Elevens Wild

For several years in the late 1950's and the early - to -mid 1960's, there were a certain few sportsman coupes that always seemed to be pacesetters and whose owners attracted some of the cream of the era's available drivers.

Starting in the 1950's, Henry Caputo, a native of the Hudson Falls area of New York, fielded a couple of red and white coupes with a distinctive red and white paint scheme. Sometimes with a partner named Hansen, Caputo had a distinctive Plymouth coupe with a hemi and a slightly more typical Chevy, as well. Over his few years in the sport, Caputo had quite a roster of noteworthy drivers in his #11 and #111 - starting with George Baumgardner and Jeep Herbert. Others to drive the red and white cars included Tiger Tom Kotary, Jim Hoyt, of Saranac Lake, and Glens Falls native Earl Maille.

From The Otto Graham Site Schenectady Collection
Little Jeep with the Plymouth

From The Otto Graham Site Schenectady Collection
Baumie with the Plymouth

From what I have heard, Caputo ended up having some problems with an insurance settlement and had to sell off the team. Enter Chris Drellos, who took the Caputo cars to his headquarters at Smith's Basin, a triangular piece of land east of Fort ann, NY on Route 149. Drellos added matching, color-coordinated trailers and spiffed up the distinctive color scheme a bit more.

Herbert Family Collection Jeep, again, with the Plymouth	Ed Fuez Collection A rare shot of the Caputo Chevy, with Tiger Tom Kotary picking up a win.
Biitig Collection The Plymouth lands a Fonda win with Earl Maille.	Herbert Family Collection Jeep giving kiddie rides at Fonda - with the seldom-photographed Chevy.

The Drellos era started with the lead car , #111 being driven by Kenny Shoemaker. The other car - never as successful, ran first as 111A with Jeep Herbert and soon was refurbished and fielded as #11, with Pete Corey. Corey won some with the car before it was sold to Buck Holliday, of the northern hamlet of Waddington. Holliday ran the car [sort of into the ground] for a couple of years and then I don't know where it went from there.

Drellos seems to have dropped off the scene by around 1964 or 65. A fire in 1963 temporarily destroyed Shoemaker's dominating car and - a little later - the 11 was sold off to Buck Holliday. But, the history left behind by the two teams will be set into New York state racing history forever.

Photo Source Unknown Corey in Victory Lane with Chet.	Photo Source Unknown Corey flashes by a jumping Chet Hames.
Ladabouche Photo Corey's 11 coming into Fonda. Note the matching team trailer.	Lew Boyd Collection Shoemaker's car goes up in flames during the 1963 Fonda 200. The team wasn't around much longer.

Photo Source Unknown The Drellos cars in the Fonda pits.	JohnGrady Photo Ernie Gahan tries out the 111.
John Grady Photo Drellos sold the former Corey car to Buck Holliday around 1964s.	John Grady Photo Holliday didn't take long to uglify the former Drellos car. Note engine position.

Bill Ladabouche Photo The Drellos flagship car - Shomaker's 111 after a win at Otter Creek in 1963. Note the trailer with matches the Corey picture below.	John Grady Photo Shoe, with the 111 right after Drellos took over the team.
Photo Source Unknown Kenny with the backup car usually driven by Jeep.	John Grady Photo Shoemaker puts the 111 through its paces against future team mate Herbert at Victoria.
Russ Bergh Photo Jeep, with the Drellos backup. The car was often on the trailer with breakdowns.	Russ Bergh Photo Shoe with his familiar victory pose.