West Haven, Vermont

Covering Mostly Pre - 1990 History

THE WEST HAVEN SPEEDWAY ERA


Courtesy of Tim Rogers

        The West Haven Speedway era is steeped in constant conjecture and even controversy. C. J.. Richards appears to have lost [or at least turned his back on] his beloved Devil's Bowl, in deference to the bigger Albany - Saratoga facility in the more populated New York Capital District. But did he ? While Tom Perry was the face of West Haven Speedway, Richards inisisted to me that he was, in fact, still pulling the strings in the background.

        Even the actual years of the West Haven Speedway era are roundly debated by the local race folks down there in that area today. I have heard the era lasting anywhere from 1979 to 1981, with other spans being 1979 - 1980 and so forth. Justin St. Louis, in his extensive historic reserach seems to bear out he longer life span.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

        Third, there was always the mess of having two entirely different West Haven Speedways operating in the same general region of the U.S.: this recently - renamed version of Devil's Bowl appearing while we still had the far more established track in West Haven, Connecticut [sometimes called Savin Rock]. At any rate, by 1982, everyone can agree we had Devil's Bowl back.


Courtesy of Christian Ti - Gaz Genest


Courtesy of Mike Bruno
Track icon Vince Quenneville [with an unfamiliar car] and Ralph Bruno, current Bowl official and uncle to current track
owner Mike Bruno are the featured faces on this West Haven Poster [year unkknown].

 
John Gallant Collection
Bill Brooking,
Schenectady, NY

Possbile W.H. Compeitor.		  
Andy Hickcock Collection
Bob Savoie,
Broadalbin, NY

 Definite W.H. Compeitor.
Maybe Not This Car.

 		 
Mike Cranston Collection
C.D. Coville,
Scotia, NY

 Definite W.H. Compeitor.
Used This Barnowski Car at Least Some of the Time.
1979 Modified Champion.		  
LVC Collection
Don Ackner,
West Sand Lake, NY

 Definite W.H. Compeitor.
 Not Sure About  This Car		  
Peter Fitzner Collection
Maynard Forrette,
Amsterdam, NY.

Possbile W.H. Compeitor.		  
A.Ainsworth Collection
Butch Jelley,
North Pownal, VT

Definite W.H. Compeitor.
 Not Sure About  This Arnold Fleury X Car.
 
LVC Collection
Denny Soltis,
Torrington, CT

 Definite W.H. Compeitor.
 Not Sure About  This Car.		  
Andy Hickcock Collection
Ray Dalmata,
Johnstown, NY

 Might Have Run W.H. A Few Times.		  
LVC Collection
"The Midget" Steve Luse,
Round Lake, NY

 Definite W.H. Compeitor.
 Not Sure About  This Roerig Brothers Car.		  
A. Ainsworth Collection
via Chas Hertica
Chuck Ely,
North Pownal, VT

 Definite W.H. Compeitor.
 Not Sure About Which Tremont Car.		  
Andy Hickcock Collection
Johnny Kollar,
Johnstown, NY

 Definite W.H. Compeitor.
Maybe Not This Car.		  
Mike Richards Collection
Bob Ellis,
West Haven, VT

 Definite W.H. Compeitor.
Mike Says Not This Car.
I Remember it at West Haven
on at Least One Visit.
 
LVC Collection
Jeff Fleury,
Stafford Springs, CT

 Definite W.H. Compeitor.
 This Car.		  
LVC Collection
Alan Johnson,
Middlesex, NY

 Ran at Least Once.		  
Hoard Family Collection
Frank Hoard,
Manchester, VT

 Ran W.H. Regualrly..		  
Mike Richards Collection
Joe Johnson,
Schenectady NY

 Ran Frequently.		    


Courtesy of Tim Rogers


Courtesy of Mike Laduc

SUPPORT DIVISIONS

 
Marty Kelly, Jr Collection
Charlie Brown was a regular in the West Haven era.
Russ Farr Collection
An actual West Haven publicity photo from a newspaper of Charlie.
  
Russ Farr Collection
A West Haven publicity photo from a newspaper of Bruce Milo.

  
Mike Newhouse Collection
Don Ronca,
Clifton Park, NY		  
 Mike Newhouse Collection
 Lee Nutting,
Center Rutland, VT

 		 
Mike Paquin Collection
Mike Pacquin,

 Definite W.H. Compeitor.
 Not Sure About  This Car
.
Mike Newhouse Collection
Phil Clark,
Granville, NY
Bruno Family Collection
Ralph Bruno,
Castleton, VT

 Definite W.H. Compeitor.
 Not Sure About  This Car.
Bruno Family Collection
via Mike Bruno
Johnny Bruno,
Castleton, VT

 Definite W.H. Compeitor.
 Not Sure About  This Car.
Laduc Family Collection
Charlie Laduc,
Orwell, VT

 Definite W.H. Compeitor.
 He Ran This Car.
Rogers Family Collection
Butch Rogers,
Castleton, VT

 Definite W.H. Compeitor.
He Ran This Car.		  
Bruno Family Collection
Tim Baker,
Dorset, VT

 Definite W.H. Compeitor.
 Not Sure About  This Car.
1979 Late Model Champion.
   
     

 


Courtesy of Mike Laduc
A 1979 Advertisement.


Courtesy of Tony Belisario
Said to be the 1979 banquet winners. It could be the holdover from the 1978 Bowl season or it could be
the first season of West Haven Season. At any rate, many of thse people ran West Haven.

ONE WEST HAVEN SPEEDWAY PROGRAM
Courtesy of Mike Richards

 
The Cover.
1980 first program.
  
Officials' List includes many familiar Devil's Bowl names names. Notice it falls short of naming the promoter.
  
Page 3, with the meaning
of the flags.

  
Page 4, with local kids' art work.
  
Page 5, the final points standings. Some pretty familiar and impressive names attracted that first year. [Tony Hall is not one of those :) ]
Page 5, the obligatory score sheets every program in that era had.

Page 7, the printer couldn't have fouled these up much worse. Reverse each row. By way, nice pants Paul Cummings !
Page 8, ads. The track struggled in 1980. I recall taking my boy to the concessions and all they had to drink was grape juice.

Page 9, more ads. Rumor has it Fabian was more than just a sponsor in these years.
Page 10, hey a track's gotta survive !
Page 11, the Smith's page.
Page 12, Bruce Dostal's page.  A good - sized program for a struggling track. In 1970 prosperous Catamount was using one piece of paper, folded over and printed with mimeograph as a program.

 


Courtesy of Russ Farr

 

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