From Little 500
The Little 500 Hall of Fame is pleased to announce a new annual legacy award which honors the memory of a legendary Little 500 competitor and 2006 inductee. This award will be named the Jack Nowling Award in memory of the 1996 Little 500-winning car owner who loved competing in the Little 500 and dreamed of the day he would win it. This award will stand separately from the awarding of inductee status into the Little 500 Hall of Fame and will be conferred once annually on the day of the induction luncheon. Those eligible for the award are sprint car owners (individuals or teams), engine/car builders, chief mechanics, and those individuals, corporations, or race teams that have designed a system or device that has contributed to sprint car racing competition or safety.
After Jack Nowling entered a car in the Little 500 each year for over a decade, he put together a team for the 1996 race that was a gathering of Hall of Fame talent. With a car built by Jerry Stuckey, powered by an engine supplied by Harold Wirtjes, and driven by Dave Steele, this car won the pole position, lead the most laps, and won the race. Nowling dedicated another decade to his quest to win the Little 500 again with a plethora of talented drivers, many from Florida’s fertile pavement sprint car talent pool. His tenacity, determination, and friendly, selfless demeanor earned a place in the hearts of competitors and fans in Indiana, Florida, and nationwide, and that is why this award will carry his name in perpetuity.
The new sponsors of this award are Wayne and Shirlene Hammond of Florida, who have chosen to honor the memory of Dave Steele with their sponsor donation. Wayne previously drove a sprint car for Jack Nowling in the Little 500 and in his first Midwest racing season with Nowling in 1989, they won the USAC Hardee’s Deluxe Racing Series Championship. The Hammonds’ donation will also qualify them for Associate Sponsor status. A new logo has been designed which will be engraved onto the Award Plaque and features a photo of Jack Nowling in the winner’s circle in 1996.
The Little 500 Hall of Fame wishes to thank Richard Golardi, columnist with Hoseheads.com, for originating the idea for the award and obtaining a sponsor; Wayne and Shirlene Hammond for their sponsor donation; Dorothy Nowling for her assistance with the logo design and coordinating with the graphic designer; Mark Crawford for the graphic design of the logo; and Max Dolder for the logo photo. The 2023 recipient of the Jack Nowling Award will be announced in the near future. The Little 500 Hall of Fame wishes to invite the Little 500 community of participants and fans to this year’s induction luncheon, which will take place at Anderson Speedway, Indiana, on Saturday, May 27 beginning at 11 a.m. To purchase tickets, please contact Anderson Speedway (765) 642-0206, or David Sink (765) 278-8231.