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2020 Eastern Snowmobile Racing Hall of Fame Inductees

April 14, 2020 by Midge Rosebrook

snowmobile racers George Gordon, Paul Lamontagne, Tom Peters, Judy Rinaldi, Ted Winot

The fourth induction ceremony of the Eastern Snowmobile Racing Hall of Fame will be held at Crane’s Snowmobile Museum in Lancaster, NH. The following snowmobilers will be honored in 2020.

George Gordon

George Gordon Eastern Snowmobile Racing Hall of Fame
George Gordon dominated in the 1970’s.

During his first year in competition George Gordon earned the fourth lowest bib number for stock classes, was the season’s high point winner in “B” Stock and second high point winner in “A” Stock!

He dominated every class he entered at the 1974 New England Snowmobile Open in Greenville, Maine, winning all first-place finishes in “A”, “B” and “C” Stock. George won first place in “B” Stock at the 1974 World Series in Eagle River, WI.

During his second race in the 1974/75 season George was injured in a crash, ending his season but was back in 1975 with three firsts and a second. For the next three years George enjoyed a perfect attendance record, never missing a single race, garnering over 75 trophies in the first three years and attaining the number 2 gold bib.

His impeccable gentleman-like conduct both on and off the track earned him the “New England Sportsman of the Year” award for 1978. He was a member of the USSA New England Board of Directors and chairman of the safety committee.

Paul Lamontagne

Paul began racing in 1969 for Rupp Distributor, The Harris Company, of Portland, ME. He won in both the cross-country and Mod I at the Lake’s Region Open in Wolfeboro NH and won first place in Mod III at Berlin in 1969!

Paul Lamontagne Eastern Snowmobile Racing Hall of Fame
Paul Lamontagne, Maine snowmobile racer.

The 1970 season brought full sponsorship from Bardahl Oil racing for Rupp. At the Maine State Championship he won first place in cross-country and Mod IV oval. Paul broke the Timberland Machines sea of yellow by winning in Mod III at the Paul Bunyan Open in Bangor. At the Lancaster Grand Prix he took first in cross-country and Mod II. He grabbed wins in the 400 Stock and Mod II at the Pennsylvania State Championship.

Paul raced Chaparrals for Nelson and Small Company of Portland, ME in 1971 and helped set up over 30 new dealers in New England.

In 1974 Mercury shipped him two Sno-Twisters. He went undefeated in both classes and was a shoe-in for the World Series but had a horrific crash at Boonville, NY, breaking both legs, an arm, needing multiple skin grafts! Paul came roaring back in 1975 winning five out of six races in Jackman taking the Championship! With nothing more to prove, Paul retired.

Tom Peters

Tom was a small-town independent driver who raced entirely within the state borders of Maine during his five-plus years of professional snowmobile racing.

Tom Peters Eastern Snowmobile Racing Hall of Fame Inductees
Tom Peters raced snowmobiles exclusively in Maine.

He rode to a third-place finish in cross-country at Mapleton aboard a 1966 370 twin cylinder Ski-Doo and a first-place finish in cross-country Class “C” division at Island Falls in 1968.

Tom competed with the best eastern drivers at the 1970 Paul Bunyan Open taking second in the 650 class. Eventual winner Cal Reynolds later said, “Tom Peters gave me the race of my life!” He raced to first in Class “A” and Class “D” and a second in Open Class at Ellsworth.

He won Mod III and Mod IV in the speed ovals, plus first in the Mod IV Drags at Limestone in 1971. Tom won first in both Mod I and Mod II at Houlton and captured the Buckingham Trophy at the Maine Maritime Snowmobile Championships in 1972.

Coming out of retirement in 1976 he won another cross-country in Presque Isle against much younger riders. Peters is the only snowmobile racer to ever be inducted into the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame because he never raced his Ski-Doo’s in any other state. The one and only Cal Reynolds is a member of the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame as a stock car driver. He’s also a member of the Eastern Snowmobile Hall of Fame.

Judy Rinaldi

Judy Rinaldi Eastern Snowmobile Racing Hall of Fame
Judy Rinaldi, considered to be one of the best woman snowmobile racers.

Beginning her racing career in 1973, Judy Rinaldi was considered by most to be the best woman racer in North America by 1980. At only 17 she set the Women’s Land Speed Record for snowmobiles at 72.4 mph and nearly set the men’s record of 94 mph but blew a piston 20 feet from the finish line!

Racing Rupp sleds from her father’s dealership, Judy won 10 Snowmobile World Series Championships. She was the youngest woman to win the title and after her ninth Championship became the first person, man or woman, to win nine titles!

From Warners, New York, she also drove Mercury, Sno-Jet, Arctic Cat and Ski-Doo sleds. Judy Rinaldi won the World Series of Snowmobiling in Waldheim, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Ted Winot

The late Ted Winot was a longtime United States Snowmobile Association (USSA) official. He was a flagman for all major New England Snowmobile Championship events and a tireless promoter of the sport and racing.

Ted Winot Eastern Snowmobile Racing Hall of Fame
Ted Winot United States Snowmobile Association.

Ted began his flagging career in stockcar racing. In 1966 he was invited to flag at the Lancaster Grand Prix and never looked back until he flagged his last snowmobile race at Whitefield, NH, in 1984! His flags, made by his wife Doris, were treated like gold. Each one displayed in a certain order. When the event ended they were folded carefully and particularly.

Ted’s career as an official and race-starter took him to the most prestigious racing events in the eastern division of the USSA, including several Maine SnoPro events.

Ted’s fairness as a flagman earned him the utmost respect from both competitors and spectators alike. Whenever a group of racers that passed under one of Winot’s checkered flags gather, they fondly recall stories about the man, accompanied by many smiles!

He was a Yamaha representative from 1969 to his retirement. A job he took very seriously, treating his many dealers more like family than business associates, often going above and beyond for them.

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Filed Under: Vintage Tagged With: History, Snowmobile People

About Midge Rosebrook

Edward "Midge" Rosebrook is a retired automobile /snowmobile mechanic and columnist living in Lancaster NH. His knowledge of snowmobile history in the region and involvement in the Eastern Snowmobile Racing Hall of Fame are the basis for many snowmobile stories.

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