President in 1959 – Ripton, Vermont
Dale, “The Buick Man”, was elected Vice President in 1959 and upon the resignation of Jim McGlaflin assumed the duties of President.
Dale was a charter member of the VAE and was known for his practical approach to auto mechanics, having operated a garage in the mountain village of Ripton.
John Hawkinson remembers that Dale always advised to set the valves on a Buick at 20 thousands to avoid burning them, while the factory advised 6 thousands!
Dale was never known to drive anything but an old car, what now everyone would consider antique. His vehicles wouldn’t take any prizes in today’s “restoration climate”, but they always ran sweetly.
A comment taken from June-November 1953 Wheel Tracks: “Our first meeting in June at Lake Dunmore was in the form of a ‘Trial and Tour’ with almost everyone mistaking it for some sort of speed event. This was particularly true of Dale Lake who practically burned out the pistons in his little ’46 Standard, setting the highest speed of the day.”