By Richard Golardi
The Little 500 Hall of Fame is proud to announce the 2024 recipient of the annual legacy award that honors the memory of Jack Nowling, a legendary Little 500 competitor from Florida. The Jack Nowling Award is named for the 1996 Little 500-winning car owner who loved competing in the Little 500 and dreamed of the day he would win it. 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.
The 2024 recipient of the Jack Nowling Award is Sam Pierce, dealer/owner of Sam Pierce Chevrolet in Daleville, Indiana, and team owner of Sam Pierce Racing. Sam Pierce Chevrolet has provided the Little 500 Presented by UAW with push trucks for many years in addition to the pace truck that paces the field during the race. Sam Pierce has fielded sprint cars in the Little 500 since 2004 with drivers Aaron Pierce, Tanner Swanson, Joey Schmidt, Austin Nemire, and Mickey Kempgens, and adds Kaylee Bryson in 2024. His drivers have earned two poles, three top five finishes, and five top tens.
Sam Pierce was in the Central Highlands in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War from 1969 to 1970 as a U.S. Army combat infantryman. “Every day, we were in the bushes,” according to Sam. Upon returning home to Muncie, Indiana, he went back to his job at the GM transmission plant. He also worked on and sold cars from his home. “That was to support my racing habit, my drag racing habit.” The asphalt ¼ mile fueled his desire for speed. He paired that with building a base of customers for car repairs and sales from the GM plant employees. Those Muncie and Anderson GM plant employees would remain a loyal customer base for decades for used car sales, and later for sales of new Chevrolets when Sam Pierce Chevrolet was formed in 1983.
“Our business for years has predominately been supported by the GM employees. We went to a little town called Middletown, it was mostly farmers and GM employees. They worked at Delco-Remy, Guide Lamp or Chevrolet. By 2003 (the last year in Middletown before moving the dealership to Daleville), we sold a thousand new cars that year, and 500 used. We’re in the top five in our area as far as sales go. We’re between two corn fields, but our numbers are really strong. We still sell a thousand new cars a year.”
Sam Pierce’s tenacity, determination, and friendly, selfless demeanor along with his mentoring of young open wheel race drivers is reminiscent of the qualities that earned Jack Nowling a place in the hearts of competitors and fans in Indiana and nationwide.
The Hall of Fame wishes to thank Wayne and Shirlene Hammond for their continuing sponsorship of the Jack Nowling Award again in 2024. They have chosen to honor the memory of Dave Steele with their sponsor donation. Wayne recently retired as the general manager of Brandon Ford in Tampa, Florida, and previously drove a sprint car for Jack Nowling in the Little 500 and in Florida competition. The Award Plaque features a photo of Jack Nowling in the winner’s circle at Anderson Speedway in 1996.
The Little 500 Hall of Fame also expresses its thanks to Richard Golardi, columnist with Hoseheads.com, for originating the idea for the award; Wayne and Shirlene Hammond for their sponsor donation; and Dorothy Nowling for her assistance with the logo design. The Little 500 Hall of Fame has invited the Little 500 community of participants and fans to this year’s induction ceremony (which includes the Jack Nowling Award presentation), which will take place at Anderson Speedway, Indiana, on Saturday, May 25 (time to be announced). For further information, contact David Sink (765) 278-8231.