By Bob Baker
KNOXVILLE, IOWA (February 22, 2010) – The National Sprint Car Museum in Knoxville, Iowa, is pleased to announce that fifteen more sprint car drivers, each of whom have won a championship main event on the final day of the Knoxville Nationals, have accepted invitations to participate in the “Nationals Soup Line-Up: Honoring the Winners of the ‘Alphabet Soup’ Championship Features at the Knoxville Nationals, 1961 – 2009” special reception to be held on Friday, August 13. Amongst the latest to say ‘I plan to be there’ are Chris Walraven, John Eskuri, Blake Robertson, Max Dumesny, Johnny Herrera, Randi Turner, Marlon Jones, John Lambertz, Danny Smith, Clint Garner, Gary “Gabby” Lusk, Wayne Johnson, Rick Ferkel, Jim Jenkins and Tim Deaver. They join previously-committed Jerry Potter, Brad Doty, Shane Carson, Rich Brahmer, Kenny Jacobs, Randy Smith, Brian Paulus, Tommie Estes, Jr., and Ray Lee Goodwin.
The two-hour reception, to be held on the museum’s air-conditioned second floor beginning at 12 Noon, is open to the public and will cost just five dollars per person to attend. The reception is just one of many museum-benefit special events being scheduled during the 50th Goodyear Knoxville Nationals, presented by Lucas Oil, on August 11-14. Museum curator Tom Schmeh said today, “We really can’t say enough about the drivers that are willing to make the effort to be here for this special event. I see drivers like ‘the Ohio Traveler’ Rick Ferkel, veteran Danny Smith and Australian Max Dumesny being big draws for this reception, but I also appreciate the fact that 1964 B-Main winner Jim Jenkins will be in attendance. We have drivers from every decade that have said that they will be here, including Wayne Johnson who won the C-Main at the 2009 Knoxville Nationals. If you love sprint car racing and its history, this will be the place for you to be on Friday, August 13, at 12 Noon.”
For more information on the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum and its museum-benefit special events, individuals are encouraged to visit the non-profit foundation’s web site at www.sprintcarhof.com. For more information on the 50th Goodyear Knoxville Nationals, presented by Lucas Oil, fans are encouraged to visit www.knoxvilleraceway.com. The list of Knoxville Nationals alphabet-soup feature winners, living and deceased, can be found on the museum’s web site. Those indicating that they plan to attend, as of February 22, are as follows:
Jim Jenkins (1964), Ray Lee Goodwin (1968), Rick Ferkel (1976), Jerry Potter (1981), Randy Smith (1983), John Eskuri (1984), Brad Doty (1985), Gary “Gabby” Lusk (1985), Rich Brahmer (1986), Danny Smith (1986, 2005), Shane Carson (1987), Tim Deaver (1988), Kenny Jacobs (1988, 1999, 2001), Marlon Jones (1988), Randi Turner (1989), Johnny Herrera (1994), Max Dumesny (1995), Tommie Estes, Jr. (1996), Blake Robertson (1999), Chris Walraven (1999), Brian Paulus (2004), Clint Garner (2005), John Lambertz (2006), Wayne Johnson (2009).