THE PINE BOWL

I will begin to construct this page without all the notes I have taken from listening to Ken Gypson lecture about it all the Saratoga Auto Museum lost race tracks conferences. It is obvious that the little track hidden out in the woods near Snyders Corners in the Troy, New York region is held very dearly by people in the Empire State racing community because no track has gotten the attention at the lost race track conferences that the Pine Bowl has.

While the Pine Bowl was neither in Vermont nor probably was sanctioned by any organization shared with Vermont tracks, several drivers who raced there regularly or one several occasions did also appear at various Vermont tracks - Stateline and Fairmont being the most likely. Also, Pine Bowl's close proximity to Vermont gives me more reason to include it in the site.

When time allows, this information will increase. In the meantime, enjoy the visuals.

Courtesy of Ken Gypson

An early feature start at the Pine Bowl. 87 [inside row 2] is Doug Mead; behind him is V2, Don Gardner; Sayles Casey is somewhere in there with the Von Fricken RU21; 13 was id'd as Doug Messena [I think it is Joe Messina]; Don Patten is 95; and George Welch in the Brush Radio 27 is at the rear of the field. [Information from a caption in a Ken Gypson article, Eastern Hot Rodder Magazine]

Cavalcade Photo Dick Hansen	Pettit Collection Link Pettit, Schenectady, NY	Pettit Collection Link Pettit, with Pinky the Clown
Gypson Collection Sayles Casey, Troy, NY	AMEX Website Photo Pine Bowl action: V, Stan Disbrow; 28, Lee Bertrand; and 1,Ernie Martin.	AMEX Website Photo Pine Bowl action: 00, Pete Winnie

Photo Source - Joe Grossetti

Probably Property of Ken Gypson

Ken Gypson Collection
A 1954 or 1955 Program. Shows Bob Hickey or Vinnie Becker flipping.

The various program pages I have been lucky enough to copy show several names that tell various stories.
IF YOU CLICK ON SOME OF THESE NAMES IT WILL LINK TO THEIR PHOTO

Irv Conron Photo Ernie Martin, Grooms Corners A Whites Beach Champ	Bill Ladabouche Photo George Proctor, Cohoes Not his Pine Bowl car. Over the years, variously listed from Crescent and Waterford as well.	Courtesy of Ken Gypson Jollie Ollie Palmer, West Albany Ollie drove this, plus his own J-O, the #333, and the Fowler 27Jr.	NE Vintage Racing Site Buddy Krebs, Suffield, CT Not his Pine Bowl car. This is the Gordon Ross 19. Buddy often ran the Suffield Auto 5 in the earlier days at places like Pine Bowl, Rhythm Inn, etc.
Courtesy of Ken Gypson Sayles Casey, Troy One of the first to drive several legendary cars, including the John Von Fricken RU21.	Source Unknown Joe Messina, Albany Joe's own car. He also drove a number of cars, including the Green 3 and 1/7 and Tremont 115's.	Hackel Collection Lee Palmer, Albany One of Bob Hackel, Sr's first cars.	Source Unknown Pete Winnie, Schenectady 00
Riverside History Site Stan Disbrow, Poughkeepsie	McDowell Photo Joe Wunderlich, West Sand Lake	McDowell Photo Chuck Irving, New Baltimore	Dick MillsPhoto Gene Bergin, Hartford, CT This car is the Suffield Auto 5. The team's coupe was actually driven at Pine Bowl by Buddy Krebs. Bergin drove an M1, for which I have no photo yet.
Ken Gypson Collection Mike Ehring, NY	Ken Gypson Collection Len Miron, Cohoes, NY Miron would roll the car for #15.	Ken Gypson Collection Honest John Knighton and Miss WTRY	Ken Gypson Collection Gordon Film, NY
Ken Gypson Collection Kenny Goddermotte, Averill Park, NY That's Stubby South in the background with S-7

Courtesy of Ken Gypson Sayles Casey, Troy One of the first to drive several legendary cars, including the John Von Fricken RU21. Note that Von Fricken is mentioned in the drivers' roster, too.	Link Pettit Collection Link Pettit, Schenectady The famous Brush Radio 27. Jim Brush also worked as a Pine Bowl Official.	Link Pettit Collection Ollie Palmer, Westmere Bill Fowler drove the car first, and then handed it over to Palmer.	Ladabouche Collection Pete Peterson Albany Another of Pete's cars. Probably Pete's kid.
Arnie Ainsworth Photo Stretch Van Steenberg, Saugerties	Ken Gypson Collection Walt Reese, Hudson Another of Cliff Wright's drivers ?	Biitig Collection Frank Blum, New Milford, CT Could be him Taken at Fonda_ in the 1950's	Bill Fifield Collection Robbie Kotary, Rome Could this Ward Petit car be the same as Ernie Palmer's
Courtesy of Russ Blake Merwin Hommel, Saugerties 43