CATAMOUNT COMPETITORS

Courtesy of John Bourgeois
A very rare shot of a Flying Tiger accident involving Bobby Dragon and his first car. Anyone know who 48 is ?
Could the other driver be Jim Barton ? He did run a Tiger early on at Catamount.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Early pit shot at Catamount showing the Mrs. Frances Lackey - owned #44, driven by Red Fiske, of Northfield. The white Chevy in the front might be Ron Bettis. Thomas "T Bone" Curley also drove the car.

When Catamount opened for business early in 1965, it was assumed that the track's principal focus would be the firmly-established NASCAR modified and sportsman cars, As it turned out, the coupes left Catamount during the 1968 season and only returned for a few special shows, from that time forward. There had always been a support division, called the Flying Tigers. These had evolved from the late model support divisions of tracks like Thunder Road, Northeast, and even Airborne. They were distinguished by the single racing slick they were allowed to run on the outside front wheel.

A New York driver dumps this Studebaker into the Turn One Armco barriers around 1967. The driver may have been one of the Burls.

Many of the Tigers were already established late model runners, and a few were even former coupe drivers who could not or would not keep up with the increasing costs that NASCAR involvement had brought on the coupe. There were many locals, just starting their careers in this division. Because of this interesting mix of competitors, and the division's having taken on a life of its own beyond the founders' wildest dreams, it would become the star attraction.... for years to come.

Courtesy of Cho Lee & ACT Archives

Art Taylor, of Swanton, Vermont leads Lennie "The Tiger" Stockwell and Bobby Dragon at Catamount around 1968. Taylor was Catamount Stadium points champion in 1968.

Courtesy of Cho Lee & ACT Archives

Ron Perry leads a field of early Flying Tigers down the backstretch on a parade lap around 1968.

MAIN COMPETITORS PAGE	From The History of Catamount Stadium Ron Perry, Milton, VT, leads the lineup at the start of a 1968 Tiger feature.	From The History of Catamount Stadium Don Burl & Bill Branham Plattsburgh, NY Courtesy of Bucko Branham Gene Fountain, Bill Branham, Don Burl	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Ron Lamell, Sr. Essex Center, VT	Courtesy of John Bourgeois Bobby Dragon Milton, VT No larger version of this one Courtesy of John Bourgeois Bobby's 1st car - rare shot. Courtesy of Rich Palmer Bobby's 1957 Chev from 1969. Became his 1st Devils Bowl car.
COUPES ERA	G. King Milne Barre, VT Courtesy of Rich Palmer This car was a former Tom Tiller car. Note the Tiller shot from T Road. Courtesy of Rich Palmer, from Burlington Free Press	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Red Fiske Northfield, VT Courtesy of Rich Palmer The Mrs. Frances Lackey #44	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Ron "Red Dog" Barcomb Winooski, VT ACT Archives CLICK HERE for Ron's page. Courtesy of Rich Palmer	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Al Belval Milton, VT
EARLY FLYING TIGERS	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Coke Lomartire Colchester, VT	Myrick Bourgeois Alburg, VT Courtesy of Rich Palmer Courtesy of Andy Boright	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Earl Machia Sheldon, VT	Art Taylor Swanton, VT McIver Portrait Courtesy of Cho Lee Courtesy of Cho Lee
LIMITED SPORTSMAN	Courtesy of Cho Lee Mitch Barrows Middlesex, VT	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Larry Robare Burlington, VT	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Mickey Wilcox Milton, VT	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Ray Sprano Milton, VT
HURRICANES	Catamount Stadium History T-Bone Curley Colchester, VT	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert David Brunelle Burlington, VT	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Norm Cyr Milton, VT Cyr Family Photo Future ACT star Jean -Paul Cyr [hat] and Gregg Gilbert [helmet] play atop Norm's wrecked Tiger	ACT Archives Stub Fadden North Haverhill, NH ebay Auction photo Not a thumbnail
LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN Early Later	Catamount Stadium Hist. Larry Demar Hardwick, VT	Boomer Cleveland Morrisville, VT Courtesy of Rich Palmer	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Gil Rhoades Milton, VT	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Homer Durkee Sheldon, VT
MINI STOCKS	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Al Graham Burlington, VT	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Beaver Dragon Milton, VT Courtesy of Rich Palmer	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Russ Ingerson Littleton, NH	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Tom Tiller Winooski, VT Courtesy of Rich Palmer
GRAND AMERICANS	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Don Bilodeau Milton, VT	Clem Despault Waterbury, VT Used same car as a limited sportsman. Courtesy of Rich Palmer Courtesy of Cho Lee	ACT Archives Buster Rivers, Milton, VT Pauline Rivers, [ Sister ] Powder Puff Driver	Mike Cain Photo Hector LeClaire, Fairfax, VT
STREET STOCKS	Mike Cain Photo Larry Parsons, Fairfax, VT Courtesy of Rich Palmer	Cyr Family Photo Norm Cyr hits Don Bilodeau while driving Steve Turner's #65	More Family Photo Dick More, Grand Isle, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Doug Ingerson, Littleton, NH
ACT CARS	ebay Auction Photo Ed Doggett, Plymouth, NH Thanks to Unknown Contributor - let me know Courtesy of Rich Palmer	ebay Auction Photo "Gentleman" Jim Gallison, Montpelier, VT Not a thumbnail ACT Archives Gallison with an early crew	ebay Auction Photo Henry "The Frozen Logger" Montandon, Littleton, NH Not a thumbnail	ebay Auction photo Ron Bettis, Middlesex, VT Winston Machia in the background. McIver Photo A portrait of Ron
NEW TIGERS	Orrill Martin, So. Burlington, VT Free Press Photo from Rich Palmer	ACT Archives Rene Maxfield, Essex, VT Courtesy of Rich Palmer	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Jim Gates, Hardwick, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Ira Turner, Milton, VT See the Turner Boys Page
	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Lennie "Tiger" Stockwell, Bethel, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Cuffy Cuthbertson, West Rutland, VT Courtesy of Cho Lee More of Cuffy	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Bobby Giroux, So. Burlington, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Gary Bevins, So. Burlington, VT
	Both Courtesy of Rich Palmer Joe Couture, Fairfax, VT "The Racing St. Michaels College Student"	ACT Archives John Clark, Williamstown, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Jim Thomas, Plymouth, NH	Courtesy of Rich Palmer John Palmer, Georgia, VT
	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Webster Krupp, St. Albans, VT Former Ed "Hardluck" Fenwick car	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Johnny Gammell, East St. Johnsbury, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Lennie Stockwell, Bethel, VT He dropped the 2 and kept the 00	Catamount Program Ron Gonyeau, Iodine Springs, VT
	Catamount Program Photo Ernie Turner, Milton, VT See the Turner Boys Page	Courtesy of Andy Boright Russ Waite, Alburg, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Frank Snyder He ended up helping a young Jay Yantz, who kept the #64.	Courtesy of Andy Boright Unknown Driver
	Courtesy of Andy Boright Al Burbank, future Bear Ridge Driver	Courtesy of Andy Boright Fred Little, Huntington, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Mitch Barrows, Middlesex, VT Car could have also been a Hurricane - not sure	Courtesy of Cho Lee Unknown 05 Tiger leads heat around 1970.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
A very early Tiger heat takes checkers at Catamount. Beaver Dragon, #70; Jim LaFountain, behind; and Bob Brunell
in #17. Beaver looks about ready to blow one here. 71 is not Bob Dragon. The 43 on the pole is likely
Saranac Lake Speedway champion John Rushlaw.

This Mick Wilcox shot shows not only the pit area before the checkerboard-colored handicappers' stand was moved in from the former dragstrip; but, you can see the infamous treehouse of the Sibley boys, whose house was adjoining the track.

A big mixup in the first year of the Tigers. 11 cars were bent up in this one, according to the newspaper caption. The mess includes: 11, Ron Lamell, Sr.; 77, Tom Tiller; 02, Ray Sprano; John Benoit [unmarked two-tone Chevy, I guess]; 23, Bill Weston; and ), Paul Niquette.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Ernie Turner [58] chases former Malletts Bay and Otter Creek driver Jimmy
Saltus down the backstretch at Catamount in 1968.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
A view of the 1967 or 1968 pits at Catamount. Although the #20 in the foreground looks like a Hurricane, it is not.
Notice the gas station is gone and the checker board handicapper's stand is not yet in place. The 98 of Norm Cyr is
prominent in the foreground. Is it just me or did he have a shorted car ? Also identifiable is Bobby Dragon [right behind Cyr],
Larry Demar [Ford above Dragon] and the 84 of Earl Machia.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Bobby Dragon receiving another trophy from Ken Squier. Note a young Bob Rushford
standing at right in the background.

Do you have pictures of other drivers from this era at Catamount ? If you would like to make them available for me to place on this site contact me at: wladabou@comcast.net

Courtesy of Cho Lee Larry Granger, Northfield, VT Joey LaQuerre's Chevy	Courtesy of Cho Lee The Tigers crowd up after Art Taylor [4] spins into infield.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Ron Gonyeau spins in front of the field.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Ernest Turner chases Jimmy Saltus.