BOB "DAWG" GAUDREAU

[vindicatorParticipant]

😀 😀 😀 THE “dawg”….IS ALIVE AND WELL…RUMORS OF HIS DEMISE…GREATLY EXAGERATED!!! 😆 😆 😆 A “STORY” FOR YA’…HIS CREW CHIEF DURING HIS SHORT TENURE WITH FORD “STUFF” (3-4 TEARS) WUZ’ THE ONE…AND ONLY…ED PROUT…CAN’T SAY IT WAS A “MARRIAGE’ MADE IN HEAVEN…OR THAT THEY EVEN MADE “ETERNAL” VOWS…BUT IT WUZ’ A LIVELY PACKAGE!!! 😆 😆 😆 BOB’S FIRST PRO/STOCK FORD CAR WAS….”FAST” EDDIE SCHARTMAN’S BOSS 429 YELLOW/BLUE COUGAR…YEP…ONE OF THE TWO COUGARS’…OTHER ONE WAS DYNO’S RED CAR…NEXT UP WAS A COMET/MAVERICK STYLE CAR SPONSORED BY…POWERHOUSE CANDIES….OL’ BOB WAS A EXCELLENT PROCURER OF “MARKETING PARTNERS”….WELL EVIDENCED BY HIS PREVIOUS ASSOCIATION WITH NEW ENGLAND PLYMOUTH DEALERS…(CANDY ‘CUDA)…AND EVEN PRIOR TO THAT (CAN’T RE-CALL @ THE MOMENT SPONSOR…BUT HE HAD ONE!!!) WITH HIS GTO STOCK/ELIMINATOR CAR…AND THE “DAWGS” ABILITY TO SELL THE “PACKAGE” IF YOU WILL…PUT TOGETHER THE MINOLTA CAMERA DEAL FOR THE LATE DYNO DON NICHOLSON…WHICH WAS ON DYNO’S ’77 NHRA MUSTANGII PRO/STOCK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CAR…THE “DAWG” WAS/IS WHAT LEGEND(ARY) “TALES” ARE MADE OF…’COURSE ED PROUT… WAS/IS…LOOK UNDER “CHARACTER”…IN THE DICTIONARY…U…WILL FIND ED…BUT HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN “BLESSED” WITH GREAT “TALENT”…SOMETIMES JUST A LIL’ MIS-GUIDED…BUT A AWESOME TALENT…NON-THE-LESS 😀 😀 😀 LET’S DIS-PEL “DAWGS” PASSING…HE’S HAD SOME HEALTH ISSUES…AIN’T WE ALL(???) BUT HE’S ALIVE AND WELL DOING WELL… SELLING SNOWMOBILE ATTIRE INTERNATIONALLY…LIVES IN CONNECTICUT…ISN’T DROOLING…OR “POOPING” HIS PANTS (YET) 😆 😆 😆 LET’S JUST TAKE YA’ BACK…WAY BACK..FOR A COUPLE MINUTES…IT’S 1973,CARS MAGAZINE MEET @ ATCO ,NEW JERSEY…TRACK IS A LIL’ SLICK…BUT “ATCO JACK” MUSELLI (THEN MGR.) SEZ’ THE “SHOW” MUST GO ON…BRUCE LARSON USA1 CHEVROLET WINS THE SUPERCHARGED NITRO DEAL…AND WHOA’ NELLIE…VISCOME/VINDICATOR (SMOKN’ COBRA-JET…SEZ’ I DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ “FIRST” NAME!!) WINS THE INJECTED NITRO TITLE…DEFEATING NOT ONCE…BUT TWICE…THE “VAUNTED” JOE AMATO/TIM RICHARDS “KEYSTONE KUDA” (JOE GOT “BACK” IN…ON THE BREAK RULE)…THEY (JOE-TIM) BE VERY LONG TERM GENUINE FRIENDS TO VISCOME (S)…SO YO’… WE BE ON CLOUD 9 ‘EH???!!!***…NOT EXACTLY…MARTY SCHORRS’ (EDITOR CARS MAGAZINE) RACE QUEENS (STEAMY…AS USUAL) BUT WAIT…I THINK RON LYLES WON THE PRO/STOCK SHOW…BUT WHO I ASK…IS THE CROWD GOING WILD OVER???? IT’S THE “DAWG” AND HIS POWERHOUSE CANDIES COMET!!! WHO AFTER EVERY RUN GOES UP AND DOWN THE RETURN ROADS THROWING OUT THOUSANDS OF CANDY BARS/TEE-SHIRTS…HE…STEALS…THE “SHOW” 😮 😮 😮 ( I THINK HE LOST 1ST ROUND…NO MATTER!!!) ME & LARSON ( BRUCE WAS PRETTY USED TO WINNING…FOR US…THIS IS “BIG”))…JUST LOOK AT EACH OTHER…IN THE “WINNER’S CIRCLE” (WE DID “WIN”…DIDN’T WE ??!!**)…WE “TRUDGE” BACK TO OUR RAMP TRUCKS… SAY SEE YA’ AT THE DINER ON THE CIRCLE…THE CROWD..WUZ’ STILL CALLIN’ (CHANTIN’ !!!)…FOR THE “DAWG”…LIKE I SAID BOB GAUDREAU “PROMOTOR EXTRAORDINAIRE”…THERE ARE 8 MILLION “STORIES…IN THE NAKED CITY…THE “DAWG” GAUDREAU & ED PROUT…’DEM “BOYZ”…THEY GOT MORE… THAN A FEW OF ‘EM!!! 😆 😆 😆 DRAKE

[john-sachs-srParticipant]

Thanks Drake.
I always got along with Bob,He was a tough guy in that respect.Kinda lost touch,did hear he was sick 🙁
John

[vindicatorParticipant]

😆 😆 😆 HEY JOHN…INDEED BOB (“DAWG”) WUZ’ A “TOUGH” GUY…BUT U…HADDA’/HAVE TO LOVE HIM!!!…NOTHER SHORT “STORY”…STARTING LINE @ LEBANON VALLEY… DON KLINE…(LONGTIME MANAGER BACK THEN FOR HOWARD COMMANDER-OWNER)THE “DAWG” HAS A “SLIGHT”ACRIMONY MOMENT WITH DON…RIGHT ON THE STARTING LINE…HOPS OUT OF HIS HEMI-CUDA…AND JUST ONE PUNCH…PUTS KLEIN’S LIGHTS OUT…U…COULDA’ “COUNTED TO A 1000 (THE “KLEIN-STER” WASN’T GETTIN’ UP)…THIS WUZ’ A REAL KO…’COURSE… LAST I KNEW “DAWG” WAS BANNED FOR LIFE…FROM THE VALLEY…THOUGH NOW SEVERAL MANAGERS (A LOTTA’ YEARS ) LATER…ALL MIGHT BE FORGOTTEN/FORGIVEN…BUT HOWIE COMMANDER…STILL THE OWNER 😀 😀 😀 DRAKE

[paul-ceasrine]

DRAKE,
Looking at a photo of the ‘Candy Cuda’ now. One beautfiful 68′ factory Hemi SS/B car.
Reddish-maroon with the checkered flags on the door panel. Gaudreau & Kovitch.
New England Plymouth Dealers. Racer Brown on the hood scoop. Jack Merkel on the
“C” pillar panel. From the Bristol, Connecticut area.
Story about Bob “Dawg” from the Hemi registry. Got his factory sponsorship deal cancelled at the Indy Nationals. Car was in the staging lanes ready-to-run, but nobody was in the drivers seat, or to be found?
That car was in a bunch of classes; SS/B, Pro/Stock, A/MP and even C/Gas.
paul

[vindicatorParticipant]

😀 😀 😀 HEY PAUL…REALLY NEVER “KNEW” ABOUT HIS FACTORY “DEAl”…WE DIDN’T HANG-OUT WITH THE “DAWG” & “ASSOCIATES”…BUT WE DID SEE HIM AROUND PRETTY REGUARLY (AND IF THERE WUZ’ ANY CONTROVERSEY…U…COULD “BET” BOB …WOULD BE IN THE “MIDDLE”…OF IT 😆 😆 😆 )…AS OFTEN THE SUPER/STOCK…LATER PRO/STOCK “SHOWS” WERE BOOKED IN TOGETHER…WITH SOME FUNNY CAR STUFF… HIS CARS WERE ALWAYS REALLY “SLICK”…NOW IF “ONLY”…THE “DAWG” WASN’T SO “ROUGH”…AROUND THE EDGES 😆 😆 😆 …U…GET THE IDEA 😉 😉 😉 DRAKE

[dinoKeymaster]

Paul …can ya post that photo …It was Candy Apple red …the hardest ,but nicest “custom Paint” .Iy ran a couple times at Dover. Macey would Know .Think way back he had something to do with the Brainbau 442 olds that Doc bought.Then Valentine bought it. …i think

[vindicatorParticipant]

HEY DINO…THE “DAWG’S” GTO’S…BOTH A ’66 TRI-POWER CAR & A ’67 4 BARRELL CAR…WERE SPONSORED BY PAUL DODGE PONTIAC…AND AS FAR AS I KNOW… NEVER HAD ANY ASSOCIATION WITH BRAINTREE OLDS (I THINK THEY WERE HIS FOREMOST COMPETITORS CLASS-WISE AROUND NEW ENGLAND)…RICH SIMONE DID DRIVE ONE OF THE CARS ON OCCASSION WHEN BOB RACED BOTH IN 1967…THAT’S ALL I “KNOW”…AND I DON’T KNOW NO MO’ 😆 😆 😆 DRAKE

[dinoKeymaster]

Well I had the Car right-…it was a record holder …can’t remember who owned ,but The DOC got It.

[paul-ceasrine]

DINO,
I’m going to send you a bunch of photo’s this weekend. Use them as you wish. If you could, you can start a new thread in General Discussion ‘West Road Amoco/Valley Motor & Machine’
I’ll fill in the blanks with the pictures.
The photo of the Goudrea & Kovitch ‘Candy Cuda’ is deep red with white trim inside the checkered flags on the door, a Barracuda fish and Plymouth heart with a devil tail & key,
It was beautifully detailed, and Cragars compliment it well.
Drake, Mark J from the Hemi registry and I have swapped info on these cars and
general history. Bob Gaudreau had a deal with factory sponsorship and the New England
Plymouth Dealers (50 or so co-sponsors?). I guess at the Indy Nationals he never showed up in the staging lanes, despite the car running well. Dick Maxwell (Chrysler Head) tore up the deal right there.
Not sure what that car did at National Events, but was a runner. Set the first Pro/Stock
ET record back in October 69′ with a 10.09 @ 135.50 at Connecticut. Help up, until Jenkins
ran a 9.98 with his 68′ 427 Camaro. Me thinks thats correct.
Also, have Gene O’Neill’s ‘Gene’s Speed Parts’ beautiful tangerine-color 68′ SS/B Dart.
Another beauty, that is rarely seen.
Paul

[vindicatorParticipant]

HEY PAUL…THANX FOR “INFO”…BUT AS A OLD GEEZER…I REALLY JUST GO TO THE “SOURCE”…THE “LIFE OF RILEY” WAY 😆 😆 😆 …PICK UP THE PHONE…AND MAKE THE CALL/CONVERSATION DIRECT..(IF PERSON IS STILL ON THE PLANET)…U…GET…THE IDEA… 😀 😀 😀 …NOT THAT IN THIS “CASE”…YOU ARE EVER GONNA’ GET THE “WHOLE TRUTH…NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH”…FROM THE “DAWG”OR A “FEW” OTHERS TOO……(MAYBE FROM JOE FRIDAY…”JUST THE FACTS MA-MAM”…just the facts…)…BUT AS THEY SAY… THERE ARE AT “LEAST” TWO SIDES…TO EVERY “STORY” 😉 😉 😉 …OVER THE YEARS MOST OF THE “STORIES” HAVE A TENDANCY…TO AT LEAST (!) GROW A LIL’ BIT 😆 😆 😆 …I SEEM TO “RE-CALL” AT LEAST ONE NIGHT…I WUZ’ RIGHT UP…ON STAGE WITH LEAD-ZEP/ROBERT PLANT 😆 😆 😆 …U….GET THE IDEA ‘EH!!! 😀 😀 😀 DRAKE

[dinoKeymaster]

Oh ….The Vindicators…All time favorite early hard Rock Favorite ! First hit “Stairway to Shutdown” so good ..Joan Jett and the Blackhearts covered some of their songs.

[vindicatorParticipant]

HEY GUYS…ABSOLUTELY…(I PROMISE!!! 😆 😆 😆 ) LAST “STATEMENT”…’BOUT THE “DAWG”…BOB WUZ’ ONE VERY GOOD RACER…FIRST CLASS CARS/STUFF…ALWAYS AWESOME LOOKING…AND VERY GOOD RUNNIN’ TOO 😀 😀 😀 HE TRAVELED PRETTY MUCH EVERYWHERE AROUND EAST-MID-WEST,ETC. (ALL THE “BIG” EVENTS) WON MORE THAN A FAIR SHARE AGAINST VERY GOOD COMPETITION…HE DON’T HAVE NO “STORIES” 😉 😉 😉 ‘BOUT HOW HE WON 20 WEEKS IN A ROW @ DOVER-CONNECTICUT,ETC. ADMITTIDILY…THE “DAWG” DID NEED MORE THAN A LIL’ (GUIDANCE!!!/INSTRUCTION… 😆 😆 😆 )…”HELP”ON THE INTER-PERSONAL SKILLS SIDE…AS FAR AS FELLOW RACERS/TRACK PERSONELL!!!…BUT A VERY QUICK “STORY”…WHEN BOB WUZ’ ALL SAID AND DONE AS A DRAG RACER…I THINK IT LIKE ’75-76…HE CAME OVER AND BOUGHT A BRAND NEW FORD ELITE FROM ME…FOR HIS PARENTS ( 😀 😀 😀 )…AND ….HE…ACTUALLY…PAID FOR IT!!! 😆 😆 😆 …SO YA’ KNOW “BROTHERS”…WE ALL GOT SOME GOOD (‘ER REAL GOOD)…AND LIL’ “DARK SIDE”… WITHIN US ALL ‘EH??!!** 😆 😆 😆 DRAKE…P.S. A NOTE TOO…ABOUT ED PROUT (now that’s a “real” Ford “dude” (OR WOULD YA’ SAY HIS “STUFF” WAS A LIL’ CRUDE???…BUT THEY ALL…WENT PLENTY…FAST…FOR SURE 😆 😆 😆 )…that won a lotta’…repeat lotta’…drag races (OVER MANY YEARS)…INCLUDING NHRA DIVISION 1 (IN THE 70’S…NO SMALL FEAT…WITH A BOSS 429 POWERED A/A BANTUM) )…COMP ELIMINATOR POINTS CHAMPIONSHIP)… ( HE GOES BACK TO DRAG RACING IN the late 50’s in Rhode Island & Sanford,Maine)…OUR HOLMAN-MOODY FALCON WUZ’ SLOW…LIKE 11.90’S @ 115…(ONLY THING FUNNY…’BOUT THIS “FUNNY” CAR… WUZ’… IT WUZ’ “SLOW” 🙁 🙁 🙁 …WE BOUGHT THE 427 MOTOR RIGHT OUT OF ED’S A/A…AT CONNECTICUT DRAGWAY…WALLA’…INSTANT 10’S FOR THE FALCON!!! 😀 😀 😀 NOW WE BE COMPETITIVE…ANYWHERE 😀 😀 😀 (DIDN’T EVER FORGET THAT!!)…FORGED A VERY (TO THIS DAY) LONG… SOMEWHAT “ROCKY”… AT TIMES… “FRIENDSHIP” WITH ED (WE…B…”CUT” FROM A LIL’ DIFFERENT “CLOTH ‘EH)…BUT HEY THAT’S ANOTHER “STORY” FOR MEBBE…ANOTHER TIME…BUT WE LUV’ HIM ….NO MATTER WHAT HE WUZ’/IS…OR ISN’T…:D 😀 😀 DRAKE…STAYIN’ FRIENDS WITH OL’ ED WUZ/IS GONNA’ CO$T YA’….U…GET THE IDEA 😆 😆 😆

[paul-ceasrine]

DRAKE,
I HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID, BUT I ENJOYED READING IT 😆 😆
Now, did or didn’t, Jack Merkel build the engine for Bob (KO) Gaudreau’s 68′ Hemi Cuda??
The ‘Candy Cuda’ was a deadly car, but what Regional Events did it KO?
Cars Magazine Nationals or Super/Stock Magazine Nationals, or AHRA events?
OH, a little Ford teaser on the Bob Gaudreau thread. 1970 Winternationals, Stock Champion in a Ford Fairlane (station wagon)?
Paul. (P.S. Drake has left the building).

[bossguy]

It’s 6:15 am, halfway thru my first cup of coffee, but I think Paul is talking about Richard Charnabeau (sp) 427 Fairlane grocery getter 😀

[vindicatorParticipant]

HEY…HOW ‘BOUT THAT JACKIE KARL???!!!***ALL THESE YEARS…I KNEW JACK HAD A INTEREST IN DRAG RACING…BUT NEVER “KNEW”…IT WUZ’ A “ACUTE” INTEREST….AND RECALL!!! 😆 😆 😆 …KNEW THERE HADDA’ BE MANY “REASONS” WE LUV YA’ (JACK)…A TRULY MULTI-FACETED INDIVIDUAL ‘EH 😆 😆 😆 …PAULIE…PAULIE…PAULIE… SOME WHERE I THINK.. U…MENTIONED… U…WENT TO “COLLEGE”…WUZ’ THAT COLLEGE OF HARD KNOCKS…”COLLEGE”..A LIL’ “TIME” COLLEGE??? 😆 😆 😆 WHAT EXACTLY…DON’T U…UNDERSTAND??? I…IN PREVIOUS “THREADS” DID MAKE SOME STATEMENTS…TELL A “STORY” OR TWO ‘BOUT THE DAWG…AND…THE ONE…AND ONLY..ED PROUT…I STAND BY THOSE STATEMENTS/”STORIES”…THE FINAL “SUMMATION”(LAST THREAD)… AS I “SEE” IT…WUZ’/IS…THE “THREAD”…U…DON’T UNDERSTAND??? 😆 😆 :lol:…I AIN’T TOO..”BIG”…ON B.S (LISTENING TO IT… OR READIN’ IT…O’COURSE EVERYONE… HAS THE ABSOLUTE “RIGHT”… TO THEIR OWN “OPINION”…WHICH I FULLY UNDERSTAND & RESPECT!!! 😀 😀 😀 )…I NEED TO REMIND MYSELF OFTEN… (OLD AGE!!!)… THAT I MUST STAY “POLITICALLY CORRECT”…ON ANY “SITE” 😀 😀 😀 …SOMETIMES…THAT’S EASIER SAID (FOR ME)…THEN DONE…WE (MY DAD,ME, NOW MY TWINS-3RD GENERATION) TRULY BEEN BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO DRAG RACE SINCE 1958 (NOT STANDIN’ “AT THE FENCE”…SPECULATING…WHO’S GOOD OR BAD!!! 😆 😆 😆 )…ME… A 10 YEAR OLD TIRE WIPER FOR PAT CREAMOR/MY DAD’S FLATHEAD DRAGSTER (THE SAME ONE THAT BOBBY/GEORGE RAN FOR A COUPLE YEARS)…2010 WILL MARK 52 YEARS…WE DON’T RACE NEARLY AS MUCH NOW WITH OUR TWO CARS (ABOUT 10-12 TIMES A YEAR…KIDS FINISHING “COLLEGE”… 😆 😆 😆 THIS YEAR )…BUT WE BEEN RACIN’ (ON A LOTTA’ DIFFERENT LEVELS/A LOT OF DIFFERENT “RIDES”…FROM A CARB-ED CAR GAS TO INJECTED GAS-ALCOHOL-NITRO-TO BLOWN ALCOHOL/NITRO…U…GET THE IDEA 😆 😆 :lol:) EVERY YEAR…NO TIME/YEARS OFF..NO “BREAKS”…FOR WHATEVER…GOT TO MEET/KNOW A AWFUL LOTTA’ PEOPLE…ON THIS VERY LONG “ROAD OF LIFE”…U…GET THE IDEA 😆 😆 😆 DON’T KNOW WHO DAWG HAD DOIN’ HIS HEMI-STUFF…THOUGHT IT WUZ’ KOVITCH (ED?-JOE? DON’T REMEMBER) KNOW DAWG ALWAYS RAN SUPER/STOCK NATS’, CARS MAGAZINE DEAL,A BUNCH OF DIVISONAL RACES (NHRA) AND NHRA NATIONAL EVENTS…THAT “INFO” IS FOR U…TO RESEARCH…WHICH U…DO VERY WELL…U…GO…BOY!!! 😆 😆 :lol:…AS DINERO SAID ONCE IN A MOVIE…”I KNOW A LIL’ BIT…ABOUT A LIL’ BIT”… ( ME…NO “CLAIM” TO BE THE “SMARTEST GUY…) PROBABLY…JUST ENOUGH…TO GET IN “TROUBLE”)… 😆 😆 😆 DRAKE

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