GHOSTS OF RAINBOW RIDGE RACEWAY
GHOSTS OF HILLSIDE RACEWAY
GHOSTS OF OTTER CREEK SPEEDWAY

                               
                             
 


Ladabouche Photo

Cars line up for a heat during the second season of Otter Creek Speedway. The copse of trees in the distance is still discernable at the location now, but the grassy area in the foreground is now a thick sumac woods.


Courtesy of Cho Lee
Dutch Reed takes a victory lap during the very first race program at Otter Creek Speedway in 1961. Note the freshly - graded infield and the grading sticks on the trackside.

Ladabouche Photo
Approximately, the same area today. [Although,
this is probably the shortened turns one and
two area, as altered by C.J. Richards in 1963].

 


Photographer Unknown-Possibly Val Bicarcz
This shot, from Year Three, shows the shortened
turns one and two from 1963.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
A first-year field thunders out of Turn 4 and onto the frontstretch.


Ladabouche Photo
Turn 3 and Turn 4 and onto the frontstretch- 2006. Many of the trees seems to be gone,
as well as an undetermined farm building seen in the Dutch Reed photo below.

 

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Dutch Reed, at speed, on the first week at Otter  Creek. Note the farm building in the upper  left hand corner.
 

                                                                           

 Courtesy of Cho Lee
Looking at the same area, from an area set back from the old track surface. A building on U.S. Route 7 is seen in the distance.
     
 

Ladabouche Photo
The little pond that has always sat in the
infield of the track. In the satellite photo, we
have previously mistaken this pond for some
sort of building.

Terraserver Photo
The little pond is the black mass in the
infield of the track oval outline seen.


Val Bicarcz Photo
This shot shows a white car going by the pit entrance road. That road angles
right over to the pond, which is  just out of sight on the left.


Ladabouche Photo
To show you how badly the bleachers area has grown in, this is the same crowd protection
fence [note the rusty orange, leaning slightly, in the middle] as is shown in the photo above.
Also seen is the wooden fencing that is white in the above photo.

MORE GHOSTS AND MEMORIES


Ladabouche Photo
Remnants of the flagstand, found up in the  sumac woods. The blue on the left is Neal  Davis, holding back brush for me.

Ladabouche Photo
Remnants of the flagstand, found up in the
sumac woods. This proves the flagger had caution lights attached to his perch.

Ladabouche Photo
Remnants of a power pole with the Turn 3
caution lights on it.

 


Ladabouche Photo
A closeup of the light fixture on the pole.

Ladabouche Photo
Remains of a 1950's car, which may or may
not have a cage on it. A lot of the metal is partially buried.


 Photo Courtesy of Cho Lee
The 1950's car could have been the
big Pontiac seen here.


Photo Courtesy of Darrell Tucker

 


Ladabouche Photo
Remnants of the announcers stand, found up in the sumac woods. It fell out of sight in the 1990's.


Ladabouche Photo
The tower ladder sits to the side of the tower remnants. The ladder could well have been adapted from a swimming pool ladder
because the steps to the tower were short.

Ladabouche Photo
The tower, as the facility sits,  abandoned. The poles that Herb
Senecal put around the track are  seen. The tower is still standing
at the time of the photo.


Photo Courtesy of Diana Peters

The same view, as shot in 1970 at the time of Rainbow Ridge raceway. The tower is still standing at the time of the photo, right just out of the picture Notice a
concession stand had been inserted.

 


Ladabouche Photo
In the photo above this, the refreshment stand is to the left [or north] of the tower. This old Pepsi cooler was found in that location, among some old boards.

 

 
Ladabouche Photo
A somewhat similar view take n in 1963, of John Narducci's
81 sitting - not having qualified with driver Joe Tiezzi..

Ladabouche Photo
The access road down to the track and pits.
This road is seen in the tower scene above.
The present day sumac woods make the
scene look considerably different; but,
check out the mountains in the distance.

CLICK FOR BIGGER PICTURE
Two Artifacts on the Site


Ladabouche Photo
A track surfacing drag piece
that is pulled behind a tractor.


Ladabouche Photo
The best item of all- a front
cowcatcher - type bumper. The
fact is bolt-on suggest the
Rainbow Ridge era.

 


Ladabouche Photo
This photo of partner Lee Tucker's car shows some of the Hi Monroe barn that everyone had to pass by to get to the track.

Ladabouche Photo
This shot of 1961 NASCAR National Sportsman Co-Champion Bill Wimble leaving the facility shows a bit of Hi Monroe's home.

 


Ladabouche Photo
A remodeled Monroe house and what is left of the Monroe barn, as they look in 2006 - an unbelievable 45 years after the photos to the left. The traffic to and from the track would go in between house and barn.


Ed Baccei Photo
Same Wimble - different angle.

                               
                             
 

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