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Bob Mackey Photo - Courtesy of Bobby Castine, via John Rock
Dick Goodelle, of Mooers Forks, NY poses with the Gaylord Rowe T-800

One of the important figures around racing in the North Country of New York was Ellenburg Depot Ford dealer Gaylord Rowe, who fielded some potent cars with good drivers at tracks like Plattsburgh's Airborne Park. The two cars with which I am the most familiar are the T-800 [whose remains have survived to today] and the #26. On his way to the NASCAR National Sportsman Co -Championship in 1961, Lisbon's Bill Wimble drove both cars. Eventually, Wimble seemed to settle into the #26, which Dick Goodelle took over in the T-800 and drove around New York, Canada, and probably Vermont.

Bob Mackey Photo - Courtesy of Chris Companion
Wimble became more associated with the Gaylord Rowe 26.

Wimble would win a track championship at Airborne in Rowe cars, but his national title would come after the had moved on to the S-33 team of Sherburne's Dave McCready. The Rowe cars ran a while longer before the 26 disappeared and the T-800 was left in a little junkyard outside of Ellenburg Depot, on Route 11. Gaylord Rowe, Sr. would make the car a gift to Eugene Bushey, and the car would disappear behind the fences at Bushey's garage, where it remains today.

Bob Mackey Photo - Courtesy of Bobby Castine, via John Rock
Dick Goodelle in action with the Gaylord Rowe T-800 @ Airborne

Around 1985, when I was working at Airborne, I had the occasion to go into the region to interview Wimble's co _champion, Dick Nephew - in Cannon's Corners. My son and I passed by the carcass of the T-800, duly noted it, and moved on to Dick's house. Twenty years later, I returned to where I thought was the exact spot, and the whole junkyard was gone. After two frustrating years of searching and asking, Nephew's son, Gary, put my onto to where the car had gone. I went to Bushey's and took these few photos on the page. I'm glad I did, although I never - to my knowledge - saw the car race.

Courtesy of Scott Richner and Bobby Castine A shot from an old 35 mm film of the track.	Bill Wimble Collection Wimble in the T-800	Bob Mackey Photo - Courtesy of CJ Richards Dick Goodelle in T-800 and Bill Wimble in the 26 start an Airborne heat.
Ladabouche Photo The T-800 today, as it sits at Bushey's. They had, at some point, replaced some body panels.	Ladabouche Photo More T-800 remains	Ladabouche Photo More T-800 remains, other side.
Ladabouche Photo More T-800 remains	Ladabouche Photo More T-800 remains, rear view	Ladabouche Photo More T-800 remains

Photo from Pascal "Magnum" Website
Goodelle and the T-800 at a Canadian track around 1960.