By Bob Baker
The 36th National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Induction weekend quickly approaches! Many supporters and future and current inductees are making their plans to attend the festivities Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30.
One of the highlights of the weekend includes the attendance of previous National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees as well as some of this year’s honorees, making the Friday, May 29 festivities at the museum a “must attend” event. This year, Knoxville Raceway will host the AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Cars (joined by the Knoxville 360’s on Friday and 410’s on Saturday).
Our Friday events will again accommodate the racing, and this year they will be sponsored by the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing (EMMR). Sandwiches and soft drinks will get things underway at Noon on Friday. Following refreshments, our annual salute to our inductees on the museum’s second floor will commence from 1-3 p.m.! This year it will be dubbed the “EMMR Racers Roundtable Discussion Featuring Past NSCHoF Inductees” and it will again be hosted by Dave Hare. This open mic discussion always includes plenty of storytelling and fun times!
The reception is FREE and open to the public. This marks the first year of the partnership with EMMR. “The Eastern Museum of Motor Racing (EMMR) is proud to partner with the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum in supporting the Racers Roundtable and luncheon during Hall of Fame Weekend,” says Alison Kreitzer, EMMR Director of Collections. “Collaborations like this highlight the strength of our shared mission to preserve and interpret the history of motor racing. Together, our institutions work to ensure that the stories of sprint car drivers, innovators, and the communities that shaped the sport are not only preserved, but actively shared and made relevant for new generations of fans and enthusiasts. EMMR applauds the NSCHoF for its continued leadership in honoring and advancing the legacy of sprint car racing.”
“We encourage both our previous inductees and current inductees to be a part of not only the induction banquet on Saturday, but our festivities on Friday as well,” says National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum Executive Director, Bob Baker. “We have had a great partnership with EMMR from the beginning, and thank them for joining us in our efforts on Friday, May 29. We both share the importance of promoting the future of sprint car racing by preserving the past.”
Invitations are going out to our inductees soon, so stay tuned for who to expect in Knoxville during Induction weekend and our Friday festivities!
Saturday, May 30, will mark the 36th National Sprint Car Hall of Fame induction banquet. The banquet will begin at Noon, and again be held at the Dyer-Hudson Hall on the Marion County Fairgrounds in Knoxville. The banquet will be catered by the Rib Shack.
Those individuals being inducted for their career achievements include: Drivers – Steve Chassey, Jerry Stone and Jerry McClung; Owners-Mechanics-Builders-Manufacturers-Car Sponsors – Jimmy Carr, Ed Iskenderian and Bob Westphal; Promoters-Officials-Media Members-Event/Series Sponsors – Eloy Gutierrez and Allan Holland; and Pre-1970 Era – Bob Gregg. Hall of Famers Dave Argabright and Pat Sullivan will emcee the event. Following Saturday’s induction, inductees’ families and friends are invited back to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum’s second floor for the unveiling of the new inductees’ plaques.
Tickets for Saturday’s induction banquet are $35 and can be ordered by contacting Jody Rawlings at 641-842-6176 or by e-mailing JRawlings@SprintCarHoF.com. Jody can set you up with a table if you call early.
No tickets will be offered at the door, so be sure to order ahead of time!
For more information on the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum and the special events happening here, visit www.SprintCarHoF.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter!