WEST BRATTLEBORO SPEEDWAY A Pioneer Race Track in the Corner of Vermont

BRATTLEBORO SPEEDWAY
A Pioneer Race Track in the Corner of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts

Courtesy of Lew Boyd
Cars line up at the West Brattleboro track, circa 1952. In the photo are [from left]: Buddy Bardwell (13); Joe Ryan (X); and DN3, Sonny Rabideau.
There are a lot of the cutdown cars that were popular in Massachusetts at the time.

                    I have little firm information on the West Brattleboro track. I don't know if it had a name other than Brattleboro Speedway or what years it actually was in operation. I can surmise that its location, in the corner of three states, was a big plus. I can see that it was very crude by today's standards, with logs lining the backstretch. I haven't been able to see if there were grandstands or concessions, etc. One photo shows a small outbuilding of some sort.
                    In recent years, I have snooped around the area and took a few photos, hoping I was even somewhat near the site. Bob Grover, an area native, has taken a more certain series to go with mine. We still seek more information on this track that was obviously an integral part of racing in the early 1950's. I believe it shared drivers with Safford Park [The Cheshire County Fairgrounds in Keene, NH] and with the Rhythm Inn Speedway near Millers Falls, MA. It is also possible that cars that ran North Hinsdale, NH might have run here, as well.
                    Judging from the cutdowns in some of the shots, a few drivers from The Pines race track may have been trying out tracks that featured more regular - sized stock cars, Drivers who seem to have tried West Brat include Sonny Rabideau, Buddy Bardwell, Art Rousseau, Joe Ryan, Rene Charland, Ray Harris, Ray Brown, George Schnyer, Roy Forsythe, Flash Gordon, Dick Stone, and someone named Kison.

Racers Bored Site
Another look at a lineup.
Note the log barriers, as
well as some fence.

Courtesy Lew Boyd
A lineup that includes Art Rousseau
[621], Buddy Bardwell [horns on roof],
and Ray Harris [37].

D L Collection
A driver named Kison
in his pit area. Note the
area in the background.

D L Collection
Flash Gordon, who supposedly
ran at West Brat.

COurtesy of Walt Ryan
Rene Charland, in the feature-
winning Leo Matgo #107

D L Collection
Dick Stone,
Montague, MA

Courtesy of Barber Collection
George Barber's car
overheating on the track.

Bob Grover Photo
Turns one and two at the site of the track. That is the building supply on US Rte 9.

Bob Grover Photo Headed into turn one at the site of the track.	Bob Grover Photo Turns one and two at the site of the track.	Bob Grover Photo Backstretch.	Bob Grover Photo In turn three.	Bob Grover Photo From turn three into four.
Bob Grover Photo Mid turns three and four.	Bob Grover Photo Frontstretch, from turn four.	Bob Grover Photo The grandstand area.	Bob Grover Photo The pond that is now in the infield.	Bob Grover Photo The infield pond was created after the track was closed.

From Dan Ody 8mm DVD
Rene Charland [center, right of man with hat] may be receiving the first feature trophy of his
illustrious career at the Brattleboro Fairgrounds. [RIght] Charland and Matte head for Victory Lane.

From Dan Ody 8mm on You Tube
Action at West Brattleboro. Car 070 [left] and the J2 [maybe Red Foote] on right.

From Dan Ody 8mm on You Tube
Action at West Brattleboro. Joe Ryan, in the X follows something [I wouldn't
dignify it by calling it a stock car]. Could be Charland in the 107 at left.

Action at West Brattleboro. Buddy Bardwell catches car 61 and another car.	Roy "Pappy"Forsyth in his pre-Barber 46 days. He won a ton of races with this #80.	Action at West Brattleboro. Joe Ryan chases the bullhorned #13 of Buddy Bardwell.	Action at West Brattleboro. Joe Ryan is X. Rene Charland, who won that race, is likely the car at far left.
A cutdown numbered 92. Could it be Ted Brown?	West Brattleboro. The Matte 107 of Rene Charland.	Charland laps a slow white coupe on the inside.	A West Brattleboro field stopped on Turn 4 Charland is at far left. Joe Ryan is the X..

The cutdown-style 92
sits in the pits after
the race.

An unidentified car
sits in the pits after
the races. It looks
like somebody's family
is nearby.

A man jacks up one
of the cars after the
races.

A man with a cigar looks
down the track towards
Victory Lane.

Courtesy of Joe Crowley
Looking across the pits,
onto US Route 9 [where
the house is visible]

Courtesy of Joe Crowley
Action in Turn 3. 7 is Sonny
Rabideau in his 1st car,
owned by a brother.
Ironically, the 311 is Cecil
Bosworth. The next car
appears to be #$50 or
S50.

Courtesy of Joe Crowley
Joe Ryan leads a group
out of turn 4. Good view
of the grounds. The only
shot of the bleachers I
have.

Courtesy of Joe Crowley
Buddy Bardwell's 13
and some other cars
in their pits. [Below]
Bardwell's second car.

racersbored.com Site Photo
That same car , at Brattleboro.

Google Earth Satellite Photo
Although aerial photos show a almost totally - clear oval not far away, this is the site of the Brattleboro Speedway.
The track, seen in the middle, went around that pond. If you look hard, the northern end of that clearing has
a rounded edge to it. The home center seems to occupy the bleacher area.

Historic Aerials.Com
This is an early 1950's aerial view of the Brattleboro Speedway site. It might have been still in use.