GEORGE BARBER A Man Who Could Easily Called Dean of Northeast Racing

It is presumptuous for me to try and write up a bio on George Barber. 1.) there is far too much about him to put in one web page; and 2.) Cho Lee would have far more knowledge on George than I. But, I don't have Cho and Cho doesn't run a web page, so here I go.
George Barber, proprietor of Bradford Auto Parts in the Connecticut Valley town of Bradford, Vermont, started getting involved in Vermont - area stock car racing practically at its inception in the early 1950's. Photos of Barber's familiar cream-colored flathead Ford coupes began to surface in state newspapers at such tracks as West Brattleboro, Stateline, and maybe even Pico. I am sure he also tried the Cheshire Fairgrounds, in Keene, New Hampshire and maybe Rhythm Inn near Millers Falls, Massachusetts.

Barber Collection Courtesy
of Cho Lee
The original Barber coupe, probably with Piper, overheats at West Brattleboro

Barber Collection Courtesy
of Cho Lee
The original Barber coupe,
with Piper or Forsythe, is chased by Steve Danish
at Stateline.

Les King Photo
Barber Collection Courtesy
of Cho Lee
Barber, Forsythe, and crew
pose with Cokes in
Victory Lane at some
1950's N.Y. track.

George's first driver of his original team [#46] was Stub Piper. There are pictures of Stub at some of the previously - mentioned tracks in the early 1950's, which suggests George was not afraid to range quite a ways from home in search of the best stock car competition. When Barber was starting, the races at Cheshire Fairgrounds were being starred at - and sometimes run by - a good - looking driver named Pappy Forsythe. After a bit, Forsythe got on board with Barber and began a long run of driving the #46. One picture shows Forsythe [or possibly Piper] chasing the legendary Steve Danish around Stateline Speedway in North Bennington, Vermont around 1954 or 5.

Barber Collection Courtesy
of Cho Lee
An early shot of George &
Pappy winning a race
at Stafford Springs, CT.

Barber Collection Courtesy
of Cho Lee
George Barber's cars
at T Road:
Pappy Forsythe 46 &
Leland Ingerson 47

Barber Collection Courtesy
of Cho Lee
George Barber [right] and
Pappy Forsythe are
trophied at T Road around
1960.

Forsythe and Barber were effective right away. Another shot from that same approximate time period shows Barber, Forsythe, and crew holding unopened bottles of Coca-Cola and being the apparent recipients of a championship feature win at [as George's caption puts it] "a New York track". That could have been Stateline or Granville's Mettawee Speedway, most likely. Eventually they would run closer to home. The Barber operation began to run some of the tracks in Colchester, Vt., at Northeastern Speedway in Lower Waterford, Vt., and - by 1960 - at Barre's Thunder Road.
It was here that Barber added a second, nearly identical coupe #47 with the same graphics, driven by New Hampshire's Leland Ingerson, the eldest of four racing brothers. Barber's team was extremely successful at Barre and Northeastern, with Forsythe finally being replaced by Libero Buzzi's driver, Larry Granger. The team continued to make a name for itself until NASCAR came to T Road in 1965 and the flathead - engined pre- 1936 coupe were phased out.

Barber Collection Courtesy
of Cho Lee
Forsythe wins another
for Barber at
Thunder Road.

Barber Collection Courtesy
of Cho Lee
Lee Ingerson with
the second Barber car.

Barber Collection Courtesy
of Cho Lee
Lee Ingerson [left]|
joins brother, Doug
& Johnny Gammell
in TRoad Victory Lane

Disappointed, Barber was determined to save the flathead racing from extinction. As Northeastern was closing its doors, and T Road was out of reach, he took some land in the boondocks of his Bradford township and carved Bear Ridge Speedway out of the dense woods. Legend has it that track builders scared more than one bear from the site in the construction of the "Home of The Coupes', which eventually made its was onto the pages of Stock Car Racing magazine. As coupe racing was becoming more sophisticated at places like Airborne, Thunder Road, and Catamount, low - buck teams and lovers of the flathead racing engine flocked to Bear Ridge to run at the only place left for them.
Barber ran the track until selling it to the Chuck Elms family. He actually fielded a flathead race car up into the 1970's. At 90, George is still living today. It completely escaped logic why he is not in the NEAR Hall of Fame. Hell, he should have been in the first class of nominees. He occasionally speaks with racing historians like Cho Lee, and has generously let Lee take some of his old trophies and other materials to help preserve racing history. My hat is off to George Barber - and pioneers like him.