THOSE RAPIDLY RACIN

The Company May Have Collapsed and Been Forced into Merger with Nash - But Nobody
Could Outrace a Hudson if the Ground Between Them was Level

The Hudson has played an important part in the history of American automobile production. Unfortunately, like the Packard and the Studebaker, its corporate size did not survive the post - World War II change in the nature and makeup of the American car industry. Hence, there will never be as many Hudson to find lying around the country as one will see in Chevrolets or Fords. However, the way the newer Hudson were designed and the great motors they all had made them a popular stock car of choice - on all levels - in the earlier days of stock car racing. My college buddy, Steve Ladd, loved those cars so much his home yard was a jumble of old Hudson stuff.
This page will simply get all of my Hudson race pix into one place.

Ladabouche Photos
Buddy Bardwell's Hudson
Shown here lining up
for a high handicap
heat at Fairmont, may be the
last existing Hudson race car
that is actually raced.

Ladabouche Photos
Vern Baker works around his
6 PAC - an early '30's
Hudson that starred in
two different decades. In
the 1950's, legendary
Wally LaBelle drove. In the
'60's Vern had Ed Baker,
no relation to him.

From Dan Ody's 8MM DVD
Wally LaBelle, in action
at Whites Beach Speedway
around 1952. Check out
the similarity between that shot
and one of Red Smith's
33 1/3, another car from
Athol, NY, around 1963.

Ladabouche Photo

Source Unknown
A similar Hudson
on Long Island.

Alexander Family Photo
Alex Alexander, at Bear
Ridge, with what he says
is a Hudson. I wouldn't
know, but Steve Ladd
would have.

Lebanon Valley Classics Photo
Joe Messina, a Troy, NY
driver, loved his Hudsons.

Ladabouche Collection
Joe, at the Pine Bowl.

Courtesy of Ed Fabian
Joe, in Al Green's
wrecky - looking, but fast Hudson.
This program, the car threw
a wheel almost into the stands.

Ladabouche Photo
Vern Baker and Ed Baker
finally replaced the old
LaBelle Hudson with
this newer Terraplane.
It was a disaster, for
the most part and Vern
called it a career. [Below]
The old Hudson, when the
CVRA made them replace
the fenders. That's Ed.

Ladabouche Photos

Source Unknown
An old Islip entry.
This car was almost
exactly the same
color scheme as the
last Baker Hudson - just
had a fuller body.

Bob Mackey Photo
Courtesy of John Rock
This rough - looking Hud
ran at Airborne Speedway.
It might have been Howard Rock.

Ladabouche Collection
Pete Peterson - a
Pine Bowl competitor.

McDowell Photo
Courtesy of Ken Gypson

HAMB Photo
A win at Pine Bowl

St. Lawrence Plain
Dealer Photo
Speedy Williamson,
at St. Lawrence Valley
Speedway, Canton, NY

Source Unknown
Future racing exec
Lou Figari wrecks a
Hudson in NASCAR's
short track series,
somewhere in California.

Courtesy of Cho Lee
Dale "Tubby" Hatch
at Thunder Road.

Bob Mackey Photo
Courtesy of John Rock
Vermonter Wayne
Chandler wins at
Airborne in the 50's.

Bob Mackey Photo
Courtesy of John Rock
Dick Gushlaw, with the
0 Hudson - also driven by Shorty
Carmichael - Airborne. [Below]

Ladabouche Collection

Bob Mackey Photo
Courtesy of Mike Watts
Looks like Gushlaw again.
6 PAC - a

Bob Mackey Photo
Courtesy of John Rock
What looks like the
8 Jr. Hudson, in a
lineup at Airborne,
at far right.

From Dan Ody's 8MM DVD
Hudson #52 at the
Stateline Speedway,
near Bennington, VT

Christian T- Gaz Genest Photo
G. Bergeron, at Fury
Speedway, an early 60's
NASCAR sportsman track in
the Montreal area.

Bob Mackey Photo
Courtesy of Mike Watts
Henry Jarvis, in the
#77 A&W Hudson, in
a lineup at Airborne.

From dan Ody's 8MM DVD
Henry, at Saranac Lake.
That smoking monster in
the rear is the first car
of Wes Slugger Moody.

Ladabouche Collection
Somebody in a Hudson
runs Langhorne in 1961.
Trailing, is the #179 of
Hoppy Jensen.

THE FABULOUS HUDSON HORNET

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