From Bob Baker
Knoxville, IA — (March 3, 2015) — The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum is pleased to announce three special events that it will be presenting this month, including one in Knoxville and two in southern Minnesota. The free and open-to-the-public presentations are as follows:
Thursday, March 19 – “Sprint Car 101: Sprint Cars, County Fairs & Auto Thrill Shows” at 7 p.m. at the National Sprint Car Museum in Knoxville, Iowa, featuring Ralph Capitani, Jim Cadwell, Jimmy Canton, Lou Sipolt, Jr., Dan Hutchings and Chad Van Dyke.
Sunday, March 22 – “Sprint Car 101: From Twin City to North Starr and beyond… Remembering Minnesota’s Open-Wheel Racing History” at 2 p.m. at the Dan Patch American Legion Post 643 in Savage, Minnesota, with host Phil Dullinger special guests John “Butch” Bethke, Bill Dollansky, Mike Kelly, Sr., Joe Kouba and Conrad “Butch” Maxwell.
Saturday, March 28 – “100 Years Later… the Tragic Death of F. Maurice Keeler at the Des Moines Speedway (1915)” at 1 p.m. at the Le Roy Community Center in Le Roy, Minnesota, with historian Larry Ball, Jr.
According to museum curator Tom Schmeh today, “We hadn’t planned on offering two Sprint Car 101’s and an additional historical presentation this month, but it just worked out that way. Museum volunteer Bob Colbert had the idea for the forum on Joie Chitwood and his thrill show, while Phil Dullinger called us wanting to coordinate a forum on Minnesota open-wheel racing, specifically at the old North Starr Speedway. And it was only this winter that I realized that it will be one hundred years since the passing of riding-mechanic F. Maurice Keeler at the Des Moines Speedway in August of this year. He is buried in Le Roy, Minnesota, but I am not sure if any of the current residents realize who he was and how he met his untimely death. I appreciate past museum board president Larry Ball, Jr., giving his entertaining and educational presentation again, this time, appropriately enough, in Le Roy.”
Those individuals interested in learning more about the “Sprint Car 101” Third Thursday Series at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum are urged to visit www.sprintcarhof.com.