Al & Peg Gaudreau

Al Gaudreau built the #3 cars, nicknamed after him as “Budda’s Bullet”, yet he always made sure his wife Peg was listed as the car owner. During the early 1970’s, it was an oddity for a female to be a car owner as women weren’t even allowed in the pits at the time.

They first debuted their own car in 1971 with Dick Dunn as their driver, with a maroon #3 coupe. Then in 1972, now with the familiar baby blue color scheme, the team began an unprecedent streak of 4 consecutive Modified Championships at the Speedbowl, with a career best 9 wins in 1974. Often forgotten is that Peg Gaudreau actually won a 5th straight championship as a car owner in 1976, although Bob Potter won the driver championship. Even as car owner, she wasn’t allowed in the pits until the 1976 season, when track owner Harvey Tattersall Jr got rid of the gender restriction.

Dunn won seven 100-lap Modified races in the 1970’s driving for the Gaudreaus and 29 races together overall during the decade. Al Gaudreau’s gruff and at times abrasive demeanor made him one of the more memorable love-him-or-hate-him personalities with the Speedbowl fans. The team ran less frequently once the 1980’s arrived, eventually with both Dunn and the Gaudreaus leaving weekly competition.

Al & Peg returned to the Speedbowl scene in the late 1980’s when their son Tom began competing in the Street Stocks, and eventually the Late Models, winning in both divisions. In 1994, after Tom had to retire from driving due to a back injury, veteran wheelman Mike Lovetere jumped in and scored a win driving the Gaudreau #3. It was Lovetere’s only career win at the Speedbowl after the track was paved prior to the 1988 season.

For the 1995 season, the Gaudreaus put Tom Fox behind the wheel and the combination won 5 races and Late Model Championship that year. It was the 6th Speedbowl Championship as car owners for the Guadreau family. The team won 11 races together in 1996, but finished 4th in points. By the late 1990’s, they once again retired from weekly Speedbowl competition.

In the 2010’s, when the Speedbowl held drag races several times during the season, Tom Gaudreau won several events with his father Al supporting him as always. Al & Peg were married for 50 years. Al passed away on April 27, 2013 at the age of 72. Peg passed away on January 7, 2014 after battling ALS. She was 68.

STATISTICAL SNAPSHOT

AL & PEG GAUDREAU
SPEEDBOWL PHOTO ALBUM