TOM TILLER

McIver Photo, Courtesy of Cho Lee
The Kentucky Colonel, from Rush, Kentucky and Winooski, Vermont

    From the limited knowledge and contact I have had with Tom, I would conclude he came up into our region while a member of the armed forces - maybe the Air Force. While in this area, Tom saw racing at Airborne and at Malletts Bay. He raced briefly at Malletts Bay and even at Otter Creek Speedway; but, he became well - known while driving in the Flying Tiger division at Catamount Stadium.
    Using yellow cars numbered 77, Tom became labeled as "The Kentucky Colonel" by inventive announcer Ken Squier. He became a regular feature winner at Catamount and Thunder Road by the time I saw him in 1968. With occasionally hiatuses from the sport, Tom participated from the 1960's - on into the late '80's and maybe the early '90's.
    One thing I remember him for is innovation. He tried some very different cars, such as Pontiac Tempest and a Plymouth Roadrunner. His last car, in the new Tigers, was a Ford T Bird. Like Beaver Dragon, Tiller is an avid outdoorsman. His son, Tom, went on to the Presidency of Polaris, Inc. - a source of pride for Tom.

Courtesy of Chris Companion Tom's familiar early Tiger sits near his Gas Station in Winooski.	Courtesy of the Gilbert Family Tom at Catamount around 1967. Courtesy of Phil Butler In Color.	Courtesy of Jim Watson Tom, with a familiar Catamount pose around 1970.	Courtesy of The Gilbert Family Tom with a damaged car in 1968.

Courtesy of Rich Palmer Tom hastily built this 4 door after a mid - season wreck. Only to wreck it, too.	Courtesy of Rich Palmer This may have been the start of the series at left.	Courtesy of Andy Boright Tom's 1962 Dodge. He eventually built two of them.	Courtesy of Andy Boright Tom's 1957 Chevy chases Bob Dragon around 1969.
Courtesy of Andy Boright A rare shot of Tom and Bob Dragon as team mates.	Bill Ladabouche Photo One of several cars Tiller ran in the early 1970's.	Bill Ladabouche Photo Tiller's short-lived but popular Roadrunner.	Courtesy of The Gilbert Family Tom missing a wreck in 1960's.
Courtesy of Chris Companion A heat win with the Roadrunner.	Bill Ladabouche Photo Tiller's nifty little Dodge Dart.	Courtesy of Andy Boright One of several cars Tiller ran in the early 1970's.	Courtesy of Chris Companion A run - in with Bobby Karvonen around 1973..
Courtesy of Chris Companion Going for a spin in the Dart.	Bill Ladabouche Collec. Running against Don Bevins.	Photo Source Unknown A 1969 trophy after a big win. Ron Bettis walking in background.	Courtesy of Chris Companion A 1970's pose.
Courtesy of Jim Watson Tiller poses with the Dart	Ladabouche Collection The Dart heads up to the track at Catamount.	Courtesy of Justin St.Louis Tiller, towards the end of his career in an ACT late model.	Courtesy of Chris Companion A heat win with one of the Dodges .
Courtesy of Ray Lasnier The Dart, at home.	Courtesy of Steve McKnight Tiller poses with Ford standout Larry Demar.	Courtesy of Ray Lasnier Tiller fan club card.	From the HAMB Site Tiller and Rosati spin on the Sanair flat track around 1973.
From Dan Ody's 8 MM Old Speedways DVD's These old 8 MM frames show an early 1967 Tiller entry trying the dirt at Devil's Bowl late in the season.	Courtesy of Ray Lasnier Tom discusses the engine on one of his cars with visiting star Lee Roy Yarbrough, who was driving a Tiller car that night.	Courtesy of Robert Flanagan This old slide shows an early Tiller Chevy, at speed, on the Catamount backstretch and [below] in Turn Four. Courtesy of Robert Flanagan	Courtesy of Cho Lee Winning a race at Catamount. Bob Quinn hands the flag as Jack Paradee looks on behind.
Courtesy of Andy Boright The.Tempest, early on. Srtill using the number style he had in the Tigers.	Courtesy of Phil Butler Second career - New Tigers.	Courtesy of Andy Boright In Beaver Dragon's old Chevelle, at Catamount.	Courtesy of Andy Boright 1973 wreck with a young Robbie Crouch, at Catamount.
Courtesy of Justin St. Louis Thunder Road New Tigers Victory Lane with Ken Squier.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Mrs. Tiller, in front of the Roadrunner.	Ladabouche Collection Having that Southern connection, Tom caught a Grand Touring Division ride at Catamount in one of Stan Starr's Camaros.	Free Press Photo Courtesy of Wayne Bettis Tom was very unpredictable in the early '70's. Here he has changed car makes and numbers.
Courtesy of Wayne Bettis New car, new sponsors.	Courtesy of Wayne Bettis Tom appears stunned to be winning the Don MacTavish Award.	Courtesy of Wayne Bettis Church Street Show autographs.	Courtesy of Andy Boright Tiller starts a race withj the Tempest at T Road.
Courtesy of Jason Lahue Old enough shot to have the old Chevron gas station still in the Catamount pits.	Courtesy of Christian "Ti-Gaz" Genest A Canadian photo.	Courtesy of Marty Kelly, Jr. 7th in the Nation.	Courtesy of Andy Boright One of the Dodges at Thunder Road.
Courtesy of Andy Boright Tom tries to keep the Dart in fronto f Bob Dragon's battered but potent Chevelle.	Courtesy of Ray Lasnier Tom, with Ray Lasnier [ctr] and Bob Thompson, by a new Dart LMS.	Courtesy of Cho Lee On the podium at Catamount in the late '60's Flying Tiger era. With Bob Dragon and Larry Demar.	Courtesy of Chris Companion Tom shares a laugh with Catamount track safety crewman Johnny Bourgeois.
Courtesy of Melody Mattson Anukem Tom, again on the podium with Demar. Also seen is either Doug or Russ Ingerson.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Tom, Bob Dragon, and Larry Demar with Bob Doyle. These same three guys seemed to win a lot.	Courtesy of Andy Boright The Roadrunner paces a LMS heat field at Catamount.	Courtesy of Melody Mattson Anukem Tom, again on the podium with Demar. This is T Road, and they are joined by Norm Cyr [left], Ken Squier, and Lennie "Tiger" Stockwell.
Courtesy of Melody Mattson Anukem Tom, again on the podium with Demar, Squier, and Stockwell. Ho hum !	Courtesy of Dragon Family Celebrating Most Popular Awards with Beaver Dragon around 1967.	Courtesy of Cho lee Holding a confab with Beaver and Archie Blackadar. Tuffy Champney listens in [2nd from right].	Courtesy of Cho lee Tom misses a spinning Lennie Stockwell and follows Joe Couture and Beaver through.
Courtesy of Andy Boright Tom is chased by Jim Gates in an older Limited sportsman.	Courtesy of Steve McKnight Tiller rival Clem Despault poses on the Catamount track as Tom heads into the pits.	Courtesy of Chris Companion The Tempest races against Ron Bettis.	Courtesy of Mark Osborne Tom is featured in some Mark Osborne racing art, racing Gary Bevins.

ACT Archives Courtesy of Cho Lee
Archie Blackadar hams it up with Tom after a late spring snowstorm
delayed Catamount's opening day.

Courtesy of Jack Anderson
Tom, [right] going to see a seriously ill Stub Fadden with Jack Anderson [left] and George Chates.

Ladabouche Photo
Tom [left] joins John Keefer, and Mr and Mrs Steve Poulin in visiting with Stub Fadden at one
of John Casey's legend picnics on Turn Three, T Road around 2007.