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ALWAYS - UNDER      CONSTRUCTION 

         Thunder Road was the concept and creation of Ken Squier, a successful local radio station owner, a very experienced racing announcer despite his young age, and a nationally - recognized sports announcer. Along with partners, the Cooley Brothers of Barre, Squier found the perfect spot for Thunder Road International Speedbowl, and nestled it into the existing terrain on a plot of land on Quarry Hill in Barre, near Graniteville.
         The track was state-of-the-art for its day, despite its fairly unusual layout. As go-carts were the rage of the day in 1960, the track, which was paved, featured a road course - style go-cart track in the infield. The crowd had the option of either sitting on stands built into the side of a hill, or literally sit on the hill. It became known right away, that one particular section of the hill was populated by the beer drinkers. Barre citizens, already familiar with tracks in Waterford and Northfield, became immediate, lifelong, loyal supporters of the track.
       Things were going very smoothly at Thunder Road by the mid - '60's. The huge fields included a healthy contingent of New Hampshire drivers, many of whom had come from the Elms Family - operated Northeastern Speedway in Waterford: the wild Ingerson brothers, Roy "Pappy"Forsyth, Ronnie Marvin, Stanley "Stub" Fadden, Hank Montandon, and more crossed the Eastern border to run against Vermonters like Chester T. Wood, John Gammell, Tony Colucchio, etc.

Photo by Cho Lee
Roy "Pappy" Forsyth, with the legendary George Barber 46, was one of
Thunder Road's first superstars.

               Superstars like Marvin, the Ingersons, and Forsythe were well and good, but the heart and soul of Thunder Road was that core of small - time local drivers like Leon Hayford, from nearby Graniteville, and Mike Osborne of Barre. This is the way things went for five years of Thunder Road's life. Northeastern and Dog River Speedways closed, Bear Ridge had not opened, and T Road was the only show around. While clearly being populated by very down-to-Earth people, it did project a modern image, with weekly races even having their own radio network, as Ken Squier owned WDEV radio, in Waterbury.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Guys like Leon Hayford were the heart and soul.

COUPE ERA

Courtesy of Cho Lee Jack DuBrul, Shelburne, VT	Courtesy of Doug Farrow Harold Hanaford, Plymouth, NH Car Owner Gordon Fitzgerald	Courtesy of Cho Lee Mike Cody, Keene, NH Bud Messier's 50, which also was driven by Jean-Paul Cabana	Courtesy of Cho Lee Wayne Vincent right] and Ripton, VT's  Bucky Dragon [6]	Courtesy of Cho Lee Rex Shattuck, Milton, VT
Courtesy of Cho Lee Johnny Gammell, St. Johnsbury Ctr., VT C.J. Richard's #32	Courtesy of Cho Lee Rene Charland  Agawam, Mass. In Vt. running for NASCAR  points in 1965 with the Geo, Hay 68.	Ladabouche Photo Denny Dearborn, Plymouth, NH Went on to become a Jack Kochman Hell Driver.	Ladabouche Photo Roy pappy Forsyth, Athol, MA McIver Photo via Cho Lee	Courtesy of Cho Lee Keith Ballard,  Hinesburg, VT
Courtesy of Cho Lee Chester T. Wood, Orange, VT With a young Ken Squier	Courtesy of Cho Lee Dale Gilbert, Northfield, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Doug Ingerson, Littleton, NH George Hay's 58	Courtesy of Cho Lee Winner Larry Granger, flanked by Pappy Forsyth and Bruce Pierson. Granger woould replace Forsyth in the Barber 46 the next year.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Larry Davis,  Hartland, VT The T Road car for the Claremont driver.
Courtesy of Mike Gilbert Al Corey, Randolph, VT George Hay car	Courtesy of Mike Gilbert Larry Granger  Barre, VT Libero Buzzi's 93	Cavalcade of Auto Racing Ron Marvin blasts off turn 4, up the Widowmaker. He blamed Chet Wood X-1.	Courtesy of Mark Austin Norm Chaloux, Barre, VT	Courtesy of Mark Austin Mike Osborne The Yankee Flyer Barre, VT.
Courtesy of Mark Austin Bobby Waugh	Courtesy of Cho Lee via The Davis Family Chester T. Wood runs to the aid of another driver.	Courtesy of Mark Austin Remember when.... Grant Bashaw wrecked Ping Puentes' Flyin A ?	Courtesy of Mark Austin Nick Tigenson  Barre, VT Involved in a bad wreck that year	Courtesy of Cho Lee Unidentified guy from Lisbon, NH
Courtesy of Mark Austin Ronnie Marvin, Tony Colicchio, and a bunch of kids after a big win.	Courtesy of Mark Austin A big win for someone.	Courtesy of Mark Austin Russ Ingerson wins in one of the CV Elms cars.	Courtesy of Mark Austin Tony Colicchio, Walpole, NH The potent Andy Cote 0	Courtesy of Mark Austin Dale Gilbert pitting around 1962. The place hasn't changed much.
Courtesy of Mark Austin Unknown car D1.	Courtesy of Mark Austin Car 21 and another, unidentified coupe in a big wreck.	Courtesy of Mark Austin John Gammell [91] and car 62 get into it.	Courtesy of Mark Austin The track crew removes 3J, possibly Paul Martell.	Courtesy of Mark Austin Action out of 4: Car 48, Car 10  [Freddie Mills], and Dick Gammell [55].

CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EARLY COUPE ERA

      Somebody decided that was time for expansion .... expansion into the state's most highly - populated county, Chittenden County. And they did - in the northern Chittenden County town of Milton. Catamount Stadium was born. However, for many years to come, Thunder Road remained the more stable and better- attended track in the family. While Catamount struggled with small fields and inconsistent attendance, T-Road was the anchor. Eventually. Thunder Road began mixing its familiar flathead cars with the NASCAR overhead V-8's. It wasn't popular with the Barre fans. Finally, the flatheads winning became a rarity.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Beloeil, Quebec's Jean-Paul Cabana was the first  successful V-8 competitor at the Barre oval.
He had competed on the track with a flathead, as well - but with a local car owner.

Courtesy of Andy Boright
This 1965 points list shows the unique mixture that was Thunder Road. Manny, Cabana, Nephew, Karvonen, and Reid had overhead V-8 cars;
Hanford, the Ingersons, and Colicchio had the traditinal flatheads. Marvin would finish remarkably high in the NASCAR National Sportsman
point standings that year by campaigning in many locations with what I assume was a flathead.

Here is a look at a few aspects of Catamount's parent track:

• Thunder Road was a steeply - banked quarter mile paved speedbowl

• Thunder Road could draw more fans on a Thursday night than Catamount could on Saturday night, in the mid-1960's

• Many of the Chittenden County drivers, especially Flying Tiger drivers, began to associate themselves more with Catamount; this fostered a sometimes fairly dicey rivalry with the older, more established T-Road stars like Marvin, the Ingersons, and Fadden.

• The beloved flathead Fords were grandfathered in for one more season at both tracks by NASCAR. NASCAR had outlawed the pre - 1936 bodies a few years before at all their tracks, and encompassed most of the original Thunder Road fields. This had little effect on Catamount but altered the very fabric of Thunder Road

Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of Mike Watts, Sr. Charlie Trombley, Mooers Forks, NY

Courtesy of Cho Lee via Andy Boright Bob Bruno's overhead V-8 races with Ron Marvin's flathead Ford.

Courtesy of Cho Lee Marcel Godard, Montreal, QC

Bob Mackey Photo via John Rock Bob Bruno's overhead V-8 races with Ron Marvin's flathead Ford.

Courtesy of M.P. Roy Andre Manny, Laval Des Rapides, QC

Courtesy of Cho Lee Merlin Bean, Shady Rill, VT

Courtesy of Gary Nephew Dick Nephew, Mooers Forks, NY 1961 NASCAR National Sportsman Co-Champion

       Between 1966 and 1968, the racing eventually moved around to only the Flying Tiger division at both tracks. In the case of Thunder Road, about half of its Tiger fields were made up of former flathead drivers, while a good corps of locals were also developing. Many cars also came from Catamount.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
1968 Thunder Road champ Tom Tiller returns checkers to Bob Quinn as Jack Paradee [who once droive a Tiger at T Road himself] looks on.

ORIGINAL FLYING TIGERS

From NASCAR Record Book
These 1968 standings still show the regionalism that disappeared as teams began to travel more. Catamount's Dragon brothers apparently spent little time
at Thunder Road. Barcomb and Tiller, however, were already makking the full circuit effort by then.

Courtesy of Terry LaFerriere Ron Barcomb, Winooski, VT	Ladabouche Photo Clem Despault, Waterbury, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Jim Gates, Hardwick,  VT	Ladabouche Collection Larry Demar, Hardwick, VT	Ladabouche Collection Stub Fadden, North Haverhill, NH	Courtesy of Cho Lee Lennie "Tiger" Stockwell, Bethel, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Ed Doggett, Plymouth, NH
Courtesy of Cho Lee Cuffy Cuthbertson, West Rutland, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Ron Bettisl, Middlesex, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Bobby Dragon, Milton, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee John "The Kid" Clark, Barre, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Harmon "Beaver" Dragon, Milton, VT	Courtesy of Doug Farrow Johnny Gammell, St. Johnsbury Ctr. VT Joey LaQuerre's Hawaii 5-0	Courtesy of Cho Lee Larry Granger, Barre, VT
Courtesy of Rich Palmer Doug Ingerson, Littleton, NH	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Rene Maxfield, Winooski, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Joe Couture, Hardwick, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Jim Gallison, Middlesex, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Red Fisk, Northfield, VT	Courtesy of Gilbert Family Russ Ingerson, Littleton, NH	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Bobby Giroux, So. Burlington, VT
		Courtesy of Cho Lee Richard Buzzi, Barre, VT		Courtesy of Cho Lee Mitch Barrows, Middlesex, VT

      Eventually, management tried switching the evenings that the two tracks operated. but Catamount did not really catch on until it dropped the sportsman and modifieds and worked only with local late model drivers. Thunder Road followed suit. By then, the traditional flat-topped coupes were gone, and many of the older drivers had grabbed themselves a Flying Tiger car and joined the fray.

      Sometimes, the T-Road drivers and the Catamount regulars would be bonded together in a mutual dislike of the big dollar Canadians who began to filter back - especially to Catamount : Jean-Paul Cabana, Andre Manny, and Claude Aubin - to name a few. The circuit had upgraded first, to limited sportsman and - later - full - fledged late model sportsman cars. This began to attract the Canadians, as well as teams from all over New England.

 
Bob Doyle Photo - Ladabouche Collection
Andre Manny, in the immaculate Gaston Ethier 27A was typical of the well-financed Canadian invasion of the early 1970's.

EARLY LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN

     T-Road would go on to work in perfect concert with Catamount - and with a host of other tracks which whom the management of the two tracks would form temporary arrangements over the course of the next decades: Devil's Bowl, Airborne, Sanair, Oxford, and others. By 1972 and 3, the teams found themselves racing several nights a week - strangely reminiscent of the very early days of stock car racing. 

 
Photo by Bob Doyle - Ladabouche Collection
Fairfax, Vermont's Hector LeClair, though well sponsored, shows the strain of the intense schedule almost as much as does his Chevelle.

Courtesy of Andy Boright Cabana and Dragon, duking it out at Thunder Road.	Courtesy of Chris Companion This grainy old shot shows Tom Tiller in mid - spin with his LMS Dart.	Courtesy of Cho Lee This scene of the fans on the banks would be about from this time.	Burlington Free Press Photo Ladabouche Collection A late model field has troubles on lap one.	Courtesy of Andy Boright Beaver and Stub came together at the end of the frontstretch here.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Two graduates of the Hurricane division battle in late models. Dennis Tucker, 28 [Dion's old Torino] and Roger Lambert	Courtesy of Cho Lee Vince Quenneville, Whiting, VT Devil's Bowl champion
Courtesy of Andy Boright Former national champion Rene Charland, with his bruised Chevelle, never had much luck running T Road.  Courtesy of Andy Boright As I said ....	Courtesy of L.A. West A 1972 T Road lineup. That is the photo contributor on the tail end - closest to us.	Courtesy of Mark Austin Bob Pressley was one of many southern LMS stars to come up North and try his luck.	Courtesy of May Family Skip May gets a T Road win in Virgil Rendl's 23.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Frankie Kuhlman, a fellow Norwood regular to May, talks to Bubby Wilder. Kuhlman's underpowered Chevelle would pace T Road races before falling back most nights.	Courtesy of Cho Lee The John Rosati and Russ Ingerson teams celebrate qualifying on the pole at Thunder Road.	A and A Ward Photo Late models on the backstretch in the 1980's.
	Courtesy of Andy Boright 1973 action, with Dragon and Quenneville chasing  Steve Poulin.	Darrell Rogers Photo Late model lineup in the glory years of NASCAR North.	Courtesy of Xactoman J.P. LaRose , Montreal, QC	Courtesy of Andy Boright Early '70's late model action.	Courtesy of Andy Boright Late '70's action, with Dion chasing Dragon and McCabe. Back then, the track had more than one racing groove.

     The track management had the foresight to install a support division to replace when the Flying Tigers had become the whole show in 1968. By 1970, they had the automatic transmission, totally - stock Hurricane Division which developed future stars like Jamie Aube, Richard Buzzi, and Darrell Owens. The true measure of how far they came was when you could watch an entrie field fo Hurricanes go through a corner and hear no tire squeal. Even today's Tigers can't mange that.

Photo Courtesy of Cho Lee
Dennis Tucker, Washington, VT was one of the local boys who started in the Hurricane Division at Thunder Road. 

HURRICANE

Courtesy of Andy Boright Carl Nelson, Moretown, VT His 1st T Road Car is at right >>>>	Courtesy of Buffy Nelson Carl's first T Road car.	Courtesy of Outside Groove Charlie Benoit makes mayhem with [possibly]  Larry Caron.	Courtesy of Cho Lee One of the first Hurricane division cars - no idea whose.	Ladabouche Photo Al Maynard , Colchester, VT Uncle of announcer, Aaron.	Ladabouche Photo Jay Yantz, Monkton, VT	Ladabouche Photo Don Johnson, Colchester, VT
Courtesy of Cho Lee Wayne Corwell, Essex Junction, VT	Courtesy of the Gilbert Family Don Tofani, Barre, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Bert Thornton, Burlington, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Bill Hood, Burlington, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Wes Cota, Essex Junction, VT	Ladabouche Collection Dave Gibbs, Jericho, VT	Ladabouche Collection Ralph Bessette, Colchester, VT
Ladabouche Photo Roger "Buzzy" Lambert, Burlington, VT	Courtesy of Jim Watson Richard LeClaire, Fairfax, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Richard Buzzi, Barre, VT  Car also driven at Barre by Louie Casani	Courtesy of Cho Lee Gentle George Davis, Orange, VT	Courtesy of Outside Groove Don Turner, Jr, Milton, VT Became Republican leader in VT House	Courtesy of Cho Lee Cliff Randle, Wolcott, VT	Courtesy of Andy Boright Norm Andrews, Warren, VT

       The Hurricanes were evolved into six cylinder pony cars like Camaros and Mustangs - probably because they had more appeal. The new division was called The Grand Americans. Within a year, those cars could corner as effortlessly as the late models. Several of the competitors from this short-lived division would go on to participate in the late models - or the next version of the Flying Tigers, which came about in the 1980's.

 
Photo Courtesy of  Lonnie Terry
The Hurricane support division evolved into the nifty, well-handling six cylinder Grand American Division by 1980.
Those cars especially loved the T-Road quarter mile. This is Milton, Vermont's Jim Barton.

GRAND AMERICAN

Ladabouche Collection Richard Buzzi, Barre, VT	Courtesy of Outside Groove Larry Caron [Z28] and Carl Nelson in Action.	Ladabouche Collection T.R. Watters, Washington, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Monty Jarvis, Swanton, VT	Ladabouche Collection Jay Yantz, Monkton, VT Sold the Car to Jarvis, at left	Courtesy of Ray Lasnier Ray Lasnier, Essex Junction, VT An amazing car ,given that cars didn't last person - to - person like they do today.	Ladabouche Photo Joe Myers, Essex Junction, VT The former Lasnier car.
Courtesy of Andy Boright Norm Andrews, Warren, VT Car 4 - the former Lasnier/Myers car	Courtesy of Kathy DeBoer Joey LaQuerre, East Montpelier, VT Former Ray Lasnier, Norm Andrews, and Joe Myers car	Ladabouche Collecton B.J. Willard, Charlotte, VT	Ladabouche Photo Bruce Jaycox, Woostock, VT	Ladabouche Collecton Rapid Ralph Baldwin, East Topsham, VT	Ladabouche Photo Bruce Jaycox, Woostock, VT	Ladabouche Photo Paul Donahue, Graniteville, VT

MINI STOCKS AND MINI MODS

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Mike Richmond and Chris Ford [or possibly Mark Rossi], at speed at Thunder Road.

Courtesy of Terry LaFerriere Jerry Perantoni,  Barre, VT	Courtesy of AndyBoright Joey LaQuerre, East Montpelier, VT	Courtesy of Mark Austin Jim Carlson, Williston, VT	Courtesy of Terry LaFerrier Tom Glaser, Shelburne, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Kevin Frink, Plainfield, VT	Ladabouche Collection Butch True, Burlington, VT	Ladabouche Photo Randy Therrien, Ferrisburgh, VT
Courtesy of Cho Lee Joey LaQuerre, with a mini that was tending towards a mini mod.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Our very own Cho Lee drove this mini mod at Riverside Park Speedway.	Courtesy of Andy Boright The mini mods were a brief but popular era.	Ladabouche Photot Shorty LeClaire [brother of Hector] brought his Lebanon Valley mini to Catamount one night.	Denis LaChance Photo Dan Meservey was a long - time mini mod driver and a promoter of Lakeville Speedway.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Dick Lafayette, Barre, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Mark Rossi, Plainfield, VT With track announcer Sandy McLeod
Courtesy of Steve Mishkit Steve Mishkit, Granville, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Ken Squier ran a Mini for a while, with varying degrees of success.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Ken Hoadley had some bad luck with his Pinto. Sorry, Ken - I don't have another photo.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Ken Thompson, Randolph, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Danny Casey, Shelburne, VT With Dad, John.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Ralph Potwin, Randolph, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Barney McRae, St. Albans, VT

      As the fortunes of the late models and their touring system seemed to hit an all-time high, a major disaster struck Thunder Road, and - therefore - the whole city of Barre. For some reason, the management inexplicably decided to sell the track to a man from Long Island, New York named Tommy Kalomiris. Kalomiris, an avowed lover of the track and its activities had big plans to make great improvements to the facility. All of this started to fall apart in his first season of operation, and, before long, financial problems were piling up. The track was padlocked and Kalomiris went back to the New York area - apparently making calls to Vermont from a pay phone at times. He refused to release the track so that it could be re-opened. 

Photographer Unknown
Stanley "Stub" Fadden is as picture of patient sklepticism as he stands with short - lived track owner Anastasios
 "Tommy" Kalomiris".  Fadden, who won two races at T Road in the Kalomiris era.

THE KALOMIRIS ERA

Courtesy of Andy Boright Steve Fisk organizes mini mods on the frontstretch in front of a sparse crowd. Notice the unmown infield.

Courtesy of Andy Boright Grand American car action on the frontstretch in front of a sparse crowd. Notice, again,  the unmown infield.

Courtesy of Andy Boright The grand old girl lies, neglected, after Kalomiris abandoned operations and left it to the vandals

        Furious locals began to vent their frustrations with Kalomiris on the property itself. The once-famous lights were destroyed, building were knocked down, and various other forms of vandalism erupted on the track. Eventually, Tom Curley, Ken Squier, and others regained control and it took months of work and legions of volunteer help to put the facility back in usable shape. Bear Ridge Speedway had to lend their lighting system, at one point. No one is too sure . The circuit really flourished, and became NASCAR North, a tour series supported by beer companies.

 
Courtesy of L.A.West
Thunder Road was now fielding very sophisticated, state - of - the - art late model sportsman cars - until the split with NASCAR
in the 1980's.

THE BEER TOUR ERA

Courtesy of Mr. Chevy Black

A and A Ward Photo Stub Fadden wins a Fall Foliage race during the Beer Tour years.

Denis LaChance Photo Steve Poulin, North Troy, VT

ACT File Photo Roger LaPerle, Ste Eustche, QC  Uncle to Patrick

Ladabouche Photo Mike Barry, Bolton, VT

Courtesy of Andy Boright Jean - Paul Cabana, Beloeil, QC

Courtesy of Cho Lee Dave Dion, Hudson, NH

Courtesy of Cho Lee Dick McCabe, Kennebunkport, ME

       The next event to have a strong effect on the fortunes of Thunder Road International Speedbowl was the untimely demise of sister track, Catamount Stadium in Milton. Built on what was reportedly leased land, the track could no longer obtain a lease extension and it closed in the late 1980's. By 1986, NASCAR had been dropped and - by 19787 - the American - Canadian Tour was beginning what woould be a decades - long relationship with the track. Now T-Road was the flagship of the American - Canadian Tour. It continues to carry this banner to this day. The track has enjoyed several wonderful modernizing improvements and considerable expansion [and needs more modernizing].

Courtesy of Mike Cain
Kevin LePage piloted the heavily - sponsored E J Prescott car before being replaced by Ricky Craven. 

Courtesy of Mike Cain Robbie Crouch, Georgia, VT	Courtesy of Mike Cain Jamie Aube leads Cabana and Crouch in an ACT race at T Road in 1987.	Courtesy of Mike Cain Paul Richardson, Georgetown, MA,	Ladabouche Photo Milt Wright, Hardwick, VT	Courtesy of Mike Cain Ralph Nason, Newburg, ME	Courtesy of Cho Lee Dave Dion, Hudson, NH	Courtesy of Andy Boright Stub Fadden, No. Haverhill, NH
			Ron Pittsley Photo Beaver Dragon, Milton, VT The Whole LE Farrell Team

      After ACT was ensconced at Thunder Road, the recently - developed New Flying Tigers [a division arisen from the former Grand American and Street Stock classes] became the main division, seeing as the late models were touring. This has led, over the past decades to today's late model, Tiger, and four cylinder Street Stock classes.

Blow Family Collection
Ron Blow, in the 05, battles Al Simoneau in one of the few Thunder Road Street Stock shots of this era.

THE ORIGINAL STREET STOCKS

Courtesy of Cho Lee Al "The Animal" Simoneau Easily, the most memorable of the original street class.	Norman Morley Photo Dick "The Original Street Stocker" Strobridge flashes by at Catamount. There are few T Road photos of this class.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Bruce Dusablon, Milton, VT	Courtesy of Mark Austin Bob Jennings leading Al Simoneau.	Courtesy of Mark Austin More street stock action.	Blow Family Photo Steve Blow, Milton, VT	Ladabouche Photo Jim Barton, Milton, VT
Courtesy of Andy Boright Original street stock champion Richard Caron loops it as Gordy Ritchie  [73] gets by.	Norman Morley Photo Early Street Stocker action at Catamount. There are few T Road photos. Dick Strobridge, The Original Street Stocker" is the blue 24 while Al "The Animal" Simoneau begins a spin in turn four.	Courtesy of Jamie Muir Richard "Choo Choo" Smith, Milton, VT	Ladabouche Photo Steve Cushing, Milton, VT	Ladabouche Collection Richard Caron, Burlington, VT	Ladabouche Photo Lorraine "The Racing Grandmother" Parsons, Fairfax, VT	Justin St Louis Photo Steve Renaudette, Colchester, VT

          After ACT was ensconced at Thunder Road, the recently - developed New Flying Tigers [a division arisen from the former Grand American and Street Stock classes] became the main division, seeing as the late models were touring. This has led, over the past decades to today's late model, Tiger, and four cylinder Street Stock classes.

A and A Ward Photos
The "New Tigers" race at Thunder Road around 1985. The class was a mix of old Grand American cars [see 90 Ralph Baldwin, 1A Fuzzy Fassett, 97, Dave Gibbs] and former Street Stock cars
[see Jim Payea's 89 and that Oldsmobile at bottom]. There were beginning to be specially - built New Tigers cars as shown below: Chuck Beede [54] and Clem Despault. Below - More action - same day.

THE NEW FLYING TIGERS

Courtesy of Outside Groove Clem Despault, Waterbury, VT	A and A Ward Photo New Tigers in action: Jerry Driscoll leads Ken Hoadley.	A and A Ward Photo New Tigers in action: Jerry Driscoll spins after Paul Donahue.	A and A Ward Photo Possibly Jim Payea, leading Ralph Baldwin, Lanny Covey, and Dave Gibbs.	A and A Ward Photo Red Mead leads the action.	A and A Ward Photo A well - mixed field scatters. Red Mead [1] has an old Grand American; Paul Donhaue [31] has a specifcially - built Tiger; amd Dickie Strobridge [24] has an old Street Stock.	Ladabouche Photo Paul Donahue, Graniteville, VT
A and A Ward Photo  Red Mead puts the pressure on car 09.	Courtesy of Andy Boright Ageless Red Fisk, Northfield, VT	Courtesy of Andy Boright Norm Andrews, Warren, VT Might be a Lanphear car.	Ladabouche Photo Skip May Courtesy of Andy Boright	Courtesy of Andy Boright Mark Marsh, NH	Courtesy of Andy Boright The Lanphear brothers	Courtesy of Andy Boright Larry Hebert, Williamstown, VT
Courtesy of Mark Austin Guy Brown, Hardwick, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Carl Nelson, Moretown, VT	Ladabouche Collection Check Beede loses a wheel in front of Clem.	Justin St. Louis Photo Tom Tiller, Essex Jct., VT	Courtesy of Andy Boright Greg "Burger" Blake, Montpelier, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Greg Lyman, Sr. Hinesburg,. VT	Courtesy of Andy Boright Owen Wimble, Waitsfield, VT

Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock A mixed lineup of flathead coupes and the newer overhead sportsman coupes - from 1965.	Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock A mixed lineup of flathead coupes and the newer overhead sportsman coupes get the green.
Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock A lineup of  the newer overhead sportsman coupes - from 1965.	Bob Mackey Photo Courtesy of John Rock A heat of midgets mix it up on turn one.

Courtesy of Cho Lee A spinout in the coupe era. [Same as above]

Courtesy of Cho Lee The aftermath of the spinout. ? is Dale Hatch and the 93 is the Libero Buzzi car driven by Tony Collicchio.

Courtesy of  Jim Ladabouche
Joe was a well - known Rutland, VT area sports personality.

Courtesy of Jim Watson
1972. A feature starting field, looking East. John Untied is on the track.

Courtesy of Jim Watson
The same field, looking West, with Barton's Jerry Young on the pole.

ACT Archives Courtesy of Cho Lee
A much younger Tom Curley, with Archie Blackadar and Lennie
Stockwell - when Lennie was an official.

Terraserver USGS Photo
Thunder Road in the 1990's - from satellite. The stands and front
stretch are to the bottom of the photo.

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