THE YOUNG

George Baumgardner proudly wore the car number on his Cromwell helmet in 1962.

The first time I ever laid eyes on a New York - style NASCAR sportsman coupe was at the new and very rustic Otter Creek Speedway, in the town of Waltham, Vermont, in 1961. Because of the fact that the obscure little pasture track was NASCAR - sanctioned, it figured into the very hot race for the NASCAR National Sportsman championship that was concluding by the Fall of that year.

Baumgardner, with a win at Fonda in exactly the same car we saw at Otter Creek. The big diameter wheels were said to make up for lack of the right gear.

As it happened, the few times my uncle and I went up to the track from our Rutland - area home town, there was this light blue and white coupe that absolutely looked faster and better - built than most of the area cars. This coupe, joined by a few more such cars, were the first V-8 cars I ever saw compete, save for the staged event at the Rutland fairgrounds the year before. But, at the fair, those Lebanon Valley cars could not get wound out the way they were at the half - mile -plus Otter Creek dust bowl.
The driver of the car was named George Baumgardner, identified as from Saratoga, NY. The car did not win a lot, but it was a good performer. Oftentimes, the flathead local coupes would end up out-doing the NASCAR sportsman cars because the latter couldn't utilize their power on the bumpy, dusty track. What I recall the most about the man they called Baumie and that 75 was the final race of 1961, when a large number of sportsman cars arrived at Otter Creek, including national points competitors Bill Wimble and Dick Nephew.

Irv in an earlier version of the 75. Some believe this is not Irv. Stay tuned.

The V-8's ruled that snowflake - filled November program in late '61. I don't even remember who won, but I do remember Baumgardner who lost the 75 in the final turn and finished the race - around second - backwards. Baumie was reputed to drive with occasional "race-enhancing liquids", so it now doesn't surprise me all that much. Before Baumie, Jim Young and Ray Vine had Irv Taylor piloting the #75. The Rexford driver was one of the few men allowed in the inner circle of Pete Corey, and he could definitely get a car around Fonda.
The team seemed to disappear from the scene in the early 1960's, but it was a very important part of the scene for a number of years. I miss cars like that [and the guys who drove them].

This is one of the first drivers of the team - Hoppy Redner - according to Elinore Vine. If it is Hoppy, I don't klnow if it is before or after he lost a leg racing.

Courtesy of Dan Ody The earlier version car, at Langhorne, 1957.	Schenectady Collection - Otto Graham Website Irv poses with the checkers at Fonda.	John Grady Photo Irv, in the 75A. Chet Hames in background.	Courtesy of Dan Ody In a less happy moment.	Courtesy of Otto Graham Irv	Courtesy of Clay Herbert via Otto Graham Pete Corey in a rare appearance with the 75 team.
	Courtesy of Bob Novak George Baumgardner poses with 2 young fans.	Courtesy of Otto Graham Baumie, with a Fonda heat win.	From Dan Ody's 8MM Old Speedways DVD Irv Taylor with the older car at Stateline.	Courtesy of Starin Family Baumie, with a newer version at Langhorne.