CATAMOUNT COMPETITORS

By 1978, Catamount Stadium was aware that it must keep the local interest by featuring some drivers who lived in the region. The stars of the late model division, more and more often, were coming from far away. Catamount had learned from the late 1960's experience with the Flying Tigers replacing the coupes, that fans having an uncle or next neighbor to root for was positively essential for keeping that fan base healthy and growing.

No one could have anticipated what a hit the street stocks would be. Starting with Dick Strobridge, forever to be known as "The Original Street Stocker", to stars of the final year like Jim Barton, the division endeared itself to the fans with its selection of some of the most colorful characters to ever hit the asphalt. The division immediately sprouted out with two or three Caron brothers, two Blow brothers, and assorted other family combos. To this, add Al "The Animal" Simoneau, with his little Tasmanian Devil strapped to the car, and Richard "Choo Choo" Smith, running wheel to wheel with dozens of cars of every make, description, and running condition - and you had the Street Stocks.

By 1981, the officials were thinking of trying to capitalize on the excitement of the original Flying Tigers of the 1960's. They decided to use the Street Stocks as the foundation for that new Tiger division. By 1982, the Street Stocks were to be phased out at Catamount, and the track would not last long enough to see the rebirth of the Street Stocks later.

MAIN COMPETITORS PAGE	Courtesy of Cho Lee Al "The Animal" Simoneau Burlington, VT	Catamount History Richard "Choo Choo" Smith Milton, VT	D. Turner Photos David Turner, Milton, VT	Courtesy of Mark Austin Dick Strobridge. Colchester, VT "The Original Street Stocker"
COUPES ERA	Mark Austin Photo Bobby Jennings, Colchester, VT #47	Catamount YrBook Photo Richard Caron, Burlington, VT	Bv. Dragon Family Photo Ron Blow, 05 Milton, VT [Running with Al Simoneau]	Courtesy Dan Nolin Steve Blow, Milton, VT
EARLY FLYING TIGERS	ACT Site Photo Steve Miller, Burlington, VT	Humphrey Family Photo Cramer Humphrey, Charlotte, VT He won the first ever street stock race at Catamount	B. Ladabouche Photo Jim Barton, Milton, VT	Ladabouche Photos Steve Cushing, Milton, VT
LIMITED SPORTSMAN	Ladabouche Photos Richard "Choo Choo" Smith, Milton VT	Ladabouche Photo Jim Barton, Milton, VT Car Freshly Done.	Ladabouche Photo Jim Barton, Milton, VT After He Re-Acquired it, a Season Later.
HURRICANES
LATE MODEL SPORTSMAN Early Later
MINI STOCKS
GRAND AMERICANS
STREET STOCKS
ACT CARS
NEW TIGERS
LIMITED SPORTSMAN 2ND ERA 1976

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