By Bob Baker
KNOXVILLE, IOWA (July 5, 2010) – “Sprint car fans, past and present, may never get this opportunity again” are the words of National Sprint Car Museum curator Tom Schmeh as he describes the Friday, August 13, “Nationals Soup Line-Up: Honoring the Winners of the ‘Alphabet Soup’ Championship Features at the Knoxville Nationals, 1961 – 2009” special reception. The latest drivers to sign-on for the special museum-benefit autograph session being held during the 50th Goodyear Knoxville Nationals are National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee Bill Utz, Kim Mock of Wisconsin, recent World of Outlaws (WoO) winner Brooke Tatnell of Australia, Ed Lynch (Jr.) of Western Pennsylvania, and Iowans Greg Jones, Mike Pinckney and free-spirit Dennis Moore (Jr.).
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. Tom Schmeh said today, “Can you imagine getting National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees Bill Utz, Doug Wolfgang, Ray Lee Goodwin, Kenny Jacobs, Rick Ferkel, Brad Doty, and Shane Carson together in the same room with current stars Max Dumesny, Brooke Tatnell, Ed Lynch (Jr.), Dennis Moore (Jr.), Greg Hodnett, Wayne Johnson, Clint Garner, Danny Smith, Chris Schmelzle, Brian Paulus, Kim Mock and Johnny Herrera, and then throw in the likes of Randy Smith, Tommie Estes (Jr.), Blake Robertson, Randi Turner, Marlon Jones, Rich Brahmer, Chris Walraven, “Gabby” Lusk and many others? Well, we’ve done it! It promises to be the best meet-and-greet of the whole Goodyear Knoxville Nationals. And the one thing that ties them all together is that they’ve won an E-, D-, C-, B- or A-Main on the final night of the Nationals.”
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 July 5, are as follows:
Jim Jenkins (1964), Marvin Gibson (1966), Ray Lee Goodwin (1968), Bill Utz (1971), Rick Ferkel (1976), Doug Wolfgang (1977, 1978, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990), Mike Pinckney (1979, 1982), 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), Dave Hollamon (1990), Brooke Tatnell (1991), Dennis Moore, Jr. (1992), Johnny Herrera (1994), Troy Parsons (1994), Max Dumesny (1995), Tommie Estes, Jr. (1996), Ed Lynch, Jr. (1997), Blake Robertson (1999), Chris Walraven (1999), Greg Hodnett (2001), Brian Paulus (2004), Kim Mock (2004), Clint Garner (2005), Greg Jones (2005), John Lambertz (2006), Chris Schmelzle (2007), J.J. Hickle (2008), Wayne Johnson (2009).