JERRY KING "The Rutland Rocket" 

                             
                             


Courtesy of Jerry King

Jerry with the original 5 Aces, around 1952

     Jerry King was a young Rutland, Vermont man in 1951, when the Franzoni/Romano/Newman partnership opened the brand new Pico Raceway, on Newman's farm south of Rutland. A man attached to fast cars, Jerry put together a late - 1930's Ford coupe and numbered it "5 Aces", for whatever personal reason he had. This began a career that spanned three decades as a driver and car owner in the Rutland County and Eastern New York area. Today, Jerry still operates his gun shop daily at his home on Elm Street in Rutland.

PICO - 1951 through 1953

 
Courtesy of Jerry King
Posing with the original 5
Aces, the car he used at Pico.
 
Courtesy of Jerry King
Lining up for a heat race
at Pico in 1952.
 
Courtesy of Jerry King
Onlookers in the infield
 look over Jerry's mud -
spattered car.
 
Courtesy of Jerry King
Posing with the original 5
Aces, the car he used at Pico
 
Courtesy of Jerry King
Posing with the muddy 5
Aces, the car he used at Pico. Note the cement wall, meaning 1952.

Courtesy of Jerry King
A man in the stands reacts
as Jerry speeds by at speed on  the front stretch at Pico around 1952.

 
Courtesy of Jerry King
At speed in turn 3 at Pico.

Courtesy of Jerry King
Working with the windshield  in the infield
at Pico.


Courtesy of Jerry King
After race beer.


Courtesy of Jerry King
Jerry greets well-wishers
after a feature. Some
are a bit overdressed
for Pico ?

Courtesy of Jerry King
Big Pico pit confab.
From left: UNK, Art Morgan, Don LeFrancois, Jerry, and UNK.

Courtesy of Jerry King
The crowd watches as
Jerry's car approaches.
 
Courtesy of Jerry King
The crowd watches as
Jerry's car leads the way out of turn four.

Courtesy of Jerry King
A field of cars rumbles
away for the parade lap with Jerry in the rear.
     

STATELINE - 1952 through 1954


Courtesy of Jerry King
Then came the urge to go South
and race at Staeline Speedway
with many of the same guys
who were running Pico. His Stateline
car sits by the house on Muzzey St.

 

Courtesy of Jerry King
The Stateline car, from
another angle, at the
Muzzey Street house.

Courtesy of Jerry King
Jerry had a lot of success
at Stateline once he  solved carburetion problems. I see he learned hole drilling to lighten the car from Bob Whitbeck.

Courtesy of Paul Connors
The Stateline car,
at Stateline.
This was shot by future late model star and Grand National driver, Paul Connors - originally from Danby, VT.

Courtesy of Jerry King
A sneak peek under the
hood of the Stateline car -
probably with the 2nd carb.

Bill Ladabouche Photo
The first custom - made
Bennington carburetor
gave him enough gas
in the turns.

Bill Ladabouche Photo
The second Bennington
carburetor designed
for Stateline.
 
Courtesy of Jerry King
An old Stateline Speedway
newspaper ad for one
one of their bigger shows.
 
Courtesy of Jerry King
Jerry was achieving
fame at Stateline.
 
Courtesy of Jerry King
Another Stateline
article with King as
the headliner.

FAIRMONT - 1964 & 1965


Bill Ladabouche Photo
As Fairmont Speedway
was making headlines in
Rutland County in the
1960's, Jerry got this
Ford coupe together
for competition in 1964.

Courtesy of Jerry King
The Fairmont car, in
full color, at the
home garage.

Courtesy of Jerry King
Jerry poses with the
Fairmont car. It looks like
 it may have had one
mixup already.
 
Courtesy of Jerry King
Jerry eventually teamed
up with Pittsford's
"Rapid Ralph" Palmer for
a season. Palmer would go on
to drive for Dexter Dorr at
Devil's Bowl.

 
Dick Britain Photo
Jerry
or Ralph. in a race
 lineup in 1964 at Fairmont.

Dick Britain Photo
Jerry or Ralph. in a race
 in 1964 at Fairmont won a
heat.
 

Courtesy of Jerry King
In 1964, King brought out
the '37 Ford and often had
Palmer drive. The Ralph Soulia connection is mentioned.


Courtesy of Jerry King
Towards the end of the
Fairmont Speedway era,
king teamed up with Ralph
Soulia, a Rutland postal
 worker who drove in the
division. Here Soulia [left]
receives a gift from Clayton
Tanner, of the fan club. This
car is where the #99 and Jerry
crossed paths. Ironically, Soulia
pulled out a championship at Fairmont with a car built by Dexter Dorr.
  
 
Courtesy of Jerry King
With his King - prepared car wrecked,
Soulia was rescued by Proctor's Bob
Ames, who had bought Decter Dorr's potent Chevy hobby car, but didn'take to race driving much.  Soulia would take the track title with the Ames car, wrenched by King.
 
Ladabouche Photo
The former Dorr hobby car,
as owned by Ames before they
turned it into #99.

DEVIL'S BOWL 1967 - 1970


Courtesy of Jerry King
As Fairmont Speedway
was history, Devil's Bowl
opened. Jerry was one
of the few featured men
in the article.


Courtesy of Jerry King
Jerry's 99 on the track at
Devil's Bowl, there for the
first time. This might be the
time Mert Hulbert used the
car.

Ivie O'Donnell's  Devil's Bowl
article mentions King.

Courtesy of Jerry King
Jerry's 99 on the track at
Devil's Bowl, there for the
first time. Looks like  Mert
Hulbert talking to the flagger.

Courtesy of Jerry King
Jerry wins a heat with the 99 at
Devil's Bowl in 1968.

Courtesy of Jerry King
Jerry wins his 1st  heat with the
99 at Devil's Bowl in Oct., '67.
 
 
Courtesy of Jerry King
The King 99, trailered, after the races in 1967.

Courtesy of Jerry King
Getting a push from an
early Bruno wrecker.
 
 
Courtesy of Jerry King
Amsterdam, NY's Ray Sitterly,
a Fonda regular, wins a heat
with King's car.

 
Courtesy of Jerry King
Jerry, on the track in his first week
at Devil's Bowl in Fall., '67.
 
Courtesy of Jerry King
Jerry on the track
in 1968 with what must
be a birthday cake.
 
Courtesy of Jerry King
Jerry with the car in 1970.
He is beside the Champlin 72,
often driven at Lakeville by
Freddie DeSarro.
 
Courtesy of Jerry King
The late models head out for a feature as Jerry returns the flag from a
consi win.
 
Courtesy of Jerry King
Jerry and Sonny Rabieau
go around a daredevil that
is finishing a race.
 
Courtesy of Jerry King
A good 1970 posed shot.

 


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