History Space: What made Milton a racing town
You think racing in Milton, Vermont, — you think Catamount Stadium. So, how (in 1965) did Catamount come to be there? You have to look back, more than 10 years into the history of Chittenden County. In the earliest two years of the 1950s, the county featured six separate racetracks, many of which were operating simultaneously. By 1954, most were all gone; after 1959, all were gone.
Early Chittenden County tracks
It is believed the earliest track was called Sunset Speedway, and was replaced soon by the still-operating Sunset Drive-In in Malletts Bay. Very little is known about this track.
The other five came about in approximately the same time period: 1950 to 1951. The Malletts Bay Raceway (version 1) was located on what is now Belair Drive, across from the Clover House restaurant and behind the Catholic church in Malletts Bay. It was another relatively short-lived, little-known operation.
Another somewhat obscure player in this story was the South Burlington Raceway, located approximately behind the elementary school next to McDonald’s on Williston Road. A little bit more prominent was Harvey Moody’s 5/8 mile Green Mountain Speedway, located on Williams Road in Colchester on what was then some of the Brigante truck farm land. Described by one veteran of those racing days, Green Mountain was “kind of a chicken wire deal.”
The second most successful of the old Chittenden County tracks was the Colchester Raceway of Ivanhoe Smith. The flamboyant Smitty, a Winooski used car dealer who was one of the first local businessmen to use television to boost his venture, had his track just inside the Colchester town lines, on U.S. 2 near Essex Junction where the present-day Canyon Estates housing development sits.
Even the infamous Colchester Raceway took a back seat to Walter Barcomb’s track out on Vermont 127, beside the Malletts Bay Drive – in and not far from Malletts Bay Salvage, the Barcomb family salvage yard.
Beginning as Malletts Bay Raceway, the track hosted races that attracted drivers from not only Chittenden County, but also from all over northern Vermont, New York, and even occasionally from New Hampshire.
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The final version of the track was called Colchester – Bayview Speedway and it attracted many of the same big names that were running at Airborne, across the lake. There are indications that high profile teams such as the red and white 11’s of Hudson Falls’ Henry Caputo raced at least some at the track. Legendary Sterling “Buck” Holliday of Waddington, N.Y., way over by Watertown, visited the track as did future Hall of Fame race promoter C.J. Richards, who raced one of his only races there before deciding to participate from the other side of the track, and future hall of fame driver Vince Quenneville, Sr., then fresh out of the Air Force.
The influence of these old Chittenden County tracks, as well as Barre’s Thunder Road International Speedbowl, which came in 1960, and Waltham, Vermont’s Otter Creek Speedway (1961) all worked together to create the style and ideas of what came to be known as Catamount Stadium; and many of the drivers, owners, mechanics, and just plain hangers – on whom you would see at Catamount came right out of the history pages of those tracks.
Set their sights on Milton
When some Vermont racing visionaries saw the need for (and opportunity of) a racetrack in Vermont’s most populous county, they settled upon a tract of land barely inside the southern boundary of Milton. The consortium of Ken Squier, Jack Dubrul, the Cooley brothers of Barre, Milton resident John Campbell, Sr., and Gordon Fitzgerald moved quickly in the spring of 1965, constructing track and buildings while buying the bleachers from the Lyndon B. Johnson inaugural parade.
The final hurdle, a week before the opening date, was the lack of a water source. NASCAR official Archie Blackadar persuaded Campbell, a dowser, to search for water and he was very successful. Catamount Stadium began shows that summer, armed with a mascot named Nas-Cat and UVM student Melissa Hetzel as Miss Catamount. Promotions notwithstanding, the new track plodded through the first season with two divisions — the sportsman coupes and the late model Flying Tigers. It was short on cars for both classes all season long. The first feature ever at Catamount was won by Canadian Jean–Paul Cabana.
By the next year, Catamount would go on to become an important cog in the hugely successful Northeast modified racing world, fitting into a schedule of sorts with Albany- Saratoga Speedway in Malta, N.Y,. and with Airborne Park Speedway.
Big names of racing
The track would be important enough in the modified world to be regularly attracting the likes of future multi–time national champion Jerry Cook, as well as Bugs Stevens, Leo Cleary, and Don MacTavish. When the hugely prestigious All Star Stock Car Racing League was founded, Catamount did not receive a team. Ironically, by 1970, with the modifieds having been phased out during the 1968 season, Catamount got its All Star League team.
The track would then enter into a commitment to late model racing that would extend until the end of its life. In 1970, the Flying Tigers were upgraded to limited sportsman cars. The following season, the track, along with Thunder Road and Airborne, went with full–fledged late model sportsman cars. This began to attract high level competitors from Massachusetts, Quebec, New York, and New Hampshire to run against those established Catamount regulars who could afford to remain.
This division would evolve through various phases, always upgrading the quality of the cars and incorporating chassis builders from the South and the Midwest into the mix. By the 1980s, the track had added better grandstands and luxury viewing boxes above the front stretch stands. The track would phase through a few All Star League races, a NASCAR Grand Touring division race, and the establishment of the season–ending New England 300 race, which would encompass an entire weekend usually in early October.
Along the way, various support classes came and went. The automatic transmission Hurricane division came in 1970, developing stars of its own, some of whom became prominent late model stars later. A mini stock class was added next, which lasted for at least eight seasons. Eventually, the Hurricanes morphed into a six cylinder Grand American class, which featured some very sophisticated pony cars such as Mustangs, Camaros, Javelins, and more. The final two classes were the Street Stocks, and – finally – the New Tigers (a class that seemed to come from the combining of the Grand Americans and Street Stocks.)
After the 1985 season, a huge rift with many causes forged a split between track manager Tom Curley and NASCAR. The track had gone from weekly programs to a number of big programs per year, sharing its cars in a tour situation with many other Northeast tracks. The 1986 season went simply as “The Coors Tour”, and the following year saw the creation of the American – Canadian Tour which still exists today. With the ACT came the plastic-bodied cars that were popular in the South and the Midwest. These, along with the New Tigers closed out the life of the track in 1987. Poetically, it was also Cabana who won the final race. The final program, sadly, was an enduro.
Sometime around 1982, track management, thinking the sport was in decline, had sold the land under the track to the Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation and had obtained a five year lease. When things picked in subsequent years, the GBIC refused to extend the lease. One week after the final program, the track surface was torn up, the towers were used for Milton Fire Department hose practice, and the venue was soon razed beyond recognition. Today, people who loved the track still visit the site, which bears the contours of the banking.
Catamount Stadium, which briefly would be given other names such as Catamount International Speedway, would leave compelling memories and images in the minds of those who loved it. People speak of the startling crash of Beaver Dragon at the last race program; but, then, too, you hear often about the infamous pit bleacher collapse that happened around 1985. I think of the Canadian fans and the Dragon brothers fans baiting each other in the turn four stands. Whatever one recalls, it seems all good now.
Birth of Milton Speedway
Some time before Catamount was constructed, back further into the territory of Milton, salvage yard operators Bud McCormick and Maurice Bousquet, who had already built their B&M Auto Parts on the East/West runway of the old Schiff Airport, decided to convert the North/South runway into a dragstrip. Milton Speedway was up and operating before Catamount Stadium was yet a gleam in anyone’s eye. Many future names in the history of Catamount would first perform at the strip.
Beaver and Bob Dragon, Rene LaBerge, Frank Woodward, John Keefer, John Casey, and Jack Dubrul were just a few of the people who raced on the short, eighth mile strip with the harrowing, short, shut down lane. The strip, whose trademark checkerboard officials’ tower would be transferred to Catamount upon its closing, would have its regulars who raced in everything from the family car, to specially constructed altereds, gassers, rail jobs, and more. The Milton Speedway was old school and grassroots, but its loyal supporters loved it.
Milton Speedway had its occasional brushes with greatness. The legendary Don Garlits made an appearance there with one of his Swamp Rat rail jobs. Shirley “Cha Cha” Muldowney, for years the most famous woman in drag racing, began her career with husband Jack as mechanic, at Milton. Art Arfons demonstrated his jet powered car there, and regional stars like Larry LaCaillade and his Border Jumper were frequently in action.
It seems like the drag strip did not survive much beyond 1970 or so. Much like the South Glens Falls dragstrip, it didn’t make – probably because the host community was complaining about the noise or maybe the owners lost interest. Today, the strip is still visible, whereas McCormick and Bousquet’s huge salvage operation is long gone, replaced by a Sears store and green lawns. I remember stopping at the Lure, a 15 cent hamburger joint in South Burlington one Sunday evening and seeing the Abominable Slowman, a well- known stock dragster. I always wanted to see a drag race, but – well – there was always Catamount demanding my time.
Today, Milton stock car drivers and teams are stars at places like Thunder Road, Airborne, Devil’s Bowl, and maybe even Bear Ridge Speedway. A few folks drag race – particularly in Canada. But, racing in Milton is now a fading memory.
Retired from teaching at Milton Elementary School, Bill Ladabouche is considered the local expert on all things racing in Milton. Bill is the author of “To Beat the Beaver,” a biography on Milton’s own racing champion, Beaver Dragon. Bill is currently assisting the Milton Historical Society with a series of upcoming events surrounding the history of racing in Milton.
Upcoming Milton history events
The Milton Historical Society Museum is located at 13 School St in Milton. It is open the first and third full weekend of the month April-October from 1-4 p.m.
You can join the mailing list by email at miltonhistorical@yahoo.com or by liking them on Facebook.
May 3, 7 p.m., Opening Reception for “The History of Racing in Milton”
Over the winter the Milton Historical Society has been very busy putting together a new exhibit called “The History of Racing” in Milton. The May 3 event will celebrate the opening of this exhibit, which was primarily funded by a grant from The Vermont Humanities Council. Take a stroll down memory lane when Milton was the hot spot for stock car racing in Chittenden County. Light refreshments will be served.
June 7, 7 p.m., The History of Catamount Stadium with Bill Ladabouche
Milton became very closely identified with the sport of auto racing, with its Milton Speedway drag strip and the Catamount Stadium stock car oval. Not always treated kindly in local media, the sport of racing gave the community a source of pride and a rallying point for many of its citizens. Former Milton elementary public school teacher Bill Ladabouche will make a presentation on the history of Catamount.
