CATAMOUNT VIEWS

Dec. 21, 2008 Photo Additions I
Dec. 21, 2008 Photo Additions II

Link to Steve Pecor's Photo Page. Several good photos of the very end.

I have selected some photographs that give the viewer a glimpse of what the track looked like. Some are from the era when it was about five years into operation [symbol EY]; some are from the middle era of the mid to late 1970's [symbol MY], and some are from its latter years when the management had upgraded it for major shows that occurred only certain times per year [symbol LY]. I will key the photos with these initials. 

g.king milne.jpg (140714 bytes)

[EY] This photo of the G. King Milne car in 1970 shows the Pit area fence and the paved setup path that ran through the back of the pits.   

Curtiss in Blue.JPG (68620 bytes)

[MY] Robbie Crouch takes to the track in the Bob Curtiss #25. This shows the first and second turns well. It is also a historic photo because this is the only year Crouch drove for anyone except his father for many years.

Aube.jpg (66961 bytes)

[MY] Jamie Aube's [standing behind the car in the driver suit] first  late model getting gassed up. This shot shows Catamount's prominent handicapper's stand well.

 

Stockwell.JPG (88998 bytes)

[EY] Lennie "Tiger" Stockwell [standing by the outside front wheel in the blue coat] is pitting right behind the Catamount pit bleachers. The pad for those bleachers is still visible on the Catamount Industrial Park site.

 

 

 LeClercEastWall.jpg (52316 bytes)

Courtesy of Darrel Rogers

[LY] The view over the popular Claude LeClerc pit area shows most of the east fence of the pit area. People often used to climb up into those trees outside the fence to watch for free. The handicappers' stand would be just to the left, out of sight.
Lookatfrontstretch.jpg (37549 bytes)

[LY] Early arriving fans sit in the bleachers and watch early practice. This shot gives you some idea of the infield during its most refined state, around 1988. Today, there re still traces of that pit road through the infield.

 BradKennedy.Pitroad,jpg.jpg (18284 bytes)

[MY] This shot of Brad Kennedy's crew making adjustments gives the best view of the pit access ramp. This, too, is still somewhat discernable today.

 Beaver_Coupe_TalkingonTrack.jpg (22008 bytes)

Photo Courtesy of Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert

[EY] This photo of Beaver Dragon and the track photographer awaiting the start of the sportsman feature in 1967 shows how the flagman at Catamount controlled the race basically through an opening the front stretch fencing.

early_larry_warren.jpg (102640 bytes)

Courtesy of Lonnie Terry

[EY] This photo of Larry Warren and Don Johnson's Hurricanes gives you a good look across the track, from the pit ramp - west.

 98 Bart Foster Catamount 1979 nova.jpg (54351 bytes)

Courtesy of Lonnie Terry

[MY] Bart Foster sits at the bottom of the pit ramp. It gives a different view of the east side of the site.

 

mick_wilcox_1968.jpg (23097 bytes)

Photo Courtesy of Lloyd & Gregg Gilbert

[EY] This photo of Mick Wilcox shows the treehouse of the Sibley brothers, whose home adjoined the track property. The boys charged admission to their friends to watch races. Both buys, now in their 50's, also ended up working at the track. Concerned about a potential serious injury, the track managed to have the treehouse removed by 1969 - a few years after the Marcel Godard sportsman came close to climbing a tree nearby.

 

3.despault.jpg (68300 bytes)

[EY] The Flying Tiger of Clem Despault sits on the old pit access road as Clem stands on the running board of Jimmy Gates' truck and catches up on the news.

51_ingerson_chevelle_equalized.jpg (198815 bytes)

[EY] The beautiful Pelletier/Falzarano Chevelle of Russ Ingerson is admired in the Catamount pits. You can see much of the old pit gas station and the East fencing.

5 Stan Meserve Catamount 1979 granada.jpg (59075 bytes)

Denis LaChance Photo 

[MY] Skip Cahill's Ford sits on the frontstretch, giving a good view of the wall and the granstands. 

Beaver_Crouch_Catamount_LastYear.jpg (84884 bytes)

Photo Courtesy Dragon Family

[LY] A good view of the track infield during the last year of operation. Robbie Crouch [48] and Beaver Dragon.

catamount 1978c_Cargoesoff1.jpg (58115 bytes)

Denis LaChance Photo 

[MY] Turn One spectators watch as a car goes off - all the way to the fence. A good view of the turns.


Courtesy of Chris
 Companion
Archie Blackadar
hams it up with
the Easter Bunny a
week before the
track is to open.
Courtesy of Chris
 Companion
Start of some sort of spectator bike race in the 1970's.
Cavalcade of Racing Photo
1965 - a lineup of SCODA,
a sort of sports car club
which raced stock car - like
sports cars.
Source Unknown
Fans on the track's
last day.

 

full_color_track_labeled.jpg (186521 bytes)         catamount_opening_day.jpg (471850 bytes)

This is a full color photo of Catamount in 1985, taken by airplane. Click on it for a larger view. It contains 19 identified features of the facility

Catamount1984.jpg (1304200 bytes)                 Catamount_Areial_1999.jpg (123116 bytes)

These are aerial views of the track. The one on the right is from a 1999 satellite photo, with the factories built around the vestiges. The one on the left is older. It is approximately the same angle of the color airplane photo above. Click on both for a larger picture.

VESTIGES AND GHOSTS

What is Left to Be Seen of Catamount Today

LoadingRamp_Remnants.JPG (98048 bytes)

The loading dock and the famous well that was divined by John Campbell in 1965, just days before the track opened, still remain as mute reminders of the once - bustling pit area at Catamount.

bellavance_hauler.jpg (112539 bytes)

ACT Office Archives Photo

The cars of Richard Buzzi and Larry Granger are unloaded off a Bellavance truck around 1968.

 

 PitPad_Remnants.JPG (64920 bytes)

Remains of the paved pad put in behind the grandstands - where concessions were.

1972_FansGet_in_Catamount.jpg (276526 bytes)

Catamount Yearbook Photo

The fans begin to pour in the gate in 1972 while track worker Larry Dwyer raises 
a flag in the background. The location is similar to the picture above.

 pitramp_remnants.jpg (103823 bytes)

The access ramp that 
led from the pits to 
the track in turn one.

Beaver_CountryDollar1st_MaidenVoyage.JPG (149802 bytes)

Dragon Family Photo

Beaver Dragon - in about the same area in 1973.
PitRow_Remnants.JPG (79329 bytes)

This was Pit Row, in the infield at Catamount. Pit stops were never much of a factor at a third mile track.

 TurnOne_Remnants.JPG (90702 bytes)

Turn One still has the contour. The pit access ramp is in the foreground.

catamount 1978b_Tunrone_SPectator2.jpg (55792 bytes)

This early 1980's spectator shot shows the exact same area when in use.

 TurnOneTwo_Remnants.JPG (55738 bytes)

Catamount_East_Bank_DaBica.jpg (74881 bytes)

Cris DaBica Photo

Turns One and Two are readily recognizable here, looking East

catamount_turn_one_mixup.jpg (212863 bytes).

This grainy old copy from the Catamount History program shows a similar view.

 
TurnFour_Remnants.JPG (79363 bytes)

This was Turn Four, as its contour now heads for the side of the Burlington Drug Co. warehouse. The pavement is from the current street running through the industrial park.

29 Dave Dion Catamount 1979 futura.jpg (63842 bytes)

Denis LaChance Photo

This was Turn Four, when active, behind Dave Dion's car.

 

  

98 Bart Foster Catamount 1979 nova.jpg (54351 bytes)

Denis LaChance Photo

A photo of Bart Foster's car waiting to qualify gives a good view of the land off Turn One. Milt Wright [below] shows more of that area.

Milt_Wright_Nova.jpg (97422 bytes)

ACT Office Archives Photo

 early_larry_warren.jpg (102640 bytes)

ACT Office Archives Photo

This early shot of Hurricane competitor Larry Warren [24] passing Bert Thornton shows a lot of the infield of the track before Pit Lane was put in.
SCENES FROM

cavanaugh_entering_catamount.jpg (62171 bytes)

Denis LaChance Photo

Keith Cavanaugh arrives at Catamount. The familiar sign and driveway entrance are seen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 CATAMOUNT'S 

Red_Meade_Luxury_Boxes.jpg (307039 bytes)

Courtesy of Cho Lee

The construction of the luxury boxes is seen behind Red Meade's Grand American division Mustang. 

aube_catamount_luxury_boxes.jpg (108391 bytes)

ACT Office Archives Photo

The completed luxury boxes can be seen in this shot of Jamie Aube and the shot below of a LMS feature.

LMS_Feature_1984_LuxBoxes.jpg (580213 bytes)

From Andy Boright

 

 PAST

larry_caron_fromboright.jpg (235434 bytes)

From Andy Boright

Grand American driver Larry Caron drives up the pit ramp to the track. You can get a good idea of the "no man's land" out beyond turn one. Many fans never got to see this area, into which cars disappeared.

ACT Archives

A midget lineup - early in the history of the track. Note the ARMCO barriers, which were reduced later.

    

Photos by Gerry Bergeron and Others of Catamount Today - and Before


Gerry Bergeron
 A shot from the end of Turn 2
around 1989, looking south.

A and A Ward
 A shot from Turn 2
in 1987, looking north.
Fans are saying goodbye
to the track - last day.

 
Gerry Bergeron
 This is almost certainly
turns 3 and 4. There are
few such shots because
the City Drug building was
built right in the middle of it
later on.
Gerry Bergeron
 A shot of Turn 1, with great
fence remnants -around
1989, looking east.

Source Unknown
Same view from the end of Turn 2
around 1978, looking south.
See those pilings ?
Gerry Bergeron
 A shot from the road that
now cuts through the track.
You see turns one and two.

Supplied by Rachel Lilly
 Aerial shot from 19990's,
looking at mostly turns 3 & 4.

Supplied by Michala Peabody
 Aerial shot from similar
viewpoint, but in 1980's.
A and A Ward
 A good shot of the
grandstands and tower.
The fence separates the
spectator stands from those
in the pit area.
Mike Cain Photo
Fans walk the track
before the last day
of racing.		  

 

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