Adelard Cormier
With Some of His Trophies

at tracks all over the Maritimes.

Adelard Cormier was one of the most successful stock car racers in the Maritimes and has over 150 trophies in his home to prove it. His career spans thirty five years from 1954 to 1989 at tracks all over the Maritimes.

Adelard was born in Sackville, New Brunswick in 1931 and moved to the Moncton area as a young man to pursue a career in the automotive business, eventually opening Moncton Auto Service and Repair which he operated with his wife Audrey for more than 23 years.

In 1954, Adelard first entered the stock car ranks on the dirt tracks in Dieppe, Amherst and St. John. He drove until the last of the dirt tracks closed in 1958. Adelard describes the cars of those times: “The cars back then had a resemblance of a tank, because they had high front and rear bumpers made of angle iron.”

In 1965 Adelard and Audrey, along with friends, went to the Indianapolis 500. On the way back they stopped to have a look at a new paved oval that Ernie McLean had built in River Glades. By the time they got back to Moncton, plans were already well underway to build a car to compete at the “Glade.”
Before long tracks were built all over the Maritimes at Riverside, Drag City in Halifax, St John NB, and Bathurst. Every weekend Audrey would gather up the children and they

Old Jalopy Race Car From the Dirt Track Era
(photo of Russell Harkness car - Amherst)

Adelard Cormier
With His Famous # 53 Corvair

would all head for the track. They would run at River Glade on Saturday evening, St John on Sunday afternoon and Fredericton on Sunday evening. There were also many trips to Halifax and Antigonish as well. There was even one trip to St Johns’ Newfoundland.

Audrey kept a close tab on the books for the race team and she states with pride that the racing always paid for itself. Many racers today spend far more than they make but with their own business flourishing, Audrey made sure they stayed in the “black.”

Adelard was one of the best race engine builders in the Maritimes and built many of the top drivers’ power plants. When his son Laurie started racing Adelard built all of his engines until last year when Laurie moved his operation to a new house in Riverview.

When the plans were made to create the now defunct MASCAR series, Adelard was one of the founding fathers. He worked hand in hand with the first president Ray Ward to ensure the Series’ success.

Adelard tells the story of one trip home from racing in Bathurst at Danny’s Speedbowl.: “On the way home we were towing an open trailer with the car on board and the first thing we know the stock-car is on fire (gas cans in stockcar). We managed to get the fire out with the help of a passer-by with a fire extinguisher.

Monday evening more than a dozen racing people showed up and with wire brushes cleaned the burnt out body, painted it and Adelard even sent Audrey to Bangor to get parts for the car. They were racing at the Glade the following Saturday.

Such is the dedication of Adelard Cormier and his trademark car the number 53. Occasionally you can still find Adelard patrolling the pits at River Glade, offering advice to those who want it.

Caleb Dunn

Donnie Beers

Walter Dunfield

The Three Pictures Above Were Supplied by Adelard Cormier and Were Some of His Fiercest Competitors