CATAMOUNT COMPETITORS

Jay Yantz [64] poons Mike Barry, a future winner of the Oxford 250.
I bet Barry never dreamed he would become that prominent after this race experience.

Catamount knew that the Flying Tigers were now satisfying the fans and providing them with new heroes for whom to sheer. But, just like before, they were losing some of the personal connection that one gets when one cheers for his or her next door neighbor or for their own personal mechanic from the garage down the street. Therefore, the creation of another support division seemed to be necessary.

The grand scheme was to come up with an absolutely stock division sporting automatic transmissions. Several outlandish ideas were brought forth, such as driving around the track the wrong way and racing at night with the track lights out, using headlights. Names like Chargers and Night Riders were finally scrapped, along with most of the screwball ideas. What emerged was a new division called the Hurricanes - which would eventually develop a number of future Catamount stars such as Mike Barry [Oxford 250 winner], Richard Buzzi [arguably the Grand American division's best ever], Jamie Aube [a future Busch Grand National North Champion and Craftsman Truck Series participant], and Catamount's most successful female driver, Barbie Jean Willard.

As yet undriven, the famous Norm Cyr Thunderbird shows the division's first big plan, which was to require the drivers to compete,
headlights on and stadium lights out. This idea died out immediately, thank God.

Courtesy of Chris Companion
Mike Corley leads the way as Luc LaFrance kisses the wall. Helping LaFrance is Sonny Gover; 86 is Paul Robar.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
A recently - found photo of a Hardwick, VT -based Hurricane towing into T Road. No idea whose.

MAIN COMPETITORS PAGE	Cyr Family Photo Norm Cyr Milton, VT The division's first superstar From Catamount History	ACT Archives George Wells Georgia, VT Ladabouche Collection	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Wayne Corwell Essex Jct., VT The division's 2nd superstar	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert Don Tofani Barre, VT Thunder Road's 1st superstar Courtesy of Johnny Racer	Andy Boright Norm Andrews, Warren, VT
COUPES ERA	Al Maynard Essex Junction, VT	Courtesy of Lonnie Terry Jim Barton Milton, VT	Jim Duell Winooski, VT Courtesy of Johnny Racer Same car. lettered	Jim Watson Denny Alderman Georgia, VT Lonnie Terry	Ladabouche Collection Carl Nelson, Moretown, VT
EARLY FLYING TIGERS	Bob Lash Middlebury, VT Jim Watson	Lonnie Terry Bob McClatchie Plattsburgh. NY	Lonnie Terry Roger "Buzzy" Lambert Burlington, VT	Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert "Grandpa"Leon Bundy S.Burlington, VT Courtesy of Dan Nolin	Andy Boright Leon Bundy expresses displeasure with whoever put him in this predicament.
LIMITED SPORTSMAN	Lonnie Terry George Boudreau Colchester, VT Bob Riley Photo	Lonnie Terry Bruce Mason East Barre, VT	Ladabouche Photo Don Johnson Colchester, VT Lonnie Terry	Jay Yantz Monkton, VT Standing with Uncle Allen Yantz	Andy Boright Jerry White leads Carl Nelson in Turn One Catamount action.
HURRICANES	Jim Watson Barbie Jean "BJ" Willard Charlotte, VT One of Catamount's only successful female drivers	Lonnie Terry Ronnie Bonnette St. Albans, VT Source Unknown	Courtesy of Cho Lee Perry Poquette, Georgia, VT Andy Boright	Courtesy, Andy Boright An earlier version of the Poquette car. Chris Companion Perry's earliest car	Courtesy of Ray Lasnier Ray Lasnier Colchester, VT
LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN Early Later	Lonnie Terry Dean Bundy, S.Burlington, VT	Ladabouche Photo Larry Warren, Burlington, VT	Jim Cayea, Alburg, VT Program Photo	Lonnie Terry Kevin Holcomb, Colchester, VT	Courtesy of Dayne Cote Del Mayo, Colchester, VT Source Unknown
MINI STOCKS	ACT Archives Leo Bushey, Burlington, VT See Below Courtesy of Steve Pecor	Luc LaFrance, Iberville, QU	Andy Boright Milo Lockerby, Isle La Motte, VT Lonnie Terry	Andy Boright, via The Outside Groove Milt Wright, Hardwick, VT Andy Boright, via The Outside Groove The Hardwick contingent of Milt and Guy Brown [left] Andy Boright	Courtesy of Cho Lee via ACT Archives, Charlie Ladd, Chelsea, VT Former Darrell Owen Car
GRAND AMERICANS	Ralph Bessette, Milton, VT Lonnie Terry	Lonnie Terry Ray Ringer, Vergennes, VT Source Unknown	Lonnie Terry Tim Griffin, Essex Jct., VT	Lonnie Terry Wade Walker, Montpelier, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Charlie Benoit, Colchester, VT Andy Boright The Buick is his 1st car.
STREET STOCKS	ACT Archives Dennis Tucker, Washington, VT Courtesy of Ron Rondeau	ACT Archives This unknown Hurricane would become Ricky Barton's first race car years later.	Lonnie Terry Don Turner, Milton, VT	Lonnie Terry Wes Cota, Essex Jct., VT	Courtesy of Andy Boright 1st Hurricane Mike Barry, Bolton, VT Courtesy of Andy Boright 2nd Hurricane
ACT CARS	Lonnie Terry Cliff Randall, Wolcott, VT	Courtesy of Jim Watson Richard LeClaire, Fairfax, VT	Courtesy of Cho Lee Jerry White, Milton, VT Johnny Racer	Catamount History Book Bert Thornton, Burlington, VT Courtesy of Chris Companion	Courtesy of Andy Boright via Outside Groove Site Paul Gagne, Highgate, VT Courtesy of Cho Lee
NEW TIGERS	Courtesy of Cho Lee Allen Ward, Burlington, VT Catamount History Book Adv.	Ladabouche Photo Dave Brunelle, Burlington, VT Courtesy of D. Brunelle	Andy Boright Red Meade Hyde Park, VT Possibly the only race car ever towed in behind an actual garbage truck. [Barnier] used a dumpster rack] Catamount History Program	Courtesy of Chris Companion Bill Hood, Burlington, VT Bill with the Union Carbide trophy, circa 1972 Courtesy of Cho Lee	Courtesy of Wayne Bettis Karl Bushey, Burlington, VT
LIMITED SPORTSMAN 2ND ERA 1976	Courtesy of Cho Lee via ACT Archives Steve Frennier, Plattsburgh, NY	Courtesy of Caron Family Larry Caron, Burlington, VT First Hurricane Courtesy of Cho Lee via ACT Archives	Courtesy of Cho Lee via ACT Archives Rex Shattuck, Burlington, VT Former Malletts Bay, Otter Creek, and T Road Coupe driver. When he sold this Ford to pauly Robar, the latter had immediate success.	Courtesy of Cho Lee via ACT Archives Jay Yantz's last_ Hurricane before the Mustang	Courtesy of Cho Lee via ACT Archives An Unknown Hurricane Driver
	Courtesy of Blow Family Ron Blow, Milton, VT	Andy Boright Doin' the Catamount tangle ! Mike Barry [right] and Sonny Gover [17] can be seen, with Don Johnson on the bottom.	Courtesy of Johnny Racer Jim Duell, Winooski, VT Earlier cars	Andy Boright Richard Buzzi Burlington, VT	Courtesy of Rich Palmer Don Turner, Jr, Milton, VT
	Courtesy of Cho Lee "Gentle George" Davis, Orange, VT	Courtesy of Andy Boright Tom Zampieri, Williamstown, VT	Courtesy of Johnny Racer Don Tofani, Barre, VT

B.J. Willard, the division's first highly - competitive female driver, stands with Linda Alexander,
who followed her into the Hurricanes a few years later.

Bev Stearns, of Monkton, Vt. looks over the early Hurricane car of Ed LaFountain. Soon after,
Bev became the first female driver in the Hurricanes [and maybe in the history of Catamount].

Bev [73] moves under Jimmy Duell, Sr. to avoid a crashing Big Begins.
In every shot of Bev I have, a car 86 is crashing. Hmmm.

Leo Bushey had a hot streak in the summer of 1971 with his yellow 1962 Plymouth #85. He won at least two features in a row - both with Luc LaFrance in
hot pursuit. Here is the first. Perry Poquette [2nd from left], Luc La France [center] and Bushey share a laugh in Victory Lane.

Bushey receives the first place trophy from a representative of Sno Jet, as LaFrance
[far left] and ageless Jerry White enjoy their moment in Victory Lane.

George McRae was always a stout competitor in the Hurricanes. Like many others, he became even better in the Grand Americans later.

A very early version of Perry Poquette's 32 hits an unidentified '57 Chevy as the 16 year - old Ronnie Bonnette gets by.

If you have any photos not seem on this site and you would like to make them available for me to place on this site contact me at: wladabou@comcast.net

Courtesy of Cho Lee Ralph "Chickie" Bessette [far left] watches as the safety crew tries to get his #22 and the ) of Easy Ed Orton off the T Road wall.	Courtesy of Cho Lee The Hardwick, Vermont contingent had their own private spot in the Catamount pits. Guy Brown's 49 and Milt Wright's 03. That's Uncle Miltie looking at the camera and I think I see Calvin Frost in there, too.
Courtesy of Cho Lee Brad Wright came in from the North End of Burlington with the former Dave Companion hurricane.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Guy Brown the original Hardwick Hurricane driver, with his original car.
Courtesy of Cho Lee Wade Walker [now the Capital District car dealer] hoped to have success with the former Dennis Tucker Ford. Tucker, meanwhile, was hoping the same with the former Dave Dion car.	Courtesy of Cho Lee Bill Hood, Burlington, VT.
Courtesy of Ray Lasnier Hurricanes mix it up in 1971 at T Road. 22 is Chickie Bessette. Also seen is RIchard LeClaire and Ed Orton [0].	Courtesy of Ray Lasnier Same mix -up in 1971 at T Road. 98 is Ray Lasnier, and 06 is Peanut Blow.
Courtesy of Chris Companion Hurricanes mix it up in 1972 at Catamount. Milo Lockerby leads future announcer and promoter Peter B. Guibard and Denny Alderman.	Courtesy of Chris Companion 1972 action at Catamount. Richard Buzzi just avoids the wall as Roger Lambert hits it sideways.
Courtesy of Chris Companion Hurricanes in action: Charlie Benoit leads Alvin Gover [34], Milo Lockerby [54] and Richard Buzzi [13] as Luc LaFrance seems to lose a tire.	Courtesy of Chris Companion The Gover brothers with their earliest cars.