Early Thunder Road

 

I've been getting requests for the real, real old pictures, so here's a few. I got these out of a 1972 Northern Nascar program that Wilbur Martin very graciously loaned me. There was a section of the program that referred back to "the old days" and had these pictures. Btw, I had always thought that Thunder Road in Barre, VT started in the fifties, or maybe even the late forties, but Bill Ladabouche's excellent site on the Catamount Speedway says the place started in 1960. This fellow is Tony Colluchio. At least, I think that's how you spell his name. I remember this car, but even moreso I remember its predecessor; a jet-black Hudson #0 that everybody called "The Big O." I also remember the night he destroyed it. We still rooted for him, but somehow it was different seeing him in a flathead Ford instead of the big Hudson.

Tony was my brother, Butch's hero. Everybody remembers Butch now as "the Duke" driving the # 01 patterned after the Dukes of Hazzard. Before that, his car always was #0 and black, after Tony's Hudson.

This is the great Paul Martell, in his most famous Thunder Road car. I saw him mostly at Keith Bryar's 106 Midway Raceway in Loudon, where he was all but unbeatable in the blue-and-white #444. To be honest, I can't tell you much about this car outside of the obvious, but mister-man could this ol' boy drive a racecar.

Ronnie Marvin was always Tony C's arch-enemy. We would boo him just as hard as we'd cheer Tony. In truth . . . well, Ronnie may have been a little rough, but he was a real nice guy, and a great driver. And that 13 car would really fly!

The Ingerson brothers used to race at the Legion Bowl and Loudon as well, although their cars were never this pretty after an evening of racing on dirt. As I recall, Doug was probably the better driver of the three. Russ was nicknamed "the Wild Child." I'll have to steal that for somebody at the Legion Speedway. The trouble is, there's so many it could apply to. ;>

Well, that's about all for now. More later, of course. Enjoy.

And, if anybody out there has any pictures, or wants to share a story, about any of these guys, go right ahead. I'm especially interested in anything you might have on Tony Colluchio, who seems to be the forgotten man of old-time racing.

Dynamite Dave and Old 97

This picture's from the late 1950's, from the pits at Claremont. I remember this car, or one just like it, from the Legion Bowl and 106 Midway Raceway in the early '60's. Note the bull horns on the roof. They were a recurring theme for Al.

See? This car was the one Al raced in the early 1980's. I always loved the look of this one. I don't know what kind of chassis this is but damn, that's a pretty car.

If I'm not mistaken, this was Al's last race car, Alf. The Sanville's always named their cars. I suppose it gave them personality, as if the driver didn't already do that. By this time, Al was in his early '60's and still winning races.

Eventually, he turned over the steering wheel to a succession of drivers, and the operation of the team to his sons. Wally Langlois was probably the best of the hired guns, winning a track championship one year at the Nor-Way Pines.

Eventually, Al's son Dave took over the driving chores. He quickly earned the nickname "Dynamite Dave," which sticks with him to this day. Over the years Dave has won many championships at several different tracks. The unsung hero of the Sanville team is Dave's brother, JJ. He's the engine and chassis guy, and Dave will be the first to tell you he's not really competitive if JJ's not turning wrenches for him. This car is the famous Miss Emily, which Dave raced (and won with) in many different forms for almost twenty years. Different bodies, six or eight cylinders, Miss Emily was a winner.

Thanks to JJ Sanville, and to Norm Roulx, for supplying some of these pictures. I took the other ones. I'll add more as I get them.

FYI: Dave's still racing, and JJ's still his crew chief. He and his new car, Sassy Theresa, can be found at Canaan Dirt Speedway and the Legion Speedway about any Friday or Saturday night.

Racing becomes an obsession, you know. I've seen it dozens - no, make that hundreds - of times. It becomes the center of your life. And your family's life, too. Even though it's never more than a hobby, everything revolves around it. And of course eventually the kids are going to take it up as well.

 

That's what it must have been like around the Sanville house. Like so many others. Y'know, I've been around the Sanville's for years, and I have no idea what any of them do for a living. They certainly don't race for a living. Nobody at this level does.

Except in a few, very rare, cases, it always costs more than it ever makes. And yet, come Friday and Saturday night, there you are again. And evenings during the week, either repairing or upgrading. And all winter, hitting swap meets, heating the garage so you can tweak things for next season.

Al Sanville was the dad, of course. And the Old 97 was at just about every track in the area. And, it was always one of the ones to beat. Some thought Al was a little rough sometimes, but the simple fact is that the front of the field is crowded. Sometimes, you've got to use your elbows a little bit.