YankeeRacer.com

Thursday marks the 20th anniversary of the closing of Catamount Stadium in Milton, VT. The “Grand Old Lady” was the sister speedway in Vermont to Barre’s Thunder Road, and was the site of many major events – not just the stock car races themselves, but also moments that were either immediately profound or happenings that, over time, became much larger and hugely effective (or affective, depending on how you look things).

Quebec dairy farmer Jean-Paul Cabana won the first main event held at the high-banked, 1/3-mile oval, driving a sportsman coupe on June 11, 1965. The victory paid about $200. Cabana also won the final main event(*) on September 27, 1987, the American-Canadian Tour’s New England 300. The purse was slightly higher in that one, as Cabana took home a shade better than $11,000 that day.

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Five-time ACT Late Model Champion Brian Hoar is taking at least the 2008 racing season off. He returned to ACT in 2007 after a few years of driving on the Busch North (now East) Series. He ended the season sixth in points and, hard to believe, with no wins. He and his team were fined $4,000 earlier in the season for adding extensions to his rear shocks. They appealed and lost.

I read a rumor on the internet saying his dad Doug had “pulled the plug” on his racing for 2008 and a couple of his crewman were looking for other jobs. I dropped Brian an e-mail asking him about the rumor and his plans.

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Joey Becker had a good season in the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model division at Thunder Road, maybe his best one yet.

“I’d say it was,” he said. “It sort of depends on how you look at the numbers, though. I almost think we ran better last year, but we ended up better this year. It was weird how it worked out.”

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Tucked away in the back corner of my garage sit two perfectly good Hakkapeliitta snow tires, still neatly wrapped in the plastic Nokian covers they were placed in four years ago – the last time they were used. They don’t fit my current car, so they serve no purpose other than to occupy space designated for bikes and sleds. But that’s about to change. Soon they’re going on a journey to help someone stay warm this winter – a journey known as Wheels for Warmth.

Wheels for Warmth evolved from the Vermont tradition of neighbor helping neighbor. In 2005, Phil Scott had an idea: Wasn’t there some way that used tires could serve a better purpose than just taking up garage space? Scott had tires he no longer used, and he knew many others did too. Listening to “The Trading Post” on WDEV every morning, he was overwhelmed by the number of tires on the program. His idea became the vision that used tires could be the currency to buy emergency heating fuel for central Vermonters. All used tires could play a role, not just quality tires, but worn tires too. Safe tires could be re-sold at very affordable prices, and unsafe tires recycled for a fee. The proceeds would then be used to buy the heating fuel. One neighbor donates tires, another neighbor buys them, and another neighbor’s home is heated. Unusable tires head for recycling instead of the river. Scott felt pretty confident the plan would work, so he contacted Hal Cohen, Executive Director of the Central Vermont Community Action Council (CVCAC) – the local organization that assists people who cannot afford heating fuel.

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