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I wish to thank Pascal
"Magnum" for his cooperation with me. Most of the photos here are from his
site [courtesy of Gerard Major].
Courtesy of Gerard Major
In 1965,
Fairmont Speedway , in Fair Haven, Vermont, was enjoying its Golden Era of
racing. Sadly, it was also about to the end of its life because the
townspeople were creating quite a fuss over the noise, traffic, and dust
it generated on Saturday nights. During this period, the track was
attracting V-8 sportsman - style coupes from all over the region: New
York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.
However, a few competitors were beginning to come down
from the Province of Quebec. This was the first time I had ever seen Frank
Hodge. I had recognized his car from a photo I had seen in the old
magazine Cavalcade of Racing. Hodge, having purchased a car from
Vic Wolfe and Bob Bruno, was still sporting the white paint scheme and red
numeral 66.
Hodge, who usually came down with others such as Rejean
Field or Pierre LaFrance, seemed to operate his race effort alone. While I
am sure he spoke English, Hodge did little mixing with the Fairmont
regulars. I found myself admiring his tenacity when - one feature - he was
encountering engine problems and visited the pit area at least three times
during the race with the carburetor on fire. He'd unstrap, jump out, beat
out the fire with a rag, and remount to pursue a decent finish.
As I recall , Frank attended a few races at Fairmont and at
least one at the old Otter Creek Speedway near Vergennes, Vermont. He also
ran fairly regularly at Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY - a track
almost as familiar to the Canadians as to Americans. But, the amazing part
of Frank Hodge's career has mainly to do with Quebec. As nearly as I can
determine, he drove almost every prominent car in the Quebec sportsman
scene by the 1970's, with the possible exception of the 5A and the 27A.
So, here's to you Frank. You are held in high enough
regard to have been invited to pose for a photo with the best Canada had
to offer in the vintage racing era.
Courtesy of Gerard Major
MORE TO COME
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Frank's Earlier
Racing Days
1950's |
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