Word kind of leaked out recently that there were, in fact TWO Ray Browns who starred in Northeastern stock car racing in the 1950's. Most of us who study this stuff have assumed that Ray "Zero" Brown was the guy seen in all of our photos. I went so far as to do a blog in which I featured certain photos that [had I looked more closely] didn't look a thing like Zero.

           It was recently pointed out on Facebook that there was Zero, who came from the area around New York that includes Poughkeepsie and surrounding area; but, perhaps sometimes sharing the same track was another Ray Brown, who came from Massachusetts. Zero was more apt to race places like Poughkeepsie, Empire, Rhinebeck, and the like while New England Ray seemed to frequent the tracks of the Triangle Racing Association - Rhythm Inn [MA], Brattleboro [VT], Cheshire [NH], and Claremont [NH].

            As a matter of fact, one historian maintains that the nickname "Zero" was created to differentiate that Ray Brown from the other. Zero was definitely the more prominent racer and he went on to race midgets and the like. I don't know much about the other Ray. Hopefully, this will set the record straight.

RAY "ZERO" BROWN
White Plains, NY

Ginny Ross Collection via Dick Hansen and Chas Hertica
I always thought the Zero moniker came from this helmet he often wore.

Rich Duryea Collection via  Chas Hertica The 356 car at Langhorne in 1958.	Shany Lorenzet Photo  via Chas Hertica An actual 0 car.	Ginny Ross Collection via Dick Hansen and Chas Hertica Ray avoids a wrecked Sharkey Gaudiosi sedan probably at Empire.	via Doug Post An early 1949 shot of a a young Ray Brown at indoor races at NYC's Kingsbridge Armory.	Gerhold Wannamaker Photo Ed Stevens Collection via Chas Hertica and Paul Irving. The MIddletown Daubert Bros. 46 title car.	Ginny RFoss Collection via Dick Hansen and Chas Hertica The familiar 0 car in a pickle at Empire. The 19 is Bob Tator and Al Keller in the Taylor 89.
via Chas Hertica The familiar 0 car and the iconic 0 helmet.	Rich Duryea Collection via  Chas Hertica The Middletown car, the Daubert 46. They won a title there.	Rhinebeck Gazdette via  Chas Hertica A win for Zero at the old Rhinebeck track.	Jack Hedstrom Collection via Chas Hertica Ray spent a lot of time in this 356, at the Valley, Rhinebeck, Empire, and more.	Ginny Ross Collection via Dick Hansen and Chas Hertica Ray avoids a wrecked Sharkey Gaudiosi sedan probably at Empire.	Ginny Ross Collection via Dick Hansen and Chas Hertica Ray poses with the legendary Gordon Ross car.
Leroy Silvius Photo Courtesy of Jim Silvius via Chas Hertica The Daubert car in early color.	via Doug Post The Ray Brown 356 in a mixup at Middletown or Empire.	via Vintage Mod Site Ray spent as much time in open wheel cars as he did in stockers.	via Cavalcade of Auto Racing Ray Brown in a NEMA midget.	via Cavalcade of Auto Racing Ray Brown wins with a NEMA midget.	Bob McDowell Photo via Phil Miller Ray Brown with the Gill Dollar Sign.
Bob McDowell Photo via Phil Miller Ray Brown with the 356 coupe.	Photo via Phil Miller Ray Brown somewhere in Victory Lane.	John Reilly  Photo via EdDuncan Ray Brown with an unusually conservative Tex Enright at Old Bridge.	Shany Lorenzet Photo via Dave Dykes Ray Brown with that 356 at Plainville. He sure got around.	Ralph Corwin Collection via Chas Hertica The Gill Dollar Sign sedan - a Middletown car.

THE NEW ENGLAND RAY BROWN
Springfield. MA

Northeast Vintage Mod Site
I had assumed all the Ray Brown photos were one guy. Now that I look, this guy doesn't look anything
 like Zero, and he clearly had his own accomplishments.

NE Vintage Mod Site Ray Brown ran this B1 car at places like Rhythm Inn Speedway, Brattleboro Speedway, Safford Park, and more.

Photo via Chip Cormie Ray Brown, at speed, at Rhythm Inn.

Source Unknown I always assumed this was a Leo Matte car, but now someone says it was Mike McGuire's.

Bob McDowell Photo via Phil Miller Ray Brown with the B1 at Stateline.

Shany Lorenzet Photo via Dave Dykes That same 207 team, at Lonsdale with a Tattersall GA Mopar.

Photo via Chip Cormie Ray Brown, at Rhythm Inn.

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