Chubby LeRoux
{{Short description|American racing driver (born 1933)}}
{{Infobox racing driver
| name = Chubby LeRoux
| image =
| birth_name = Wilfred J. LeRoux
| birth_date = Octobe 10, 1933
| birth_place = Star Lake, New York, US
| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|5|29|1933|10|10|mf=y}}
| last series= Modified racing career
| first year = 1955
| car number = 6-50, 6-12
| championships = 6
| wins =
| last finish= 1977
| titles =
| awards=
| updated=
}}
Wilfred "Chubby" LeRoux (October 10, 1933 – May 29, 2020) was a pioneering American driver of modified stock cars. Equally adept on both dirt and asphalt surfaces, he competed regularly in the northeastern United States and the southeastern Canada, capturing 6 track titles.
Racing career
Chubby LeRoux began racing in 1955 at various tracks in the Champlain Valley region.{{cite news|title=Wilfred LeRoux|url=https://nny360.newsbank.com/doc/news/17B4EDE613F9B178?search_terms=|date=May 31, 2020|newspaper=Watertown Daily Times|location=NY|via= NNY360 Archives|accessdate=April 11, 2025}} In northeastern New York, he became a track regular at Canton Speedway and later Fort Covington International Speedway in his number 6-12 white and red coupe.{{cite news |last=Harker|first=Dick|date=1968|title=Driver Spotlite: 'Chubby LeRoux'|newspaper=Gater Racing Photo News|location=Liverpool NY}}{{cite news|title=New names on winners' race list|url=https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=tmo19670706-01.1.6&srpos=1&e=------196-en-20--1--txt-txIN-%22wilfred+laroux%22---------|page=6|date=July 6, 1977|newspaper=The Massena Observer|location=NY|via=NYS Historic Newspapers|accessdate=April 11, 2025}} LeRoux added the NASCAR sanctioned Saranac Lake Speedway when it opened in 1959.{{cite news|last=Riley|first=Howard|title=Hoyt wins feature race at speedway|url=https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=ade19590908-01.1.6&srpos=6&e=------195-en-20--1--txt-txIN-%22wilfred+leroux%22---------|page=6|date=September 8, 1959|newspaper=Adirondack Daily Enterprise|location=Saranac Lake NY|via=NYS Historic Newspapers|accessdate=April 11, 2025}}{{cite news|title=LeRoux wins kart feature|url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/saranac-lake/saranac-lake-adirondack-daily-enterprise/1961/09-28/page-13|page=13|date=September 28, 1961|newspaper=Adirondack Daily Enterprise|location=Saranac Lake NY|via=NewspaperArchive|accessdate=April 11, 2025}}
An eye injury prompted LeRoux to limit his driving and to form a partnership with fellow driver Gaston Desmarais in 1965 and 1966, and the merger included a number change to the legendary 6-50. LeRoux returned to driving in 1967, and then the closing of Saranac Lake sent LeRoux looking for new racing venues in 1968.{{cite news|last=Goetz|first=Bob|title=Green flag is up|url=https://www.nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=ade19680719-01.1.5&srpos=4&e=------196-en-20--1--txt-txIN-%22Saranac+lake+speedway%22----1968-----|date=July 19, 1968|newspaper=Adirondack Daily Enterprise|location=Saranac Lake NY|via=NYS Historic Newspapers|accessdate=March 26, 2025}} LeRoux found the clay surfaced Watertown Speedway, New York, and claimed the track championship that first year.{{cite book |last=Stoodley |first=Dave |title=The Legends of Watertown Speedway |date=2003 |publisher=Speedway Press |isbn=9780967743844 |page=111}}
LeRoux claimed 5 more track championships at New York venues over the next seven years, adding one at Brewerton Speedway, a second at Watertown, and three in a row at the asphalt surfaced Evans Mills Speedway.{{sfnp|Stoodley|2003|pp=125}}{{cite news|title=Auto racing this weekend|url=https://nny360.newsbank.com/doc/image/v2%3A12A5AC0AEA465C7B%40NGPA-NYNNTS-176A6CD775B32FFB%402443025-176834740F78A903%4013-176834740F78A903%40?search_terms= |date =September 3, 1976|newspaper=Watertown Daily Times|location=NY|via= NNY360 Archives|accessdate=April 11, 2025}}{{cite web|title=Tracks, Series & Organizations - Brewerton Speedway|url=https://sites.google.com/view/tracks-series-organizations/brewerton-speedway|publisher=Auto Racing Research Associates| accessdate=April 11, 2025}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.catamountstadium.com/ChubbyLeRoux_EvansMills_CRevelle.jpg The 6-50 with Chubby LeRoux]
- [http://www.catamountstadium.com/Gaston_Desmarais_Grady.JPG The 6-50 with Gaston Desmarais]
{{DEFAULTSORT:LeRoux, Chubby}}