Bennington's
STATELINE SPEEDWAY
Photographer Unknown - Probably MacDowell
Jeep Herbert, the soul of Stateline Speedway, does a victory lap in Bob Mott's 3.
The race track where being on the pole meant something else. That sign to the right may very well have been the "Welcome to Vermont" sign on Route 67. Stateline lived up to its name. It was on the very border with New York. Some of it was, very likely, in the Empire State.
Stateline Speedway was in Bennington, Vermont.....not really too far from the present-day Lebanon Valley track. Its location near the corner of Vermont, Massachusetts, and New York was an ideal place to attract competitors, from all over the region, in the burgeoning new sport of stock car racing. To the north, Pico Raceway in Rutland was operating. Over in New York, tracks like White's Beach, Burden Lake, the Pine Bowl, Empire Speedway, and many more were running regular shows. Keene, New Hampshire was seeing races at the Cheshire County fairgrounds.
They came from all over to run Stateline. In particular period, according to the late Jim Haley, a fan who traveled to races all over the region. Bennington was sort of under the heel of one particular driver [whose name I can't recall]. This guy won all of the races and - as Jim put it - knocked them poor pungs [I took that to be slower local talent] right off the track if they got in his way. Then, one afternoon, Steve Danish went over there, put the bully off the track, and sent the protesting local champ on his way with a clenched fist. I don't know how much of that is true.
It ran up into the 1950's, reportedly out along Route 67 nearly into New York. Right, now, little is left to see. There is the BTL trucking lease company operating right on the site. The only way to identify the site is the imposing brick house across the road, which is visible in the Steve Danish picture below.
Courtesy of Danish Family These two shots, the left taken in 2004, and the right taken around 1957, show the location of the track in relation to that brick house across the road. |
Courtesy of Danish Family These two shots, the left taken in 2004, and the right taken around 1957, show the location of turn four at Stateline. |
Courtesy of Rick Parry These two shots, the left taken in 2004, and the right taken around 1955, show a view over to the infield, toward the river. The trees are much taller now. |
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The two shots from above, blended together to give the viewer an idea of where the track would be today. |
Courtesy of Danish Family The two shots from above, blended together to give the viewer an idea of where the track would be today. |
Courtesy of Danish Family Another two shots blended together to give the viewer an idea of where the track would be today. |
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Courtesy of Herbert Family Jeep puts on the helmet at Stateline. The grandstands are in the background.
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Courtesy of Herbert Family Jeep gets a feature win at Stateline. The unusual grandstands are seen with the crowd beginning to file out. |
Courtesy of Herbert Family Jeep Herbert poses at Stateline the A. C. Caprara 37.
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Courtesy of Vogel Family Two of Stateline's regular stars - George Baumgardner, in the Ted Vogel 95 and Jeep Herbert, in the Caprara 37 get the lookover from starter Chet Hames.
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Courtesy of Vogel Family Baumie was a good runner in Ted's sedan.
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Courtesy of Vogel Family George Baumgarder in what was to become the classic - looking Vogel race car. Another win at Stateline.
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Courtesy of Vogel Family More Baumgardner at Stateline.
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Courtesy of Herbert Family Not all Jeep's trips to Stateline went to victory lane. |
Courtesy of Herbert Family John Danish feels that these are lower division cars running at Stateline.
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Courtesy of Jerry King
Newspaper ad for one of their big "national championship"
races.
Courtesy of the Danish Family
This wonderful shot of a Stateline Speedway feature start in May of 1953 shows the older bleachers before the later covered grandstands. The brick house [then a tavern] sits directly across Route 67, with seemingly no room for a highway in between. Steve Danish is on the inside pole, with probably Jeep Herbert on the outside. I can make out the Burns and Wilson 100, the 467 out of Massachusetts, and Ted Vogel's car. Chet Hames is the starter.
Possibly McDowell Photo
Frank Hatch [M2] involved in a mix - up in Turn 4 with cars 21 and 72 - drivers unknown.
All photos below courtesy of the Danish Family and Rick Parry, unless otherwise stated.
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Steve Danish's takes a victory lap at Stateline. Note how close to the track some buildings and people seem to be. Route 67 would be only a few dozen feet to the left in this shot of one the straightaways. |
MacDowell Photo This early shot shows Steve Danish's outfit. His hometown of Cropseyville, NY was fairly close by Stateline. This was taken in the pits at Stateline. Note the brick house in the background. |
Photo Courtesy of John Danish Action on the backstretch at Stateline. Danish [61], Corey in Mott's #3. Herbert in Caprara's 37' and Tom Kotary in Theron Moore's #112. Probably Lee Armstrong in the Frank Trinkhaus 62 and one of the Gerows in #67.
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Photo Courtesy of Lew Boyd Danish with the checkers at Stateline in early 1950's. |
Photo Courtesy of John Danish This picture of the Steve Danish racing crew was taken at Stateline. The snow fence in the background does not show up in later similar Stateline shots. With apologies to John Danish, here are some names in the photo: unknown, a Danish brother, Steve, Al Danish, & Hully Bunn |
Buddy Bardwell |
A heat lines up at Stateline in 1950 |
MacDowell Photo Joe Wunderlich, from New York may have been the champion with whom Danish had the run-ins. Joe went on to sponsor the 115's of Kenny Tremont, Jr. |
MacDowell Photo This picture of the Steve Danish racing crew was taken at Stateline- later than the one above because John Danish would have been about three in the one above. |
Jeep Herbert, Schenectady, NY The A.C. Caprara 37 in Victory Lane at Stateline. This is the photo that proves that a.) the large brick house is across from the former track site and b.) those unique grandstands belong to Stateline. |
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66, Freddy Sheppard goes out for a heat at Stateline in 1950. Sheppard once drove for Steve Danish, early on in Danish's involvement with racing. |
A 1949 Ford tows # 60 into the gate at Stateline in 1950. |
The crew looks over the #8 sedan in the pits at Stateline. |
Courtesy of Vogel Family George Baumgardner, Saratoga, NY
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Courtesy of Danish Family It sure looks like Steve Danish on the track at Stateline.
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Noted New York driver Chuck Kotwicka, from the Utica area. Kotwicka holds the distinction of winning the first race at Fonda.
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 Legendary New York driver
Chuck Mahoney also from the Utica area, with that same Kotwicka car. Conde & Parry Site Mahoney with Bill Smith. The McDowell photo suggests this car could defintitely have run at Stateline. |
Len Irwin, from the New York area, had the prototypical - looking stock car of the day...and apparently at least one good crewman. |
Joe Messina, shown here leaning on his Hudson at the Pine Bowl in nearby Snyder's Corner, NY, was probably a regular at Stateline. |
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Photo Courtesy of Rick Parry Pete Corey in Bob Mott's #3, appeared at Stateline |
Photo by McDowell Don Rounds, Apponaug, RI Note Steve Danish in the background [61] and Spence Parkhurst
[furthest car back with white stripe on hood] |
Photo from Bitiig Collection Spence Parkhurst [36], Saratoga Sprs, NY
McDowell Photo Courtesy of CJ Richards
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Photo from Otto Graham Website Paul Marshall, Schenectady, NY
Courtesy of Saratoga Auto Museum Paul with the Warren Daniels crew out of Alpaus, NY
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Rene Charland, Holyoke, MA |
LebanonValley Site Photo Doug Garrison, in Riiska's Yellow X, may likely have appeared at Bennington.
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Courtesy of Saratoga Auto Museum Link Pettit, Sr.
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Gene Strenkowski Photo Howie
Westervelt, The Wright/Zautner Tollgate Ice Cream Ford
Courtesy of Saratoga Auto Museum Howie's door made it to the museum in Saratoga.
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Butch Jelley, The Ed Wynn # Y |
 Al Rodd, Shushan, NY |
Courtesy of Beverly Garrison and Amy Garrison Dauski Doug Garrison [99] and George Welch [27] were very likely competitors at Stateline. Others say it is Link Pettit, not Welch.
Courtesy of Beverly Garrison and Amy Garrison Dauski |
 Courtesy of Jerry King Jerry King "The Rutland Rocket" Rutland, VT  Courtesy of Jerry King  Courtesy of Paul Connors |
 From Fonda History Book Walt Roberts, Albany, NY
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 Courtesy of Paul Connors S33 Don Hendenberg, Lee Center, NY One of Dave |
 Courtesy of Paul Connors Gene Tetrault, |
 Courtesy of Paul Connors Dee Goodermotte, |
 Courtesy of Paul Connors Unknown 12Jr. |
 Courtesy of Paul Connors Dave Brooks, |
 Courtesy of Paul Connors Paul Connors & Wife
at Stateline. Good view of covered stands. |
 Bill Ladabouche Frank Hatch, The Ed Wynn # M2 |
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 Photographer Unknown Ernie Martin |
 McDowell Photo Courtesy of CJ Richards Charlie Morse, North Adams, MA |
 Schenectady Collection Otto Graham Site Jim Luke, Utica, NY |
 Merusi Photo Courtesy of Rutland Historical Society Jr. Bianco, Utica, NY |
 Schenectady Collection Otto Graham Site Tiger Tom Kotary, Rome, NY |
 Pettit Collection Link Pettit and his father-in-law, Maurice Lawrence |
 Ken Gypson Collection Conn. driver Ted Langlois and others posing on front stretch. |
 Ken Gypson Collection Carl Fink, Albany, NY |
 Ken Gypson Collection Doug Garrison, |
CONTEMPORARY TRACKS NEARBY
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Terraserver Photo [and map below]
The track sat right on the Vermont / New York state line - hence the name. That black drainage ditch would have been just inside turns three and four. I don't know if it is my imagination, but I can see a roundness to the edge of the grass near where the darker color begins to the right, near Route 67. [I guess the track went right over to the road, almost]. There was the slightest trace of banking there. And...to the left of the white driveway down to the present-day BTL trucking firm, I can almost make out a little hint of turn two. The grandstands were right against Route 67 - in that white area, above the black drainage ditch line.
The topographical map's state boundary line is right about where the drainage ditch is in the photo.
Photographer Unknown
Martin Paddock [54] heat start at Stateline in the
earlier seasons.
The grandstands have no roof. Does anyone recognize any cars ?
Photo Courtesy of Chris Companion
The start of a heat in the earlier years. #27 is George Welch, and the 99 is Doug Garrison.
Photo Courtesy of Chris Companion
Four abreast at Stateline. Steve Danish
is on the outside, and George Welch is
directly next to him.
Photo Courtesy of Chris Companion
An accident at Stateline in the later
years. A stock car ran directly into the concession
stand in the infield.
Courtesy of Ken Gypson
Ted Langlois, of Connecticut, and three unidentified
drivers pose on the front stretch
at Stateline Speedway. The famous brick tavern is in the background - actually
across Route 67
from the speedway.
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