how many children were apparently admitted. From what I can tell most were unsupervised and caused problems - because the next Herald had the ad below:

            I can remember a later year when they opened the track, they once had such a bout with mud that not only did a car get stuck in the infield, but so did at least one wrecker hitched to that car. Multi-decade racing veteran Clarence "Butch" Jelley speaks of the sandbanks that the Romanos put along the track, supposedly to catch errant cars before they strayed too far off the track. He wasn't too crazy about them. I wonder now, with the recently - acquired photo at the top of the page, if he wasn't recalling that sand bank one would have to scale to get to the bleachers.
           Pico was always making a big deal out of its seating capacity, as can be seen by the following three Rutland Herald ads in which the capacity continues to climb. Some of this might be explained when - after the big cement wall went up - the bleachers were improved.

Rutland Herald ads - Courtesy of John Nelson

           I vaguely recall the fans' parking lot behind the grandstands and a few concession buildings of one sort or another behind the grandstands, as well. I remember a couple of those cheap little plastic stock cars bought for me as souvenirs - sure wish I had them now. I didn't care about driving, but I wanted to be a flagger like Chet Hames.

Ladabouche Photo
These typical 1950's souvenir stock car toys were purchased in an antique shop in Rutland, and may well have come from
Pico Raceway. I wonder if the one that is changed to #A48 has some local significance.

Bill Ladabouche Photo

Pico's Guardian Angel, Ed Fabian, stands in the middle of the Turn Three banking, trying to get a feel for the track he helped to grade in 1952.

Les King Photo Courtesy of Norm Vadnais

Art Morgan [43], Steve Danish [white car], and two others fly past the same
spot at where Ed is standing - except it was 1952. We know #25 is local
driver Don Hier, and we thing 47 belonged to Paul Whittamore, Rutland.

          
Courtesy of  Rutland Historical Society
Photos by Aldo Merusi
This blurry shot [my fault] is of construction at the track. One of the Fabian dump trucks is coming onto the track from the right of the grandstands.
I can't imagine what the wide flat sheet on the bleachers was. I hope to have a better quality shot of this later.

            I believe the track closed by 1953. But now I have been receiving information that it might have continued on under the name Green Mountain Speedway until 1955. My family went up to the track and drove around its neglected, wash-boarded surface about a year later, but it never opened again. Eventually, GE built a huge plant on the property and I can find no trace of the track any more. Being a defense contractor and all, they are not too crazy about having people snoop around the periphery of their grounds. Actually, the plant itself is probably larger than the track was...so there are few traces left to find. After walking the periphery of the GE property with Ed Fabian, the Guardian Angel of Pico Raceway, we found what we think is the back stretch and part of turn three.

 
Bill Ladabouche Photo

This view, down the old backstretch, shows the beginning of the Turn Three banking. Note the trees.
They are very similar to the trees behind Al Romano in his 1952 action shot above.

 
Bill Ladabouche Photo

This full view of the old backstretch, shows the beginning of the Turn Three banking and the banking that even the stretch had..

    Sadly, the Romano family recently disposed of all their records and papers on the track before I could contact them. There is very little left of the history of Pico now. If the above picture is to be believed as being Pico, it is the only picture I have. It would appear that the track was down in a sort of depression, with the stands above on a sandy bank.

Special thanks to Ed Fabian for some of the information in this informal history.

Rutland Herald - Ad - Courtesy of John Nelson

  
Terraserver Satellite Photo 

This is a Terraserver Satellite photo of the General Electric plant whose grounds have obliterated all traces of Pico Raceway. The track would have sat approximately from that white rectangle on the roof to road moving at a slight angle the left center towards the middle bottom of the photo. The bleachers nearly backed up to the road that curves around the property at the top of the photo. There is a better aerial below that shows the track's remnants.

Ladabouche Photo
The General Electric plant, as it looked in 1977, when I first re-visited the site.

    
Cavalcade of Auto Racing Photo

Rutland's Al Romano, shown here tuning a race car at Fairmont in 1964, was not only the owner of Pico, but also a prominent driver there. He drove the car #303, nicknamed "The Bumblebee" due to its distinctive header noise.

    
Photographer probably RussBergh
 
 

Pico fans were fortunate to have one of the popular and colorful flaggers in all of racing - Chet Hames, of Saratoga Springs, New York [shown here at Fonda].

POSSIBLE PICO COMPETITORS

Courtesy of Ed Fabian Al Romano, posing somewhere. We are now sure this is at Pico. Note the cement retaining wall.	Courtesy of Ed Fabian Al Romano, putting the Bumblebee through its paces through turns 3 and 4 at Pico.	Gokey Gauthier Photo Courtesy of Corey Kennedy The Romano team car at Pico, with Big Bill Anderson. A very rare photo.
Courtesy of Bud Brooks What I believe to be a third Romano team car, stopped by an accident by turn three.	Courtesy of Bud Brooks Al Romano, lined up on the track in 1952. This shot gives a good view of the announcer's tower.

Bob McDowell Photo, right   Jolly Ollie Palmer Westmere, NY This car absolutely ran at Pico. It's one of the few I can remember distinctly.	Both Photos Courtesy of Of Bud Brooks Gene Tetrault, Manchester Depot, VT	Otto Graham Website Photo Howard "Jeep" Herbert, Rotterdam, NY This car absolutely ran at Pico. It's one of the few I can remember distinctly.
Bob McDowell Portrait  Courtesy of Phil Miller Steve Danish, Crospeyville, NY Courtesy of John Danish This is an earlier Danish Chevy. It was not at Pico in this shot.	Photo Courtesy of John Danish Steve Danish relaxes after a race - either at Pico or at Fairmont Park. John Danish wasn't quite sure which. That is Mrs. Danish at right.   Courtesy of John Danish Steve in the 61 Jr., sometimes driven by brother, Al Danish who is seen here to the right of Steve by the door.	Bill Ladabouche Photo George Rogers, Castleton, VT Rogers was a regular at the rival Fairmont track, but he did run at Pico occasionally.
Buddy Bardwell Collection Photo  Buddy Bardwell,  Keene, NH Date on the photo is right around the time Pico was opening.	Ladabouche Collection Photo Mike Cody,  Keene, NH	Photo Courtesy of  Gary Nephew Dick Nephew,  Mooers Forks, NY With car owner George Palmetier
Otto Graham Photos More likely than not, the great Hully Bunn  ran at Pico at least once or twice.	Pete Corey Jr Collection  Photo          Pete Corey, Crescent, NY Art Spoar's 95 Courtesy of Mike Gray  Another possible Corey ride at Pico, The Bob Whitbeck 7	Photo Courtesy of  Biting Collection Spence Parkhurst [#36] Saratoga Springs, NY McDowell Photo Courtesy of  C.J. Richards
Vintage Modifieds.com Photo Don Rounds Warwick, Rhode Island  He ran in this area during the 1950's. This shot is at Stateline, in Bennington.	Courtesy of Neal Davis  Ted Brown, Keene, NH	COurtesy of Cho Lee  Rene Charland, Holyoke, MA The Leo Matte 107, with which he won his first feature - at Brattleboro Speedway.
Courtesy of Ron Hoffer George Pritchard, Castleton, VT	King Family Collection Jerry King, Rutland, VT From dan Ody's 8MM Old Speedways DVD's An earlier King Car [maybe]       King's 5 Aces was a regular at Pico. CLICK HERE for a page on Jerry	Courtesy of Mark LeFrancois Vic Love, Fair Haven, VT       Love drove primarily at the hometown Fairmont track, but he made the occasional appearance in Rutland.
Bill Ladabouche Phot Art Rousseau, Keene, NH	Courtesy of Ed Gould via George Hill Pop Goodwin, West Lebanon, NH Courtesy of Neal and Rob Davis As Claremont champion	From aimhmga.communitywebsohotscom Cecil Bosworth, Athol, Mass.
Bob McDowell Photo Nelson Moore, Fort Edward, NY The Loomis Brothers P38, Granville, NY	Frank Simek Photo George Janoski, Stafford Springs, CT	Fonda Promo Photo Walt Roberts, Albany, NY
Les King Photo Link Pettit New York	Courtesy of Jerry King Art Morgan Rutland, VT Courtesy of Norm Vadnais	Courtesy of Norm Vadnais Henry LaVictorie, Pittsford, VT The Four Crazy Frenchmen were LaVictorie, Eli Vadnais, Homer Vadnais, and Ray Pomainville Courtesy of Norm Vadnais The second car - a five window coupe. That's David and Norm Vadnais on the trunk.
Courtesy of Bud Brooks Dave Brooks, Manchester, VT	King Photo Courtesy of  Provencher Family Steady Tony Provencher, Proctor, VT Courtesy of  Mark LeFrancois For more pictures CLICK HERE	McDowell Photo Courtesy of  C.J. Richards Charlie Morse, North Adams, MA The Ed Winn 467, No. Adams, MA
King Collection John DeGraff, Address Unknown Courtesy of  Rutland Historical Society Photo by Aldo Merusi John DeGraff, checking on another driver who's wrecked.	King Collection George Connors, Danby, VT The 6 7/8 behind Johnny DeGraff's 13.	Herbert Family Collection Jack Barney, Saratoga Springs, NY King Collection
Courtesy of Joe Staiger Thurlow Woodcock, Saratoga Springs, NY He likely drove some other car in the first Pico program, at which he won the first heat.	Courtesy of Joe Staiger Pico drivers Thurlow Woodcock [right] and Jack Barney [center] of Saratoga Springs, NY with mechanic Kenny Woodcock. The group was part of the founding group of Wilton, NY's McGregor Speedway, as well.	Courtesy of Joe Staiger Key figures at Pico: Chet Hames [right] who would be Pico's starter and Harold Kyer [P61] an early driver there. Frank Staiger [left] was also to flag but gladly handed it all over to Hames after getting hit in one of the heats. These men were also part of the founding group of Wilton, NY's McGregor Speedway.
Courtesy of Dan Ody's 8MM Old Speedways DVD's Al Parry, Saratoga Springs, NY	Courtesy of Ernie Bodreau Lloyd Severance, West Bridgewater, VT Not sure, but he is old enough and lived close enough to be a real possibility.	Courtesy of Dan Ody's 8MM Old Speedways DVD's Leon Goddard, Granby, CT
Courtesy of Linda Farnsworth Hedelund Twin brothers Myron "Rollover Ronnie" Farnsworth [right] and Ira check out Ronnie's handiwork on one of their 13'a. Along with Jack Peterson, they raced Pico at least once.	Courtesy of Ken Gypson Ted Langlois, Connecticut	Courtesy of J. Peterson Collection Jackie "Speed" Peterson, South Burlington, VT A VT State Champion around 1950. Courtesy of Bud Brooks
Courtesy of Neal Davis Sonny Rabieau, Brattleboro, VT	Courtesy of VOgel Family Ken Shoemaker, Whitehall, NY The Loomis/Vogel car.

        
Ladabouche Photo                                       Davis Family Photo
This model of the car Carroll "Crash" Davis, from Cavensdish drove at Pico is very  close the real
 thing, according to his sons, historians Neal and Rob Davis.

Bill Ladabouche Photo

A piece of discarded metal ? Ed and I prefer to think this is something like a piece off Steve Danish's car. It sits in the woods on the former Pico site.

EXTRA TONY PROVENCHERS PHOTOS

Courtesy of Deborah Danforth Tony examines the car after an apparent rollover. It's a Pico regular but the wreck was at Fairmont Park Motor Speedway.

Courtesy of Deborah Danforth The car on its wheels and back home.

TED VOGEL, SR.  PHOTOS

Courtesy of Ted Vogel Family The majority of the Vogel family Poses by dad's car in the infield/pits at Pico around 1951.	Courtesy of Ted Vogel Family Les King Photo A win at Pico.	Courtesy of Ted Vogel Family The first Vogel car on its trailer.
	Courtesy of Ted Vogel Family Les King Photo A young Ken Shoemaker, with a Vogel car, at Pico around 1951.

Courtesy of Mark LeFrancois
The Loomis Brothers' P.38, driven by Nelson Moore, probably ran at Pico.

BUD BROOKS 8MM MOVIE STILL FRAMES
[Son of Pico Competitor Dave Brooks, Manchester, VT]

Al Romano's 303 in a feature lineup.	Ed Winn's 467, Charlie Morse, Driver.	Al Danish, 61 Jr.	One of the Dave Brooks car when brand new.	Fellow Manchester dirver Gene Tetreault, with the 91..	Northern Vermont star Jackie Peterson [V1] tried Pico out at least once.
Unknown Car 39 in a Pico feature lineup.	The Brooks family camera caught the other Romano car - 111 stopping to check on the Johnny DeGraff crash.	Good shot of the Pico judges' stand, behind a feature lineup. 15 may well be Wally LaBelle.	Pico infield pit shot #1.	Pico infield pit shot #2.	Pico infield pit shot #3.
Pico infield pit shot #4.	Pico infield pit shot #5.	Spence Parkhurst 36 behind Romano.	Walt Roberts [9] in front of Steve or Al Danish.	Pico crews check out the DeGraff crash, in front of dozens of free onlookers standing on RR tracks just off the property.

PICO LAYOUT  PHOTOS

Courtesy of  Jerry King This is the best shot of Pico I have - a race getting lined up. I think we see [from left] 5 Aces Jerry King, Rutland; unknown #6;  6 7/8 George Connors, Danby;  13,Johnny DeGraff, Rutland, VT; unknown; and 43, Art Morgan.	Courtesy of  Jerry King The Pico. heat race rolls off into turn one. You get a good look at Turn One and the grandstands.
Courtesy of  Jerry King Another race getting lined up. Jerry King is in the  back, next to whom I believe is Carroll "Crash" Davis of Cavendish, VT. I don't know the other cars yet. 15 might be Wally LaBelle of Glens Falls, NY.	Courtesy of  Jerry King An infield pit area confab with some of the regulars: [left] Keith Napp, mechanic for the #43; Art Morgan, with the belt, driver of the 43; Don LaFrancis, partner of Jerry King with the 5 Aces; King; and an unknown man.
Courtesy of  Jerry King The muddiness of the track [when it wasn't dusty] is evident as Jerry King works on his windshield with partner, Don LaFrancis [hat] looking on.	Courtesy of  Jerry King The grandstands are easily visible as Jerry King leads a field of cars out of Turn Four. The track in this photo at far right is still somewhat visible on the site today. One can see the railroad tracks, on which many people stood to avoid paying admission.
Courtesy of  Jerry King The turns three and four are seen well here as a good-sized field slides through. The people on the tracks are clearly recognizable as are a few of the cars. Third from right is 43, Art Morgan; fourth from right, is 61, Steve Danish [or maybe 61, Jr. Al Danish; and possibly second from right is the 9 of Walt Roberts. The car leading appears to be the #6 also seen in the first photo and also seen in a Stateline Speedway photo racing Jeep Herbert.	Courtesy of  Jerry King Jerry King earns a muddy victory at Pico. Note the famous wall in the background. After the race Jerry enjoyed a beer in the pits among his fans.
Courtesy of  Jerry King Jerry King's car is looked over by spectators dressed in varying degrees of formality.	Courtesy of  Jerry King The crowd rises in anticipation of Jerry King's 5 Aces leading the field down the frontstretch.
Courtesy of  Jerry King Jerry King, at speed, in Turn Three. To compare this location, I am also showing Al Roman in a similar shot, in a similar spot on the track. Courtesy of  Ed Fabian	Courtesy of  Jerry King Jerry King, at the Tydol station of his partner and friend, Don LaFrancis. The station was located across from the fairgrounds and the Fairmont Restaurant, on the corner Park Street and  South Main Street.
Courtesy of  Jerry King Jerry King and some of his family greet fans  after a race at Pico Raceway.	Courtesy of  Rutland Historical Society Photo by Aldo Merusi A small field of cars goes by the filled grandstands at Pico. We need help with cars and drivers. The 80 is eventual feature winner Roy "Pappy" Forsyth. The 01 is seen a lot. Need help with the name. The 47 is Paul Whittamore's car [driver ??} .
Courtesy of  Rutland Historical Society Photo by Aldo Merusi Chet Hames flags off a heat on opening day. We need help with cars and drivers. The 47 is Paul Whittamore's car [driver ??} and the 1 is Leon Godard, Granby, CT.	Courtesy of  Rutland Historical Society Photo by Aldo Merusi #79, with dice on the dice on the sides, negotiates the front stretch. We need help with cars and drivers.
Courtesy of  Rutland Historical Society Photo by Aldo Merusi A heat flies by on opening day. We need help with cars and drivers.	Courtesy of  Rutland Historical Society Photo by Aldo Merusi Car X-10 wrecks off turn three. Note all the people watching from the railroad tracks. John DeGraff is the driver at left and the unknown driver of the X-10 is in front of the car. There is an outside possibility that this X-10 is the car of Harold Havens, who may have shortened the number from XX-100.
Courtesy of  Rutland Historical Society Photo by Aldo Merusi This early Pico race winner was thought to be from from  NY; apparently we don't know who he is or where he is from.	Courtesy of  Norm Vadnais It is now believed this is another shot of action in Pico's third turn. 43 is Art Morgan; the white car is almost certainly Steve Danish; and we see that #47ow as Paul Whittamore's car [driver ??]. The 25 is said to be Don Hier.

VOGEL NOTES

Mrs. Ted Vogel, Sr. took down lineups of races her husband attended, in a notebook a portion of which I got to see. There were a few references to the Pico track. However, it was around 1954 or 1955 and the track was referred to as Green Mountain Speedway. That version had only about one, very poorly attended race. There were notes of the drivers also going to the track one other time that
year and refusing to run because they could not be guaranteed enough of a purse.

DAN ODY'S 8MM MOVIE STILL FRAMES
[From "Old Speedways" DVD's from New York's late Racing Historian]
Also available on their own page [see link above]

Jack Barney's 6, on a pace lap. approaches the impressive stands on the sandy hill at Pico.	Barney and another car catch up to the water truck.	Jack Barney and other cars running in the freashly watered track surface.	Granby, CT's Leon Goddard gets a heat win.	Granby, CT's Leon Goddard full view. Good looking car for that era.	More Goddard.
More Goddard.	Even More Goddard.	A yet - to - be indentifed car 9 plies Pico's 3rd turn.	Car 1, on the gas, in the 3rd and 4th turns.	More Jack Barney, chasing another car.	Opening day crowd.
	Cars kick up some serious dust on opening day. The afternoon sun made anything but dust almost impossible.	The great Roy "Pappy" Forsyth [insde] who won Pico's 1st feature. A photo above shows Forsyth near that same car 01.	Car 9 takes the inside on a black coupe.

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