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     Many of our region's best - known earlier stock car drivers came right out of a post - WWII Capital District, New York [or very close thereof]. This is where we got Steve Danish, Jeep Herbert, Pete Corey, Howie Westervelt, Doug Garrison, Link Pettit, and dozens more. One such man was a young Pete Corey's bosom buddy, and one who actually started out supposedly sharing one crude stock with the fiery driver of Lebanese descent. That would be one Kenny Shoemaker.
            Most likely, at some point way in the early family history, the family name was Schumacher - which very well could have been from rthe region's strong Dutch heritage. Shoemaker would not ever become a car owner of any note - much unlike his pal, Pete. Instead, Ken would turn out [along with the likes of Donny Wayman, Jim Luke, Jeep Herbert, and others] to be one of the best drivers - for - hire in the history of northeast stock car racing.
            Besides a fierce competitive streak, what set Shoemaker aside from the crowd was his utterly pugnacious disposition. Not particularly impressive at first glance, with his chubby physique and short stature, Shoemaker was ready, on a moment's notice, to start throwing punches at the slightest perceived aggression against him. This was interesting because the old phrase "The Shoe never lifts." refers to his own hard -charging, rough driving style.
            Given he didn't take very good care of owners' precious cars and he wasn't exactly a picture of physical fitness, Ken Shoemaker had a career longer than almost any other of his contemporaries except maybe for Cyclone Forrette. The portly truck driver finally did retire and was around for a few years of signing autographs at special shows at Fonda - after he had tried owning and promoting his own track for a short while. He has since passed away.

Courtesy of Dan Ody A very young Ken with an unknown crew man.	Courtesy of Fonda Book Supposedly, the car Ken shared with his pal, Pete Corey.	Vogel Family Photo Young Ken enjoys baby Bonnie Vogel, when he drove for Ted Vogel, Sr.	Vogel Family Photo With Vogel's LVJr. at Pico Raceway.	Vogel Family Photo Ken sometimes had a team car with Vogel. One looks more like a Chevy.
Les King Photo Vogel Family Collection With Vogel's LVJr.	Vogel Family Photo With what looks like a new Vogel car in 1952.	Vogel Family Photo The more familiar Vogel number, 95. This was after 1952.	Source Unknown Shoemaker with the Vogel 95 - a short-lived coupe with the 95 number.	Vogel Family Photos Shoemaker puts an end to the Vogel coupe at Fonda. After this it was usually sedans.
Courtesy of Dan Ody Here, Red Knoblauch's venerable 13 got a run for its money it may have never seen before. From Shoemaker Book	Source Unknown Ken had a short stint in the Sam Kitler/ Gibby Wolfe 37	Courtesy of Jo Towns via Otto Graham A Fonda win for the Kitler / Wolfe 37. From the Shoemaker Book	From Chris Masse Pretty self explanatory.	Vintage Modifieds Site Shoemaker poses sometime around 1960.
From Vogel Collection If you were not sure how to get around Fonda, this might help.	From the Shoemaker Book A Fonda win with AC Caprara's well-used Ford. He is with two presenters.	From the Shoemaker Book Driving for A. C. Caprara [right]. In Vic Lane with AC and ace mechanic Eddie Pieniazek [2nd from right].	From Robert Weaver With Barb in Vic Lane with the Caprara car.	From the Vogel Collection Another shot of the Loomis/ Vogel car at Mettawee, No. Granville, NY.

Courtesy of Dan Ody Ken, with arguable the best car he drove for Chris Drellos. I think this one came from the Henry Caputo stable.	Source Unknown A victory in one of the 111's. It looks a lot the one at left.	Courtesy of Ed Mudd Corey and Shoemaker lined up with the Drellos cars.	Courtesy of CJ Richards Ken and Drellos about owned the track in Vergennes, VT in its NASCAR days.	John Grady Photo This looks like a different 111.
Source Unknown Vogel Family Collection Posing with the first Drellos backup car - the three window that Jeep usually got stuck with.	Lew Boyd Photo Coll. That second 111, as it caught fire while refueling during the first long distance Fonda race around 1963.	Courtesy of Ed Fabian When Otter Creek held a special NASCAR sportsman race after the track had dropped the sanction, Drellos brought the 111. That's Ken standing in the middle for intros.	Ladabouche Photo The original 111 leaving Otter Creek Speedway after another victory.	Ladabouche Collection A januty Shoemaker in Victory Lane at Fonda. He has his best 111.
Source Unknown To add to the Drellos 111 mystery. Here, Ken sits at left with one 5 window coupe and Paul Marshall has another, at right.	From Kevin Grenier With the Drellos 111 on the track at Otter Creek Speedway, one of his favorite tracks.	From the Shoemaker Book Ken leading in the Drellos 11. I don't know if this is the one Corey ended up driving, but it looks like it.	From Rick Parry Another win.	From the Shoemaker Book Ken having a light moment with Da Champ. Many of their meetings were NOT very light.
	From Woody Woodbury A blurry but rare shot of the 111 at Otter Creek around 1962 or 63.	From Rick Parry A blurry shot at speed.	Russ Bergg Photo Boyd Coleection Admiring another trophy in the Drellos era.

From the Shoemaker Book Ken's first photo with his new ride, the Wright/Zautner Toll Gate Ice Cream 24 vacated by Don Wayman.	From the Shoemaker Book Ken's first win with his new W/Z car. That is Cliff Wright in the background.	Courtesy of Dan Ody Wright's crisp and unbelievably fast 24.	Courtesy of Cliff Wright Cliff Wright, the man those fast 24's.	John Grady Photo From Arnie Ainsworth The even - faster pavement version. This is the one Don MacTavish ended up driving.
Courtesy of Ed Fabian After running in an All-Star show for CJ Richards at Otter Creek, Shoe appeared at Fairmont with the 24.	John Grady Photo Courtesy of Pascal Cote The caption pretty much tells the story of Cliff Wright's best - ever car.	Courtesy of Cliff Wright The first 24 - right after Shoemaker took over from Don Wayman. [Below] Another Victoria win. Courtesy of Dan Ody	Ladabouche Photo Cliff Wright, in 2007 with his perpetual\| partner and sponsor, Bob "Toll Gate Ice Cream" Zautner at his right.	Courtesy of Dan Ody The same januty posein Victory Lane at Fonda. with the Wright 24, Just before Cliff built the new one.
From Glen Tustin A closeup after a successful run with the first coupe.	From the Cavalcade of Racing Probably Russ Bergh Photo Another pose.	Courtesy of Arnie Ainsworth Ken, with arguably the best car he drove for anybody - Cliff Wright's 24. That isn't Cliff in the background. This is at Victoria Speedway.	Race Songs Site Same car - but at Fonda.	From the Boyd Collection A Wright /Zautner 24 not in one of its best moments at Fonda.
	Number Nine Video Said to be Shoemaker leading at Mil-Ray Speedway.	Shany Lorenzent Photo From Dave Dykes The 1st Wright /Zautner at Stafford during the great Fonda invasion of 1964.	Shoemaker Book An asphalt win.

HAMB Message Board Photo Ken landed a ride with free - spending Joe Leto.	Courtesy of Dan Ody In Victory Lane at Fonda with Joe Leto.	Courtesy of Arnie Ainsworth With the Leto 50 Gremlin at the Valley.	Gater Racing News Photo Joe Leto [left] and equally flamboyant owner, Vermont's Austin Dickerman.	Fred. Hendricks Photo In Joe Leto's Pinto.
Ladabouche Photo Leto Gremlins lined up at Lebanon Valley. Quite blurry. Supposedly a Walt Schwinning chassis.	From Keith Shoemaker At speed with the coupe.	From the Shoemaker Book At speed with one of the Leto Gremlins.	From Arnie Ainsworth The Rossell built Gremlin.	From Scott Belknap A Fonda win with one of the Leto Gremlins. Someone said that's Jake Spraker at right.

Courtesy of Arnie Ainsworth With Rich Mazza's Little Susie Team out of Massachusetts.	Courtesy of Jo Towns via Otto Graham In Victory Lane at Fonda with Joe Romano's 97x backup car. Courtesy of Dan Ody	John Grady Photo Romano Collection The Romano arrangement didn't always go smoothly as Don MacTavish learns here.	HAMB Message Board Photo For old buddy, Pete Corey at Langhorne. Source Unknown Source U nknown At N azareth	HAMB Message Board Photo Interesting shot. Ken is in the Jay Broderick 40, and his former Leto ride is in the background, with fellow tough guy Tommie Corellis.
Courtesy of Dan Ody Jeff McWalker's car.	Courtesy of Mike Watts Ken drove one of the" last Bill Fowler 27Jrs.	From the Shoemaker Book Ken took a Will Cagle car and beat Wily Will at Fonda with it - twice.	From the Shoemaker Book Driving for Alan Kuglers in the 24S Barrel Head Root Beer Gremlin.	From the Shoemaker Book Taking out Dick Bennett's #71 Bernie's Liquor Shop car. He ended up getting his own Caprara car back by the consi.
From the Shoemaker Book Ken took John Lepore's #63 coupe and had it painted like a Leto car. Not sure why, but John was less than pleased.	From the Shoemaker Book A brief stint with the potent Russ Betz 59CT.	From the Shoemaker Book Henry Natale's Greene Electric - sponsored 24 coupe.	From the Shoemaker Book Ken took a win with the Tony Villano Falcon also driven by Jack Johnson and Jerry Pennock.	From the Shoemaker Book Ken had some good dirt runs with the famed Bobby Judkins 2X before the 2X group built their famed Pinto and stayed with asphalt.
Larry Mickelson Photo Ken drove this Walt Cross Camaro, as well.	From David Herrick With another Fonda ride in early '70's. It's not Wes Moody's.	From Mike Cranston A Weld - built Gremlin.	From John Gallant With the famed southern New England car, M80 at Malta.	From Chas Hertica With the famed 707 on the pavement at Langhorne.
FroChas Hertica Ken had a good run on the dirt with Bob Judkins' 2X.	John Grady Photo from Keith Shoemaker Apparently not bad on the pavement either.	From Rick Parry Like seemingly everyone else onthe planet, Ken took a turn in the Tony Villano Falcon.\|	From Keith Shoemaker The Root Beer Gremlin.	From the Midstate Club A later 24 - not Wright / Zautner. Likely Henry Nartale car.
From Gater Racing News Ken, driving the Cagle experimental car [on the outside here], beat Will at Fonda.	From Gerry LaVallee Another view of the Henry Natale coupe.	From Sam Barlow The Weld built Gremlin, in color.	From Gerry LaVallee Another white 24 coupe; but unlikely to be Wright/Zautner.	John Grady Photo From Fonda Book Putting the Judkins 2X in Vic Lane at Fonda.
		John Grady Photo One of the many quality drivers who worked for Frank Trinkhaus. From the Shoemaker Book Driving for Trinkhaus with an old friend - his former Drellos 111 bought by Frank.

From Shoemaker Book With Barb at home - mid career.	From Shoemaker Book With Barb at NYSSCRA Hall of Fame induction. That's Cliff Wright behind.	From the Shoemaker Book With friend, Pete Corey - another Caprara driver at times.	From the Shoemaker Book With friends, Ken Tremont Sr - and Marvelous Merv Treichler.	From the Shoemaker Book Legendary Al Tasnady and HOF car owner Dick Cozze employed Ken to help them set up at some Fonda shows.
From Ed Feuz Collection The Shoemakers.	From the Shoemaker Book At one of his last Fonda feature wins, Ken got to be congratulated by friend and contemporary , Jim Luke.	From the Shoemaker Book A nice autographed portait for some fan during the Cliff Wright era.	From David Kilmartin With a Mike Ciaravino mod he helped build. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he stayed current on race technology.

From the Shoemaker Book
In Fonda Victory Lane with Will Cagle after he took a Cagle car and beat Will. He did it again the next time, but Will wasn't celebrating that one.

Courtesy of Jo Towns via Otto Graham The Henry Caputo 111, When first built.	From the Shoemaker Book The Henry Caputo 111, with the roof flaps, the brake light, and a new radio antenna.	Courtesy of Mike Watts A very new - looking 111 at Airborne.	From the Shoemaker Book Another win for the Caputo 111 at Fonda.	From the Shoemaker Book Proudly showing the lethal new Caputo 111 at Fonda.
From the Shoemaker Book The Henry Caputo 111, wins another. That's Chet Hames handing off the flag. I judge this to be a Caputo because the roof was still clean of alterations.	From Keith Shoemaker A Fonda pose with the NASCAR trophy one of these guys was to win in the late '50's.	Bob Farlee Photo The 111, arriving at Middletown. Ignore the caption, the driver was Shoe.	Joel Naprtek Photo A win with the main Caputo car. There are claims that this is at Monroe County.	From Keith Shoemaker A different photo with the close- to -brand -new 111.

		From Keith Tesiero, Jr. A later look at the original 111 - now well used.