Northern New York Drivers and Teams
A Look at the Coupes of Yesteryear
Tracks in this area would include Airborne Speedway, in Plattsburgh; Fort Covington Speedway, Fort Covington, NY.; Moffitt Road, near Plattsburgh; Saranac Lake, Saranac Lake, NY; and more I haven't heard about yet. I am not including tracks from the 1980's, on up to the present.
CLICK ON THE TRACK NAME
TO GO TO THAT SECTION
Airborne
Fort Covington
Saranac Lake
AIRBORNE
SPEEDWAY
Plattsburgh, New York
I am not adding more to this section because Airborne has its own page elsewhere. CLICK HERE to go there.
 Courtesy of Pascal "Magnum" Paul Hamel,
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 Courtesy of Pascal "Magnum" Andre Manny |
 Courtesy of Mike Watts Bernie Griffith, |
Courtesy of Pascal "Magnum" Bob Brunelle, |
 Courtesy of Mike Watts Vic Wolfe's famed #66 |
Burlington Free Press Jack DuBrul, Bob Dragon, and Beaver Dragon - The Vermont Contingent in 1971
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Courtesy of Mike Watts Buck Holliday, |
Courtesy of Pascal "Magnum" Jean-Paul Cabana, |
Courtesy of Rick Parry Rene Charland,
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Cavalcade of Auto Racing Charlie Draper, |
Cavalcade of Auto Racing Charlie Trombley, |
Courtesy of Danish Family Steve Danish, |
Cavalcade of Auto Racing Pete Corey,
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Courtesy of John Grady Marcel Corriveau,
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Photographer Unknown Denis Giroux |
Courtesy of Pascal "Magnum" Dick Goodell, |
Courtesy of Cho Lee Dick Nephew,
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Courtesy of John Grady Don MacTavish, |
Bill Ladabouche Photo Jack DuBrul, |
Courtesy of Cho Lee Marcel Godard, |
Courtesy of Mike Watts Ernie Ried, |
Courtesy of Pascal "Magnum" Frank Hodge,
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Cavalcade of Auto Racing Frank Provost [left], |
Courtesy of John Grady Ernie Gahan, |
Courtesy of John Grady Gaston Desmarais, |
Courtesy of John Grady Jean Guy Chartrand, |
Cavalcade of Auto Racing Pete Hamilton |
Cavalcade of Auto Racing Harry Provost
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Cavalcade of Auto Racing Jackie Peterson, The George Palmetier
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Courtesy of John Grady George Janoski, |
Courtesy of John Grady Jeep Herbert, |
Courtesy of John Grady Butch Jelley, |
Courtesy of Dan Nolin Jerry Cook, |
Devils Bowl Yearbook Jerry Pennock, |
Courtesy of Pascal "Magnum" Bob Karvonen,
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Courtesy of Bill Fifield Lou Lazarro, |
Cavalcade of Auto Racing Mack Miller,
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Courtesy of John Grady Maurice Tallard, |
Courtesy of John Grady Ray Forte, |
Courtesy of Bob Novak Roger Gauthier, |
Courtesy of Saratoga Auto Museum Andy Romano,
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Courtesy of John Grady Ron Narducci, |
Courtesy of Bob Novak Russ Shaw, |
Bill Ladabouche Jim LeClaire, |
Courtesy of John Grady Ken Shoemaker, |
 Catamount Yearbook Trombley brothers,
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Bill Ladabouche The Tucker 14, Various drivers |
Courtesy of John Grady Wes Moody, |
Courtesy of Pascal "Magnum" Pierre LaFrance, |
 Courtesy of Jim Ladabouche Nick Ronca, |
Bill Ladabouche The Allie Swears 51 |
Courtesy of John Grady Bob Bruno, |
Courtesy of John Grady Joe Thomas, |
 Cavalcade of Auto Racing Bill Wimble, |
Bill Ladabouche Welch's 77 |
Photo by Turn Five Richie Evans, |
PLATTSBURGH LEGENDS PAGE from a Catamount Stadium Yearbook
Photographer Unknown
The late models move out for a heat as action continues in the Dick Nephew pit area, in the top right of the photo.
FORT COVINGTON
SPEEDWAY
Fort Covington, New York
The track in Fort Covington was so close to the Canadian border that a few of the old hands would exaggerate a bit and say one of the turns was actually in Canada. I don't think this is true. I have a Terraserver Satellite photo of the old layout which will make the location more correct; but, I don't a lot of pictures specific to Fort Covington. Many of the teams that ran Airborne or Saranac Lake would have run at Fort Covington, I suppose.
Courtesy of the Pascal "Magnum" Website
Medor Viau on the track at Fort Covington.
Terraserver Satellite Photo
The Fort Covington track is located right in the middle of this shot, just below
where the river [which is the international boundary] starts to arc to the
right. Notice the track IS quite close to that.
Terraserver USGS Topographical Map
The track is seen right under the Ft. in "Ft Covington".
Courtesy of Pascal "Magnum" website
Future engine builder Ovide Doiron is on the Fort Covington track in
what appears to be a late model race.
 Courtesy Pascal "Magnum" Website Paul Hamel, with the Gaston Ethier #66 likely drove at the Fort
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 John Grady Photo Wadington, NY's Buck Holliday ran at Ft. Covington |
 John Grady Photo Dick Nephew, of nearby Mooers Forks ran at the track |
 Bill Hoffnagle Photo Remains of frontstretch, Fort Covington |
 Bill Hoffnagle Photo Remains of stands, Fort Covington |
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 Bill Hoffnagle Photo Remains of a storage building that probably came after the track had closed. |
SARANAC LAKE
SPEEDWAY
Saranac Lake, New York
If I can catch Wes Moody at a time when he is not involved in preparing his modified for action on the pavement on at Airborne, he might have time to tell me about the track in Saranac Lake. I think I found it on Terraserver Satellite, but, as of right now, I have no photos of anyone directly identified as being on that track. Jim Hoyt, another Saranac Lake native, might be another good resource.
Terraserver Satellite Photo
This clearly shows what must be the old Saranac Lake
Speedway. It is actually closer
to the town of Lake Colby than it is to greater Saranac Lake.
USGS Terraserver Topographical
Map
The old Saranac Lake Speedway is located halfway between the left side of that diagonal line running from lower right to upper left and the short street of the trailer park that points straight out to the right and stops. I am not sure what the diagonal line is - it isn't a road.
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Wes Moody, First man to go 100 M.P.H. at Syracuse
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 Courtesy of Mike Watts
Vince Quenneville, First actual Saranac |
 Courtesy of Mike Watts Driver named Rushlow Owner Mac Bushey |
 Courtesy of Mike Watts
Bernie Kentile, In Dick Nephew's |
 Courtesy of Norm Vadnais
Charlie Draper, |
 Courtesy of Norm Vadnais
Andre Smith, |
 Courtesy of Mike Watts
Graham Trudo, |
 Courtesy of Ardyce Blohm
Rod Ritchie, |
 Courtesy of Mike Watts
The infamous shared |
 Courtesy of Wes Moody Jim Hoyt, Saranac Lake, NY |
 Courtesy of Wes Moody Bernie Kentile, Saranac Lake, NY The ex-Tucker 14 VT |
 Courtesy of Wes Moody Wes Moody, Saranac Lake, NY |
SCENES OF SARANAC LAKE REMAINS
 Ladabouche Photo Cement retaining wall off backstretch. |
 Ladabouche Photo ARMCO barrier. |
 Ladabouche Photo The Aaron Hoyt barn, used for registrations.  Courtesy of Wes Moody Wes Moody and Crewman. Note barn in background. |
