Ron “Boots” Cote was one of the more accomplished Late Model drivers from the late 1960’s to the late 1980’s throughout southern New England, including the Waterford Speedbowl.
Ron Cote first starting winning at the shoreline oval in 1969 when he won his first 2 features in the Daredevil division. The division would evolve into Sportsman Sedans (1971-1974) and later Grand Americans (1975-1979) and Cote won in all 3 iterations. Cote won 29 races from 1969-1979, his biggest being a 50 lapper in 1971. Only Bill Sweet has more wins in the division’s history.
He was also a 2-time champion winning the Daredevil title in 1970, and the Sportsman Sedan title 1972. His 1972 championship was particularly memorable as it was the closest championship battle in Speedbowl history. Cote won the title by 1 point over both Bob Gada and Jerry Lillquist, who were tied for the runner-up spot. After a few seasons away, Cote returned in 1979 to win 4 Grand American races.
Cote returned to the Speedbowl one more time in the late 1980’s, winning 3 races in the 1988 season. Also in the division that season were his nephews Conrad and Larry. They each won a Late Model race in 3 successive weeks in May that season.
Cote also won multiple titles at Thompson Speedway and also competed in the Modified division during his career. He passed away on August 30, 2018 at the age of 79.
STATISTICAL SNAPSHOT
| TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS | 1968 Daredevil, 1970 Sportsman Sedan (same division, abbreviated below as DGA) |
| CAREER WINS | 32 – (29 DGA, 3 Late Model) |
| SPEEDBOWL RECORDS | 27 DGA wins in the 1970’s |
| OTHER NOTABLE STATS | 6 consecutive seasons with a DGA win |
| won 2 DGA races on the same day (August 3, 1974) | |
| AWARDS & HONORS | 2000 Speedbowl’s 50 Greatest Drivers |
RON COTE
SPEEDBOWL PHOTO ALBUM
