R.I.P. Clem Lachance, "The Mad Frenchman"

[joe huestis]

Dave,
The Maverick Clem rolled At the Valley was a total loss. He ended up stripping the car of all reusable parts and them took a torch to it in his driveway, cutting it up and hauling it away for scrap. The present car is actually his second Maverick which he purchased from the Alizer Bros. from N.J. who sold their car complete when they retired from racing. I remember at Dover in the mid-seventies with the origional Maverick when during eliminations the pin holding the steering column shaft sheared and at about the 330 ft. mark car took a hard left into the dirt embankment, came to a stop, and Clem climbs out of the car holding the steering wheel with the broken shaft still attached and holds it up to show the crowd in the spectator side. the place went nuts cheering ! Some of you oldtimers may remember his '40 Studebaker coupe gasser he ran in the '60s and early 70's in I/G also with a Ford 6 cyl. His first racecar was a '61 Starliner with a big block Ford for power. Clem also raced at the old Montgomery airstrip back in the day with folks like Greg Viscome.