It's already been a week since the 2024 Iowa Racing Hall of Fame Induction was held near Webster City at the Briggs Woods Conference Center, but the memories of a wonderful night linger on. Fourteen new members were honored on that evening after a fun social hour and catered meal were enjoyed.
We were honored to be asked to be there for two good friends that were being inducted....Rick Brown, and Jeff Broeg. Jeff was a columnist during the Hawkeye Racing News era, writing under "The Back Stretch" , has been and continues to be a great announcer at races, started doing the All Iowa Points back in 1979...which I believe may have been our first acquaintance with the man who is an encyclopedia of racing knowledge. I know we inquired if we could get a hard copy of some of his All Iowa Points, and he sent them to us. He also headed up the Nation Kidney Foundation Heartland Tour for a Cure series for the Modified and Hobby Stock classes that ran for several years. We followed that tour most everywhere. He then began the Positively Racing website, emphasising a positive approach to short track racing, where he also published his Back Stretch blog, along with several other bloggers. He was gracious to ask if we would join the other bloggers and write about our races we attend. That is where the 4dfan Report began. Congratulations, Jeff! A well deserved recognition!
Speaking of the 4dfan Report....that 4dfan means FORDfan, and that brings us to our great friend Rick Brown. Rick piloted a Ford powered machine for most of his racing career except for his early few years in a bomber class. We had previously followed another local racer from back in the day, Dave Blankenship...who also was a Ford man. When he let go of his "new look Ford Thunderbird" IMCA Stock Car in 1991, it was Rick who acquired that car and jumped to the IMCA Stock Car class...and thus began our long term family friendship. It proved to be a great move to the Stock Car class for Rick, and he had great success with that Ford Thunderbird! A few years later, he had a new Thunderbird Stock Car built, but the original ride also stayed around, and both cars saw many Victory Lane visits. IMCA began a NAPA Winner's Series traveling series, and Rick made everyone of those races (except for the final which fell on the same night he was fighting for his hometrack of Marshalltown Speedway's track championship)...within the state of Iowa, and beyond in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Nebraska if I recall correctly. We followed him to nearly everyone of those races....and what a fun time we had. What fond memories we hold of those times. We were honored to have "Eisele Motorsports" carried on his cars as one of many sponsors. He never missed a night of racing at the Marshalltown Speedway in 23 years, and won 5 track championships. We were also privileged to see him win his 100th IMCA Stock Car victory...his career wins ending at 124. Congratulations, Rick! What a ride!
Earlier in the evening, we got to visit with many racing friends, and one of those was former Stock Car racer, (except for one year in a Late Model) Bobby Greiner, Jr....a 2023 recipient of the Iowa Racing Hall of Fame. What a fun time we had with reminiscing about the good old days, and some of those hilarious moments that had my jaws aching from laughing.
The other 2024 inductees were: Dale Suhr, who started his career in a supercharged gas dragster, and has continued for 5+ decades as a racer, owner, engine builder, fabricator, tuner and teacher.
Posthumously honored was Jerry Smith, who raced motorcycles starting at age 18 thru 72 years old.
Another inductee was Doug Haack, who we have seen waving the flags at many race tracks, and weekly for several years at the Southern Iowa Speedway. Currently, he has 4 tracks on his calendar for the racing season.
Lynn Richard has been an owner, builder, and car sponsor, along with being a great auctioneer, doing many benefits, among them the Knoxville Late Model Nationals to benefit the Sprint Car Hall of Fame. Lynn started racing go-karts in 1977, then a stock car, a sportsman, and late model. Then he became a car owner and sponsor.
Among the Pre-1990 inductees was Harald "Andy" Andersen. At 97 years of age, he was in attendance and accepted his award on stage. He first raced a 1937 Ford Coupe at the Okoboji Speed Bowl in 1953, to being his racing journey .
Another pioneer of dirt track racing was Hilbert Schramm. He began racing a 1932 Ford Coupe in 1950. In August of 1952 he set a new speed record on the fifth-mile oval at Fort Dodge of 18.54 seconds.
Dave Chase is a famous name in Iowa. He started racing in 1968 in the the Sioux City, and Sunset Speedway in the Nebraska area. He had over 300 wins in over 30 states. A highlight of his career was when he drove for Jack Housby and being a teammate of Ramo Stott.
The late Ron Hutcherson, one of the Keokuk, Iowa famous racers, and brother to Dick Hutcherson, had the award accepted by his wife. Ron raced in the IMCA Stock Car class, then moved on to the ARCA series where he had much success, winning at the Daytona Speedway among other tracks.
Dirk Kirk, son of great racer Bill Kirk, who passed away in 1988, accepted for his father. His racing career started in 1959 when he caught the racing bug after first seeing a race at the local track in Onawa. He became a Siouxland sensation winning 14 championships in the region, and became known as the "Salix Speedster", racing everything from a coupe, to a modified, a stock car, and lastly, in a late model. His grandson Willy Kirk is now racing in the IMCA Northern SportMod class sporting his grandfather's #86 and carrying on the family tradition.
Randy Smith began racing sprint cars in 1975, racing in 23 states, Canada, and Australia. He won features at 32 different tracks, winning many at the Knoxville Raceway.
Karla Lampe started racing in 1995 at the Audubon Speedway and won her first race the following year, sporting her #7 car. She continues to race in the dirt and asphalt modified class.
Finally, Steve Jackson. Jackson was a threat anytime he showed up at a track starting in the late 1980's. He was the first IMCA Stock Car driver to reach 100 wins. He also won the IMCA Super Nationals 5 times....1988, '90, '93, '96, and 2000 and was a two time IMCA Stock Car National Champion.
Many of the former Hall of Fame Inductees were in the house last Saturday. Among them were some real heroes from back in the day....Ed Sanger and Curt Hansen. The following is a list of all of the inductees so far...beginning in 2018.
2018 - Legendary: Ernie Derr (my personal hero), Don White, Johnny Beauchamp, Dick Hutcherson, Ramo Stott, Emory Collins, Duesenberg Brothers - August and Frederick, Tiny Lund, Marion Robinson, Ed Sanger, Gus Schrader, Johnny Gerber, J. Alex Sloan, Al Sweeney, and Frank Winkley Drivers: 1970-present: Roger Dolan, Curt Hansen, Tom Hearst, Bob Shryock, and Gary Webb. Drivers 1948-1969: Darrell Dake, Red Droste, Verlin Eaker, Denny Hovinga, and Ronnie Weeden. Owner/Mechanic/Builder/Manufacturer/Car Sponsor: Larry and Penny Eckrich, Larry Clement, Bob Harris, and Bob Trostle. Promotor/Official/Media Member/Event/Series Sponsor: Ralph Capitani, Al Frieden, and Keith Knaack. Motorcycle: Whit Hemingway. Figure 8: Larry Conkin. Drag Racing: The Grove Brothers.
2019 - Drivers: Dick Gustin, Lee Kunzman, Joel Rasmussen, Earl Wagner, Norm Wiemers, Bill Davis, Sr., Dave Farren, and Bob Hill. Motorcycle: Chad Pederson. Figure 8: Tony Boger. Drag Racing: Vern Moats. Owner/Mechanic/Builder/Manufacturer/Car Sponsor: Johnny Johnson, and Gil Sonner. Promoter/Official/ Media Member/Event/Series Sponsor: Bill Haglund, Phil Roberts, and Nona Warden.
2020-2021 - Drivers: Pre 1946: John Sloan. Drivers 1946-present: Al DeCarlo, Ray Guss, Jr., Don Hoffman, Mel Kenyon, Wayne Larson, Stacy Redmond, Bill Rice, Gene Schattschneider, and Mike Smith. Motorcycle: Larry Schultz. Figure 8: Marty Pringle. Drag Racing: Mark Bacon. Owner/Mechanic/ Builder/Manufacturer/Car Sponsor: Jack Housby, and Keith Simmons. Promoter/Official/Media Member/Event/Series Sponsor: Morris "Beetle" Bailey, and Dean Malone.
2022 - Drivers: Bill Beckman, John Connolly, Darrel DeFrance, Ron Jackson, Les Wildin, Gary Crawford, John Logue, Terry McCarl, Joe Merryfield, Ken Walton, Bill Zwanziger. Owner/Builder/Car Sponsor: Dean Sylvester. Promoter/Official/Media: Robert Lawton, Jim Wilson. Motorcycle: Justin Brayton. Figure 8: Orville Kinne, Tim Nelson. Drag Racing: David Wells. Innovator: Larry Sommerfelt. Racing Family: The Killen Family, John, Don, Vern, and Tom.
2023 - Drivers pre 1990 Em Fretheim, Bob Hilmer, Butch Householder, Dan Nesteby, Dick Schultz, Jim Wyman, Ted Zieman. Drivers: 1990 - present: Jeff Anderson, Ron Barker, Bobby Greiner, Jr., Brian Birkhofer, Danny Wallace. Motorcycle: Edison Dye, Gavin Faith. Figure 8: Scotty Slawson. Drag Racing: Carl Moyer. Owner/Builder/Car Sponsor: Pat Fagen.
That's quite a list of prestigious racing icons from Iowa! Many we saw race, or in other capacities, know them.
Let's all keep supporting the sport we all love....dirt track racing...and help keep it alive and well!
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