Don MacTavish Award

Northeast Racing Stats Central

Don MacTavish Award

The Don MacTavish Award was instituted in 1969 in memoriam of one of New England's greatest racers, a young Massachusetts man who slept in his truck while making a living racing for the NASCAR Modified National Championship. He won that title in 1966, racing at places such as Airborne Speedway and Catamount Stadium.

MacTavish got his start in demolition derbies, and was featured on ABC's Wide World of Sports at the National Demolition Derby Championship. Eventually, his skill behind the wheel landed him at Daytona Int'l Speedway for the prestigious Permatex 300 in 1969, when he was tragically killed at age 26 in one of stock car racing's most horrific crashes. I've seen the pictures myself, and they are too graphic to share. I will never forget them.

The Don MacTavish Award was originally given by a group of Vermont press and sportswriters, and is now awarded by the American-Canadian Tour. Recognized as one of New England stock car racing's highest honors, the Don MacTavish Award is annually given to someone who best exemplifies the spirit and dedication that stock car racing thrives upon. This trophy is a symbol of a lifelong commitment to excellence in not just racing, but in life as well. To win the Don MacTavish Award is truly the highest praise a person or group associated with stock car racing can ever receive.

Click Here to see Don's NEAR Hall of Fame page

DON MacTAVISH AWARD WINNERS, 1969-2010

1969 - William H.G. France, Sr. - NASCAR Founder

1970 - John Gammell - Former Vermont State Champion

1971 - Tom Tiller - Former Vermont State LMS Champion

1972 - Ken Squier - Thunder Road Founder, CBS/MRN Anchor

1973 - The Howard Bank - Former Bobby Giroux and Bobby Dragon sponsor, longtime supporter of local racing

1974 - Jean-Paul Cabana - Multi-time Northern NASCAR Champion

1975 - A.H. "Archie" Blackadar - Longtime racing official/chief starter

1976 - Stanley "Stub" Fadden - Northeastern racing legend

1977 - Clarence "C.A." Crouch - Legendary car owner, father of Robbie Crouch

1978 - Gardiner & June Leavitt - Longtime racers, chassis builders, and car owners

1979 - Harmon "Beaver" Dragon - Multi-time NASCAR North Champion

1980 - Dr. Gordon R. "Doc" Nielsen - Longtime NASCAR/ACT chief scorer

1981 - Thomas M. "T-Bone" Curley - ACT President, 2004 RPM Promoter of the Year

1982 - The Molson Brewery - Former NASCAR North title sponsor

1983 - Bobby Dragon - Multi-time Northern NASCAR Champion

1984 - Francis "Bubby" Wilder - Thunder Road chief steward since 1960

1985 - Dick Willett - NASCAR/ACT chief starter

1986 - Milton & Diana Wright - Former racers and longtime fixtures of Vermont racing

1987 - Darla Ripley Hartt & David Paris - Vice President, ACT (Hartt), former ACT official (Paris)

1988 - Robbie Crouch - Multi-time NASCAR North/ACT Champion

1989 - Stan Meserve - Longtime racer and former ACT chief technical inspector

1990 - Claude Leclerc - ACT's "Ironman", raced every event from 1979-1995

1991 - Dan Beede - Former Milk Bowl winner, former ACT chief technical inspector

1992 - Don Fillion - Former Burlington Free Press (VT) sports writer

1993 - Dave Moody - Longtime announcer, print and radio journalist

1994 - Bill Fitzgerald - Owner, S&W Tire, longtime Thunder Road fixture

1995 - Wardie Hamilton - Veteran crew chief

1996 - Jean-Paul Cyr - Multi-time ACT Champion

1997 - Dave Whitcomb - Multi-time ACT Champion

1998 - Mike Wilder - ACT chief starter

1999 - Cris Michaud - Multi-time Thunder Road Champion, helped develop "spec" engine

2000 - Brian Hoar - Multi-time ACT Champion

2001 - Pete Duto - Veteran crew chief and car builder

2002 - Dave MacMaster - Owner, Butler & MacMaster Racing Engines, developed "spec" engine

2003 - Smith "Smitty" McKay - Longtime Thunder Road car owner

2004 - Joey Laquerre - Multi-time Thunder Road Champion

2005 - Phil Scott - Multi-time ACT Champion

2006 - Dean Gallison - ACT Director of Competition, former driver

2007 - Jamie Fisher - Former Thunder Road Champion

2008 - Brent Dragon - Veteran ACT driver

2009 - New Hampshire Motor Speedway - 1.058-mile oval in Loudon, N.H.

2010 - Donald Theetge - Former ACT Castrol Series Champion

Don MacTavish

MacTavish with the #24 Modified

After a win in the Circle J

One of Mac's famous "Circle J" Modifieds

Nutmeg Collectibles in Connecticut makes a beautiful replica of the Circle J car

MacTavish in the #D-8

A big win in the L&R Speed Shop Special

DISCLAIMER: Many of the photos on this website have been used without prior permission, and for that, we're sorry. For the ones we did ask to use, thanks a ton! Proper credit is due every photographer, but since tagging every single shot would take a really long time, and we've forgotten a lot of who took what, let's just thank everyone who has "helped" out now: Alan Ward, Eric LaFleche/VLFPhotos.com, Gene Gagne/OutsideGroove.com, Leif Tillotson, Brian McCullough (RACEGOD), the late David Heath, Dave Brown, Cindy Weed, John Sullivan, Norm Marx, Bethany Bell, vintagemodifieds.com, the late Bob Doyle, Ron Pittsley, David Paris, Jim DuPont, Tom Herzig, and myriad others. A huge thanks goes out to contributors Andy Boright, the late Cho Lee, and Christian "Ti Gaz" Genest, all treasurers of racing history. You're all awesome and very much appreciated!!!

--- Website updated and maintained in memory of Cho Lee ---