Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame

Find a Hall of Fame Inductee by last name.  Click the alphabet below to view inductees by last name.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z

Don “Spyder” Anderson

Don “Spyder” Anderson, was born in 1942 in Calhan, Colorado. He bought his first midget from Hall of Fame member Frank Peterson in 1963 to race in Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association events, where he won his first race the next year and finished 6 th in season...

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Edwin “Tex” Arnold

Edwin “Tex” Arnold was born in 1933, in Staten Island, Borough of Richmond, New York. Tex graduated from Lehigh University in 1955, with a Bachelor of Science degree and Second Lieutenant bars. After graduating “Top Gunner” in numerous pilot training classes, Tex’s...

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Roger Avants

Thanks to his father, Walt Avants, Roger Avants got the racing bug more than 40 years ago. Roger started out racing in the Figure Eight Division at Englewood Speedway along with his brother, Larry, who raced in the Sportsman Division. It was here that Roger mastered...

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John Abbott

John Abbott started drag racing in 1954 and graduated to driving Top Fuel Dragsters by 1964. In 1977 he won the Top Fuel Dragster title at the Popular Hot Rod Magazine Championships and in 1978 he won Top Fuel Dragster at the International Hot Rod Association’s Spring...

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Keith Andrews

Keith Andrews started oval track racing in 1946 driving Roadsters. In 1947, he began driving midgets and won three feature races at Lakeside Speedway. The following year he raced midgets on the old AAA circuit in the Eastern United Sates. In 1950, Andrews finished...

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Lloyd Axel

Lloyd Axel, born June 27, 1905, was bit by the racing bug when he drove an old Rajo Ford at Ord, Neb., substituting for a sick friend in 1926. Axel hooked up with the winner of that Ord fair race, Vic Felt of Deertrail, Colorado, and raced Felt’s ‘big cars’ throughout...

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Chris Burandt

Chris Burandt began riding snowmobiles at the age of six, and has since been recognized as the number one backcountry snowmobile rider in the world.  His competitive accomplishments include earning the Freestyle Gold Medal at the 2007 ESPN Winter X-Games.

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Bill Brack

Bill Brack’s 40 year racing career has been marked by involvement with oval track racing at tracks throughout Colorado, providing financial support for multiple racing series as well as sponsorship for individual teams and drivers through his Buckeye Welding Supply...

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Patrick Bourke

Patrick Bourke’s father bought him his first motocross bike in 1982.  Four years and two motorcycles later, his racing career began at the age of 13, and he progressed to professional status in Motocross and Supercross competition over the next three seasons. When...

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Dick Baty

Dick Baty enjoyed a lifelong passion for cars, engines, and going fast. He began his racing career on the Julesburg Drag Strip in 1956, and continued quarter-mile competition after a stint in the U.S. Army. Dick drove a chopped 1935 Chevy D/Altered Coupe and 27 Model...

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Terry Boyle

Terry Boyle was introduced to racing at an early age as while growing up in Denver, as his next door neighbor was multi-time Englewood Speedway champion Bill Nicholson.  Terry’s own racing career began in drag racing, with success in a modified 1957 Chevy, as well as...

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John Bandimere, Jr.

 John Bandimere Jr. has been around fast cars most of his life - as racer, high-performance auto parts dealer, and race track manager. He began drag racing while he was in high school, and the 1957 Chevy he acquired to race up Colorado's famous Pikes Peak...

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Ron Berry

Cars and racing were a big part of Ron Berry’s early life, as his dad sponsored a race car at an oval track in Montrose, Colorado.  Ron started driving at age 7, and built his first motor at age 13.  He began racing in the 1950’s, when he first drove a V-8/60 midget...

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2010 The Bandimere Family

The board selected the Bandimere family as the recipient of the 2010 JC Agajanian Award, honoring outstanding contribution to motorsports by an organization.

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Kelly Boen

Kelly Boen was born in 1963 in North Dakota. In 1967, his parents, Harlan and Sharrell, moved their family to Colorado. Kelly’s dad soon began racing Figure-8s at Englewood Speedway. While his dad competed, Kelly made friends at the track, pitted for...

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Mickey “Beck” Bechtelheimer

  For over 50 years, Beck Bechtelheimer has served the racing community with distinction as an announcer for races that have been held at nearly every track in the southern Colorado region.  After his start at Pikes Peak Speedway in the 1960’s, he was the...

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Sid Blandford

Sid Blandford began his racing career in 1954 as Midget division driver at Lakeside and Englewood Speedways.  After a 20 year hiatus that began in 1960 to form and operate a successful excavating business, he returned to racing by forming an equally...

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Gray Brumfield

The recipient of the 2016 Jerry Van Dyke Award, which is given as recognition for contributions to Colorado Motorsports by an individual, is Gray Brumfield for his decades-long commitment to supporting Sports Car Club of America events and operations.  Gray began his...

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Pete Brandenburg

Pete Brandenburg has been chosen to receive the 2015 Jerry Van Dyke Award, which is given in recognition of lifelong dedication to Colorado Motorsports by an individual. Pete began racing at Lakeside Speedway at age 21, and over the course of his racing career he was...

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Mike Bonicelli

Mike Bonicelli began racing at age 18, when he built a drag car and raced it locally in Colorado. However, his dream was to race ovals, so before his 20th birthday he switched to local stock car racing. Mike began racing at Pikes Peak Speedway in 1971 and was very...

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Richard Burton

After spending many years attending races at Englewood Speedway and Lakeside Speedway, Richard Burton’s racing career began in figure eight and demolition derby racing when he built his first cars in 1969. In addition to winning many demo derbies in his early years,...

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Jim Beckley

Jim Beckley was born and grew up in Englewood, Colorado. Near his boyhood home, the Malloy’s had a shop where they worked on and built stock cars. While in junior high, Jim started hanging around the garage. Jim drove his first racecar, a modified stock, at Englewood...

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Roy Bowe

Roy Bowe was born in Denver in1916. During his racing career, he was unquestionably one the best drivers ever to come from Colorado. He won 64 main events running in Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association and won the RMMRA Championship in 1948 and 1949. In addition,...

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George Butland

George Butland actually started running demolition derbies at Lakeside Speedway in the early ‘50’s and went from there to late model racing at Lakeside and Englewood Speedways. He was born in China and learned to speak Chinese better than most locals. Returning from...

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Allen Batt

Allen Batt started racing in 1962 and drove a variety of race cars until 1988. He pitted for Hall of Fame member Larry Dechant and bought his first race car from Hall of Famer Wayne Stallsworth. He ran late models at Lakeside Speedway and Englewood Speedway from 1962...

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Leroy Byers

Born in Oklahoma, Leroy Byers’ love for racing began when he attended a sprint car race at the Oklahoma State fair. Moving to Aurora, he struck up acquaintances with several of the midget drivers, climbing over the track fences into the pits on several occasions due...

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Ade Butler

Ade Butler graduated from North High School, where he competed in both basketball and baseball. He witnessed his first midget race in 1937 at Merchants Park, and then began working on midget race cars in 1937 for owner/driver Burton Spickler. He served as a gunner and...

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Alan Bockla

Alan Bockla was one of the best top fuel dragster owners and drivers to come from Colorado. In his teens, Bockla started drag racing a Chevy-powered 1940 Ford Coupe. By 1960, he was driving a Chevy-powered T-Roadster at local drag strips. Then, in 1962 he started...

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Ralph Bruning

Ralph Bruning was born in 1945 in San Diego, Calif. Ralph’s father was career Navy, therefore, the family moved often, and finally settled in 1959. Ralph graduated from Wasson High in 1963 and received a B.A. degree from Western State College in 1968. He began his...

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John Bandimere, Sr

John Bandimere, Sr. built his first race car in 1937, a Ford Flathead V-8, which he raced in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb to a ninth place finish. Always known as an innovator, Bandimere actually built a snowmobile in 1936. He became a nationally known expert on...

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Lee Beard

Lee Beard recently retired as one of the most successful crew chiefs in the History of NHRA drag racing.  A Pueblo native, Lee enjoyed a career that spanned 35 years and included 55 National Event wins in Top Fuel and Funny Car classes.  His first win as a crew chief...

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Scott Backman

Scott Backman formed a passion for racing as he grew up watching members of his extended family compete in events at Englewood and Lakeside Speedways.  He served as a pit crew member on the CARC Modified piloted by his brother Jack at Lakeside, from when he was...

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Kevin Clark

Kevin Clark’s 45 year racing career includes winning Championships at Colorado Springs International Speedway and the Grand American Racing Tour while competing in local, regional and National events in Super Late Model and Pro-Truck divisions.

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Jeff Campbell

Jeff Campbell was a crew chief for successful, championship winning teams in Pro Truck and Super Late Model divisions, earning the Mechanic of the Year award at Colorado National Speedway five times. He also served as Race Director at CNS from 2008 to 2011.

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Stacey Cook

Stacey Cook’s excellence in motocross racing had humble beginnings.  His dad, who was a flat-track racer, bought him a 60CC mini bike, and riding the little machine in desert races near his Grand Junction home set the stage for racing success worthy of Hall of Fame...

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Dave Capriotti

Dave Capriotti has built a career as one of Colorado’s most recognized and successful engine builders.Hebegan his career in 1974, when he formed a business partnership with Rick Madonna to create MADCAP Racing engines.  While they initially intended to simply run an...

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Jim Cole

Jim Cole recalls going with his father to buy his first motorcycle at age six.  The experience led to a remarkably long and accomplished career in motorcycle racing, while competing in multiple divisions.  He started Motocross racing in the Sports Riders Association...

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Bill Canty

Bill Canty moved to Colorado with his family in 1960. After finishing school, his early racing experience consisted of drag racing a pickup truck at Rocky Mountain and Mountain View Dragway. After a tour of Vietnam, Bill began his stock car racing career...

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2016 Colorado Amateur Motorsports Associates

CAMA is the entity created in 2003 by a group of five amateur clubs including Motorcycle Roadracing Association (MRA), Porsche Club of America, Rocky Mtn. Region (PCA-RMR), Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing (RMVR), the Colorado Region of the Sports Car Club of...

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Dave Crocker

Dave Crocker began racing in 1967 and soon realized he had a special talent behind the wheel. He quickly began winning races and in 1975 and 1976 Dave won supermodified season championships at Englewood Speedway in his famous number “78.” He was so dominant during...

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Rick Carelli

Rick Carelli started his racing career in 1973 following in the footsteps of his older brother Donnie. He won the season championship in his first full season of racing in 1975 at Lakeside Speedway. The late motorsports commentator Larry Nuber dubbed Carelli as “the...

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Codner Family

The Codner family truly entered motor sports in the year 1950 when they purchased a speedway in southwest Denver, known as Englewood Speedway. The family’s dad did not tell them he had bought the track. His wife found out about it when she read it in the newspaper....

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Buzz Calkins

A graduate of University of Colorado, Buzz Calkins started racing go-carts at age 15, winning the Colorado Junior Go-Cart Championship in 1987. He then ran Formula Fords in 1989 and 1990, when his father ran the same series and was the Midwest Division SCCA Formula...

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Sonny Coleman

Sonny Coleman saw his first midget race at Lakeside Speedway in 1942. Little did he realize he would be driving at that track a few years after World War II. Like many others, Sonny built a street roadster and went looking for street races. Harvey Wilson was impressed...

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Harry Conklin

Harry Conklin became a race car owner in 1946, owning midgets, modifieds and sprint cars during the next 60 years and continues to be a car owner today. His cars have won 140 Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association feature races and 15 of their yearly championships....

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Foster Campbell

Foster Campbell started his open wheel-racing career in 1947, after serving in the Navy during World War II. Campbell raced midgets in Colorado and throughout the country, winning many features and winning four straight Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association...

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Danny Collins

Born and raised in Denver, Danny Collins was a fourth generation Colorado citizen. Collins successfully raced sports car and single-seat Formula cars for 50 years, including two years in England. In England, Collins was trusted to campaign a factory-owned Chevy...

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Douglass Drussel

Douglas Drussel’s lifelong commitment to motorsports include the invention of innovative racing components used in motorcycle and tractor pulling competition, as well a competitive record in Motorcycle racing highlighted by several class championships and a Rider of...

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Bill Dewald

Bill Dewald’s racing career spanned from 1965 to 1979, and he contributed to the success of many race teams in dirt and pavement oval track racing, demo derby, tractor pulls and drag competition through a successful motor building program at his Chevy Shed business...

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Alan Davis

Alan Davis’ career has included promoting the Pikes Peak Karting Association, acting as one of the founding members of the Colorado Mini Sprint Association, creating the Colorado Outlaw Racing Association, and serving as race director at El Paso County Fairgrounds in...

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Frank Denning

Frank Denning, known to fellow competitors and friends as Junior Denning, is the patriarch of a racing family. Frank’s racing career began in 1955 when he entered a “34” Ford Coupe in Lakeside Speedway’s “Hooligan Class”.  Frank’s cars became fan favorites with their...

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Larramie Duncan

Larramie Duncan has been quoted as saying “The secret to being successful in racing is being the guy that thinks about it the most and works the hardest” He has followed that philosophy throughout a remarkable career that has spanned more than 50 years. Larramie has...

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Wayne Demonja

Wayne Demonja’s passion for racing began with motorcycles. He started by riding a minibike as a youngster, progressed to motorcycles he raced in Motocross and Desert events, and finally stepped into off-road cars and trucks to compete in national and...

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Dennis Durmas

Dennis Durmas states that he has been on a snowmobile his whole life. Since his parents owned a Moto-Ski dealership when he was young the statement rings true. On his 18th birthday, he bought a motorcycle to race. A few years later, a friend asked if he...

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2017 The Denver Roadster Club

The Denver Roadster Club was formed in 1965, started by 5 guys building and fixing their roadsters, and then going for ice cream. The five original members were Vern Holmes, Frank Liston, Gary McClellan, Jack Richards, and Jack Stamper, and today two of...

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Ray Daniels

Ray Daniels began racing in 1966, and in a career that has spanned six decades, won over 100 main events and three NASCAR Late Model track championships.  He is known for “doing it all” by building, setting up, maintaining, and driving his cars while...

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Ernie DiCroce

Ernie was born in Denver in 1937. His love of racing began as a youngster helping his father build and maintain a midget that ran locally. In the 50’s, Ernie became involved in local racing at Lakeside Speedway and later, experienced one of his biggest racing...

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Larry Dechant

Larry Dechant began driving race cars in the late 1950’s. Over the years, he drove modified coupes, super modifieds, late models and figure eights. On several occasions he also drove in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. During his career, Dechant won at least...

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Bob Donner

Bob Donner came to Colorado Springs in 1939 and began driving road courses while serving with in U.S. Marines, in California, in 1953. After returning to Colorado in 1956, he scored his first two victories, one on a road course the other a hill climb. Starting in 1958...

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Wally Dallenbach, Sr.

At age 15, Wally Dallenbach, Sr. began building race cars and engines, turning a ’38 Ford Coupe into a stock car. Too young to participate as a driver, he campaigned the car for two seasons as an owner and mechanic, gaining invaluable experience in the mechanical and...

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Davey Durelle

Davey Durrelle got his first motorcycle at age ten, rode in his first race at age eleven, and won his first short-track race in 1978.  In 1980, he turned pro and became Novice Pro #127K.  He won both Sturgis half-mile events that year and finished the year as...

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2014 Englewood Racing Association

The board selected theEnglewood Racing Association as the recipient of the 2014 JC Agajanian Award, honoring outstanding contribution to motorsports by an organization. The Englewood Racing Association was formed in the early 1960’s to promote racing at Englewood...

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Wayne Etter

Known as the best “Stick Shift” driver in the business during his era, Wayne began drag racing in 1962 in a 1961 Chevy, F Stock, for Larry Montreal. In 1963 Wayne drove a ’58 Chevy for Dennis Maurer. Wayne went to the National Hot Rod Association’s Indianapolis...

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Arlo Englund

Arlo Englund’s first race was at age 14 in October, 1971, on a 90 cc Suzuki. His second race came shortly after and he won it. Arlo was then fortunate to get a sponsor, Robo Car Wash, and got his first racing bike in December, 1971, a 1972 Yamaha 125 MX. In 1972 Arlo...

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Harold “HJ” Evans

By any number of measures, Harold Evans is one of the most accomplished oval track drivers in Colorado racing history.  His career began by driving quarter midgets from age 7 to 10, Go-Karts form age 10-14, and motorcycles form age 14-16.  He went on to “dabble” in...

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Ody Fellows

Ody Fellows has led a life dedicated to racing, and is still contributing to the sport at age 89.In a driving career that began at age 17 and spanned four decades, Ody was primarily involved in oval track competition, although he was active in motorcycle...

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Ted Foltz

When Ted was 13 years old he would sit on the curb and watch the open wheel race cars drive up Colorado Avenue on race day. This was in the 1940’s, before they were required to use trailers to transport the cars. That was when he decided he wanted to drive a race car...

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Tom Frantz

Tom Frantz was born in 1943 in Denver. As early as eight years old, Tom was entering and winning car races sponsored by the Cub Scouts. By 12-years-old he was building race cars. In the early 1960s, his career then began in earnest with Tom racing in a car he built...

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Vic Felt

Born in 1901 in Colorado, Vic Felt started racing in 1924. He won the Rocky Mountain Championship in 1926 and the AAA Championship in 1929. Felt competed at many famous half-mail and mile speedways including Ascot in California and Overland Park in Denver. During his...

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Sheri Graham

Sheri Graham raced at Lakeside Speedway from 1965 to 1974, driving her way to many trophy dashes and main event victories while earning four track Championships.  She was a member of the Powder Puff Club of Denver, a racing organization consisting of women drivers who...

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Jack Graham

Jack Graham was riding a wave of success in 1975. He scored his third consecutive CARC Modified Championship that year, driving the best car in the division—John Pachello’s #19 Coupe—while beating some of the best drivers in the region to win the title. Jack began his...

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Sammy Gallo

Sammy Gallo is an enduring, legendary figure from earlier days of Colorado racing.  Returning to Denver after serving in the Army and the Normandy invasion in World War II, Sammy was part of a group of friends who started racing open roadsters at the rodeo grounds of...

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Rod Guilford

Rod Guilford has enjoyed a long and successful career as a drag racer, competing in NHRA events in Colorado and many other states.  He has also been a successful car owner/engine builder and crew chief for numerous drag racing and circle track racing teams, winning at...

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Mike Gregg

Mike Gregg began his Midget racing career in Washington in 1971. During that first year, he earned the Washington Midget Auto Racing Association’s “Rookie of the Year” award. Mike raced in Washington during the 1971 and 1972 seasons, before he jumped to...

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Paul Garrison

Born in Winterset, Iowa in 1938, Paul Garrison discovered his love for racing when, at age 14, he joined his crafty friends and snuck into the Des Moines track. From that evening on, Paul was hooked on motorsports. He had a short stent in drag racing while...

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Joe Garone

Joe Garone’s rise to the president/general manager position of Denver’s successful NASCAR Sprint Cup team — Furniture Row Racing – started at an early age while accompanying his racing parents to the Colorado short tracks. There is little doubt that his motorsports...

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Joe Giba

Joe Giba’ s motorsports career spanned more than 33 years, including racing both motorcycles and midgets. During his career, he won two Colorado Midget Racing Association features in Pueblo in 1947. He also won 10 Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association features in...

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Les Gaylord

Les Gaylord started his racing career in 1951 in a 1949 MGTC on a street course race in Aspen, Colorado, with his wife as a passenger. That race began a 53 year Sports Car Club of America racing career. He won so many SCCA regional and national races that no ones is...

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Judy Lilly Gunson

Judy Lilly Gunson started her drag racing career in a 1961 Corvette. In 1965, she won her class in super stock at both the National Hot Rod Association’s Winter Nationals in Pomona, California and at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Between 1967 and 1970, Judy won...

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Roy Golightly

Roy wasn’t born with nitro in his veins, but he was barely out of short pants when his life-long love of cars and racing began. The Denver native started with a 1928 Model A that he modified with a V-8 engine. Soon, he was racing it, and others like it, on the streets...

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Roger Guzman

Roger Guzman and his brilliant succession of funny cars named “Assassination” became household names to America’s drag racing fans during Guzman’s 26-year career that spanned four decades. In a world where drivers are the stars, no one was better known among...

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Willie Hardman

Willie Hardman’s contributions to Midget and Sprint Car racing in Colorado include success as both driver and car builder/owner for many successful competitors, as well as his leadership in the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association, where he served a club President...

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Dick Heikes

Dick Heikes enjoyed an outstanding career in southern Colorado racing, competing in oval track stock car racing as well as Hill Climb events in open wheel and stock car divisions.  Always popular with the fans and other drivers, Dick would race anything at any time. ...

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Bob Harmsen

Bob Harmsen will be inducted into the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame as one of the 2019 Jerry Van Dyke award recipients. Born in 1943, Bob had an early passion for cars and racing, which turned into a lifelong involvement supporting motorsports through...

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Billy Harkins

After beginning his racing career in go-karts and SCCA road racing, Billy Harkins competed in multiple divisions in 33 years of racing at Colorado National Speedway.  He raced his way to three track championships while finishing in the top ten in points...

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Korry Hogan

Korry Hogan will be inducted into the Hall Of Fame in recognition of his for his outstanding career in motorcycle drag racing.  He is a 2-time National Funny Bike Champion who claimed wins in many major events held across the nation in a 16 year racing...

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Charles “Chuck” Hamann

Chuck Hamann’s love of cars began when he started working at his father’s garage at the age of 14. He built his first hot rod, a 1927 Ford Roadster, when he was a senior in high school, and built his first dragster, powered by a Model A engine, in 1959. In 1960, he...

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Butch Hardman

Butch Hardman began his racing career in 1959, when he was involved with drag racing, as well as midgets and sprint cars, at various tracks. In 1966, he competed in his first Pikes Peak Hillclimb, driving a lengthened sprint car in the Champ Car division. He has since...

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Johnny Haberman

Johnny Haberman became an active member of the Colorado Automobile Racing Club in 1953. In his early years, he served as a top notch pitman and goodwill ambassador for Fritz Wilson. In 1963, he became a flagman and Lakeside Speedway, and over the years earned the...

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Donnie Hough

Donnie Hough began riding motorcycles at the age of seven. His father owned a Yamaha dealership in Boulder, Colorado and it was a natural progression to begin riding. Beginning in 1971, he rode JT-1 Yamaha mini enduros at Coal Creek Raceway. In the early 1980’s, he...

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Hank and Scot Hersh

The father and son team of Henry “Hank” and Scot Hersh became interested in racing in the early 1970’s, sponsoring local modified and stock car drivers, including Stan and Very Sheilling, Herb Renz and Kenny Clark. In 1976 they ran a sprint car with the Big Car Racing...

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Gene and Gerda Heffley

Gene Heffley moved to Denver from Missouri Valley, Iowa in 1957, after serving five years in the military. In 1951, he met and married his wife Gerda. They started a trucking company and had two daughters, Helen and Patti. By 1960 this couple was operating four...

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Bill Hill

Bill Hill was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1930. Before coming to Denver, he served as a Paratrooper with the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team from 1950 to 1953 and is a Korean War veteran. He then attended the University of Illinois working on majors in...

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Don Hackenberg

Don Hackenberg grew up in the Denver area, and like many teenagers, found an interest in fast cars and drag racing.  In the late 50’s and early 60’s, Don began his involvement with drag racing  when he helped work on a 1948 Fiat with a Blown 392 Hemi that was owned by...

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Roy Jackson

While he started as a drag racer at age 18, Roy Jackson’s success came in racing modifieds and late models at tracks throughout the Rocky Mountain region.  He finished in the top ten in two divisions each year from 1970 to 1974 at Lakeside Speedway, and...

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Joe James, Jr.

Joe James Jr. was born in Denver in 1949, and began his racing career at Lakeside Speedway, where he won a “Chug” race at age 9. A Chug required one young contestant to steer and another to provide the power to move the hand-built contraption around the track, and Joe...

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Rob Johnson

A Colorado native, Rob Johnson has spent much of his 25+ year professional career in sports management positions up and down the Front Range of the Rockies.After graduating from the University of Colorado with a journalism degree in 1990, he ventured to Kansas City to...

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Eddie Jackson

Eddie Jackson, a Colorado native, started his racing career in 1951 driving stock cars at Englewood Speedway. He raced there through 1955. In 1956, Jackson purchased the famed Number 5 midget race car from Lloyd Axel. Doing all of his own mechanical work, both engine...

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Earl Kouba

Earl Kouba began his career in a midget in 1938 by competing at Merchants Park in Denver. In 1939, he won four features and was crowned champion even though he began racing at Lakeside Speedway in August of the same season. Earl continued to race throughout Colorado...

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Junior Kaiser

A native of Colorado, Junior Kaiser grew up in the Washington Park area of Denver. He attended his first drag race in 1955, at age 16, at Lowry Air Force Base. Like many, he was first a street racer cruising the streets and drive-ins looking to take on anyone with his...

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Ben and Rhoda Krasner

Ben Krasner purchased Lakeside Amusement Park in 1935 and staged a midget race at the Lakeside ball park that year. Midget racing started full time at the ball park in 1938. Krasner enlarged the grandstands and put in a paved fifth mile track in 1939 as midget racing...

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Alex Keller

Alex Keller raced in Sports Car Club of America events in the ‘50’s. He also served seven terms as chairman of the National SCCA Board of Governors and was responsible for bringing the SCCA National offices to Denver, Colorado. He was a top official at many important...

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Clarence Krieger

Clarence Krieger, a life-long resident Garden City, Colorado, made quite a name for himself "turnin' left" at tracks throughout the northern Colorado region. Clarence, who was nicknamed "Tiger", started racing in the early 1950's.  For over thirty years, Clarence...

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Bill Kenz and Roy Leslie

Bill Kenz and Roy Leslie fielded top midget race car teams in Colorado for many years. During that time they won multiple Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association championships. Their V-8 60 Ford-powered midget was considered one of the best in the country. As a...

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Michael Lippencott

Mike Lippincott’s involvement with Colorado racing began as a fan, progressed to competitive driving, transitioned to track photographer, and concluded as a track manager. He began racing at age 15 on several regional drag strips, then moved to oval tracks, where he...

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Mike Leary

Mike Leary grew with racing in his blood, as his dad was the owner of a racing team that competed on a small Illinois track.  After moving to Colorado, Mike was a spectator at Englewood Speedway until he got behind the wheel of a Sportsman car in 1979.  He competed at...

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Bob Land

In addition to a 52 years of continuous competition as a driver in the Colorado Auto Racing Club, Bob Land’s racing career has consisted of fielding cars for other competitors, serving multiple years as club president and member of the CARC board of...

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Buddy Lazier

Robert Buddy Lazier was born on October 31, 1967 in Vail. He is the son of Bob Lazier, two-time Indianapolis 500 starter and 2005 Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee. As a youngster, Buddy was a national-level ski racer from 1972-1987 in slalom and downhill...

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Jimmy LaManna, Sr.

Jimmy LaManna, Sr. was born in Denver in 1932. He attended Cathedral High School. His love affair with racing began at 45th and Pecos in North Denver. There, he lived around the corner from Ralph Icovetta. Ralph had a roadsters race shop there, and Jimmy stated...

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Ron Leslie

Ron was born into a family that was already into high performance vehicles. So it was only natural to follow the lead. As early as six months old, he was in the grandstands at Merchants Park and later Lakeside Speedway. With his father, Roy Leslie, having won two...

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Joe Lehman

Joe Lehman drove his first race in 1955, driving a 1934 Ford Coupe at Englewood Speedway. Starting in 1962, he began winning auto racing championships at an unmatched pace. Lehman won many modified championships at Englewood Speedway and drove the Pikes Peak Hill...

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Bob Lazier

Bob Lazier started racing in the Sports Car Club of America Formula V class in 1969, and by 1974, he had finished second in the SCCA Formula V National Championships four times and the National Formula Ford Championship once. He won the National Amateur Formula B...

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Chris “Spiffy” Leaf

Chris “Spiffy” Leaf was born in Greeley, Colorado in 1968, and grew up in nearby LaSalle.  He began his racing career at Colorado National Speedway in 1986, and competed in Dwarf car, Street Stock, Grand American Modified, Pro Truck, and Southwest Tour Late Model...

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Bill Kenz and Roy Leslie

Bill Kenz and Roy Leslie fielded top midget race car teams in Colorado for many years. During that time they won multiple Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association championships. Their V-8 60 Ford-powered midget was considered one of the best in the country. As a...

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Roger “Cappy” Mason

Roger “Cappy” Mason is a 2022 recipient of the Jerry Van Dyke Award, given in recognition of outstanding individual contributions to Colorado Motorsports. Cappy’s long career has included countless examples of such outstanding contributions. His first race cars were...

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Kent Moore

Kent Moore attended a race at Englewood speedway in 1962, encouraged by his wife, Sharon. He noticed a few guys he knew working on race cars, and immediately wanted to be part of the racing action. He reconnected with Jim Beckley that night, and became part of the pit...

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Shannon Moham

When asked about the start of his racing career, Shannon Moham tells this story: “My interest in motorcycles began back when I received my first dirt bike on Christmas morning at the age of ten. Never been on one before, but watched riders all the time, so I was sure...

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Joe Mullins

Joe Mullins racing career began humbly, competing with a borrowed go-kart that always seemed to break when it was his turn to drive it.  When he was finally able to buy his own kart, he learned some speed secrets and quickly became more competitive, winning...

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Darrell Mayabb

Darrell Mayabb’s formative years were marked by a love of hot rods and automobile culture that he found in places like Hot Rod and Rod and Custom magazines. He says “My early years were greatly influenced by the automotive magazines. I went to the magazine stand every...

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John Metcalf

John Metcalf got his start racing go-karts as an 8 year old against his brother and father in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. He continued to race go-karts until he was 15, when he built a 1955 Chevy stock car the he and his brother raced, winning many races at the local...

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2013 Motorcycle Roadracing Association

The board selected the Motorcycle Roadracing Association as the recipient of the 2013 JC Agajanian Award, honoring outstanding contribution to motorsports by an organization. Founded in 1973, the Rocky Mountain Roadracing Association (now known as the Motorcycle...

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Mark Mercer

Mark Mercer is a long-time member of the SCCA Colorado Region who won three National Championships, as well as numerous divisional and regional titles in SCCA competition while driving a variety of different types of race cars.  He also enjoyed success as...

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Mark Matejka

The board selected Mark Matejka to be the recipient of the 2014 Jerry Van Dyke Memorial Award, recognizing outstanding contribution to motorsports by an individual. Mark began his career as a driver, mechanic and crew chief in 1985. It was his skill as a mechanic that...

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Buck Shaver and Grier Manning

With his brother Vern, Buck Shaver began his racing career in 1954 when the Shaver brothers built a 1932 Ford coupe, #39, which they raced at Pikes Peak Speedway in Colorado Springs. Later on in 1956, Buck and Grier Manning purchased the Shaver and Manning Phillips 66...

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Jerry Malloy

Jerry Malloy, a Colorado native, began his career in motorsports in 1955 when he built his first car, the #83. During his career, Jerry raced both open wheel and stock cars at Lakeside Speedway and Englewood Speedway. While Jerry continued racing he soon realized, as...

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Mitch Miller

Mitch Miller first became involved in motorsports in 1965 in public relations and advertising roles with the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association. In 1966, he began announcing for the RMMRA and was then elected president of the RMMRA in 1970. He served in that...

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Bill Mattocks

In the 1940’s Bill Mattocks began racing boats and in 1947 he bought his first hydro-plane from famed engine and boat builder, John Forrester. He then bought yet another boat in 1949 and featured what they call a peek hull and it became a world record holder in the 49...

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Harry Mathews

Harry Mathews is the true definition of an adventurist, and a lover of motor sports. He spent many years riding dirt bikes both recreationally and competitively. In 1970, he started participating at track events and auto crosses with the Porsche Car Club of America....

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Roger Mauro

Roger Mauro was a Colorado native and highly respected auto dealer. He became interested in auto racing after his brother, Johnny, finished eighth in the 1948 Indianapolis 500. He purchased his first midget race car in 1970, which driver, Dave Strickland, raced to...

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Bud Morley

Bud Morley, in the early 1960s, began racing in regional Sports Car Club of America events. In 1967, he was eighth in points in the Canadian-America racing series driving against famed drivers from the McLaren, Chaparral, Penske and Ford racing teams, as well as...

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Jim Malloy

Jim Malloy began racing modifieds at Denver’s Lakeside Speedway in 1952. He was the track champion from 1959 through 1961. He then joined the Canadian-American Modified Series in 1962 and won their championship from 1963 through 1965. From there, he started racing...

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Johnny Mauro

Johnny Mauro was Colorado’s first born and raised driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. He accomplished that feat in 1947 driving an Alfa Romeo he purchased just days before the event and ended up finishing 8th. Two of Johnny’s cars that he competed with at the...

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Jack Nugent

Jack Nugent has been successful in a wide variety of racing disciplines during his career.  After he “got the itch” to go dirt track racing in 1995, Jack built a “Street Stock” to race at Rocky Mountain National Speedway.  He remembers winning a B-main event in his...

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2012 NHRA West Central Division

The board selected the NHRA West Central Division as the recipient of the 2012 JC Agajanian Award, honoring outstanding contribution to motorsports by an organization. Wally Parks founded the National Hot Rod Association in 1951 to get racing off the city streets and...

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Deloy Naeb

While growing up in Brighton Colorado, Deloy and Herb Naeb spent countless hours in the auto repair shop operated by their dad, Reinold Naeb, who was also a participant in weekly local dirt track racing events. Deloy and Herb traveled with Reinold to the dirt tracks,...

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Mike Opperman

 Mike Opperman grew up around race cars, as his dad was a competitor at Englewood Speedway in the Modified division. Young Mike was drawn to anything mechanical and wanted to figure out how things worked, including that race car in the garage. He became...

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Jim Opperman

Jim Opperman’s racing career began in 1957 at Englewood Speedway, where he competed in the modified division in a car sponsored by The Competitor’s Company, a business Jim owned with his brother Ray. In 1974 he won his first main event and finished the season as the...

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Ricky Orlando

In 1975, after a few high school friends who were involved with motorcycle racing talked him into giving it a try, Ricky Orlando started his racing career in South Florida at the Moroso Raceway in West Palm Beach.  He moved to Colorado the next year, and began...

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Bob Olds

Bob Olds was born in 1927 in Denver. At age 13, while on his paper route in Park Hill, he was invited into Buddy Martinson’s garage to polish wheels and clean his midget racer. He did such a good job that the crew even snuck him into the pits at Gilmore for Turkey...

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John Pugh

John Pugh has painted, lettered, and designed the visual presence of over 1000 race cars on a national level over the past 47 years. In addition to designing and executing some of the most instantly recognizable paint schemes in drag racing and oval track competition,...

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Powder Puff Club of Denver 2023

The Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame will recognize the Powder Puff Club of Denver with the 2023 J.C. Agajanian Award, given for outstanding contributions to Colorado Motorsports by an organization.  The club featured women drivers competing in Modifieds and Compact...

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John C. Penney

Most members of the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame developed a love of cars or motorcycles at an early age.  Not John C Penney.  His first love was for airplanes, and it brought him to Colorado to fulfil a congressional appointment to the Air Force Academy,...

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Robert Prilika

Robert Prilika’s racing career has been marked by success as a driver, as well as a team owner, sponsor, and motorsports business owner. As a driver, Robert has competed in road racing, circle track, hill climbs and endurance events throughout the United...

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2018 The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

The legendary Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second oldest race held in the United States, and has been promoting and preserving this legacy since 1916.Since the inaugural race sponsored by Spencer Penrose, competitors have matched their machines against...

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Walt Pickard

Walt Pickard’s motorsports career involved racing at southern Colorado oval tracks, where he compiled 112 main event wins over 17 years of competition.  Born in 1932, Walt grew up with a love of all sports, playing on teams in football, baseball, and...

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Blu Plemons

Blu was born in Amarillo, Texas in 1927. He lived in Amarillo until his father died in 1939, after which his mother decided to pack up and move the family to Denver to begin a new life. When Blu was about 11, he began sneaking into Lakeside Speedway...

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Gene Pastor

Gene Pastor has dedicated his life to automobiles and automobile racing. Born in 1936, Pastor grew up in north Denver. In 1946, as a 10 year old, he started attending Midget races at Lakeside Speedway. As a hobby he was very active in motorcycle and Midget...

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Terry Plummer

During a successful 38 year career competing in midgets, Min-Sprints, and Legend Cars, Terry Plummer won 40 trophy dashes, 93 feature events, and 17 Championships.  He also served for four years as club president for RMMSA Mini-Sprint organization, and two...

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Pat Petrie

Pat Petrie started going to Lakeside Speedway when he was 8 or 9 years olds to watch his cousins Elmer Sauer, Sam Sauer, and Carolyn Day race. He was “instantly” hooked on racing. Elmer Sauer, who was president of the midget racing club, would sneak Pat into the pits...

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Judd Pickup

Judd was born in Wiggins, Colo. in 1915. He began midget racing at Merchant Park in 1937 under the assumed name of “Kid Wilson” so his parents wouldn’t find out he was involved in such a dangerous sport. His first midget was an Elto 4-60 outboard he bought from Walt...

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Frank Peterson

Frank’s involvement in midget auto racing started in 1947. At the age of 12 Frank started helping his uncle, Pete Mahr, on their midget race car. Between taking off body panels, side plates and cam covers, he was allowed to polish the body and clean up the car. But...

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Frank and Kaye Peterson

Frank Peterson graduated from Alameda High School. While there he met a cheerleader by the name of Kaye, who would later become his wife, and from that point on, auto racing became a family affair. The couple first went to the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in 1955 and they...

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Johnny Pachello

Born in Colorado, Johnny Pachello was the oldest of nine children and as he grew older he participated in working at the truck farm his parents, second generation Italian Americans owned in Arvada. He still retains four acres of the original farm. Although he is...

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Doris Reimer

Most organizations have a “behind the scenes” individual who does the hard work. For the Sports Riders Association of Colorado motocross racing club, Doris Reimer was that person. She is an exceptional example of someone who made it possible for others to do what they...

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Junior Reeder

Englewood Speedway opened their Figure-8 division in 1964, and it quickly became one of the major attractions at this legendary and now sorely missed track.  Drivers in the division had the opportunity to compete in races sanctioned by two organizations on Saturday or...

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Henry Rogers

Henry Rogers racing career started in 1981, when he and his dad went 50/50 on a $300.00 car to run in the new bomber division at Colorado National Speedway. They shared the car that year, and at the end of the season Henry knew he was hooked and needed his own car to...

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John Rostek

John Rostek drove his way to a remarkable stock car racing career on the short tracks of northern Coloradobefore moving on to national level events sanctioned by USAC and NASCAR.  John returned to his home town of Fort Collins after military service in 1947, and began...

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Bill Ray

Bill Ray has been selected to receive a Jerry Van Dyke award in recognition of his 57 year career supporting Colorado Motorsports.  His interests began watching stock car racing at Macon County Speedway in Decatur, Illinois. After moving to Colorado in...

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Tony Rossi

Tony Rossi’s introduction to auto racing, as was the case with many north Denver kids, involved going to Lakeside Speedway with his dad, who also took him races at Century 21 Speedway and USAC national shows in Colorado Springs. From the start, the midgets were Tony’s...

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2015 Rocky Mountain Quarter Midget Association

Rocky Mountain Quarter Midget Association was established in 1957 to provide racing education and practice for boys and girls ages 5-16.  Children can practice at age 5 and start racing at the age of 6.  All children start in the novice program and graduate to...

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Keith Rauch

Keith Rauch was born in 1969 in Phoenix, Arizona. His racing career began at the age of 4 1/2 when his father, Ed, purchased his first Quarter Midget. Keith raced Quarter Midgets until he turned 14, running locally at South Mountain Speedway and travelling...

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Ed Renck

Ed Renck won multiple NHRA Division V championships in two classes while competing at tracks across the nation from 1967 to 1983.  He also competed in SCCA racing for 10 seasons, as well as in SCTA speed events on the Bonneville Salt Flats, where he set a...

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Jack Richards

Jack Richards was born in Denver on August 8, 1921. After graduating from high school in 1939, he moved to Los Angeles, California, where he got a job at McDonnell Douglas installing instruments in DC-3’s. There he purchased a ’29 Model A body and frame and a ’31...

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Sam Rodriguez

Sam Rodriguez was born in Hayden, Colo., in 1933. Following his release from active duty in the Marines, he attended Denver University. He attended his first midget race at Lakeside Speedway in 1947. Sam purchased his first race car, a V8-60, from Dick Kendrick, in...

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Vern and Brian Raymer

Known as Raymer & Company, the father and son duo of Vern and Brian Raymer will go down in history as one of the most successful drag racing operations in Colorado. With Vern serving as owner, head mechanic and crew chief, and Brian as the driver, Raymer &...

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Bill Rice

Born in Clarks, Nebraska, Bill Rice built his first car, a 1944 coup, which he raced in Grand Island, Nebraska and Julesburg, Colorado. In 1965, he teamed up with Pete Dudden to field a Mark Williams front engine AA fuel dragster with a Ron Bement body and a...

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Randy Roberts

Randy Roberts began racing in 1975 driving stock cars for three years before starting a 22 year Midget racing career. He won 86 feature races sanctioned by the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association and won nine RMMRA championships. He also won four Colorado Sprint...

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Al Rogers

Born in 1909, Rogers drove his first race in 1934 in a stock car. He competed in his first Pikes Peak Hill Climb in 1936. He first win at Pikes Peak was in 1940 and he also won the Lands End road race that year. He won the Pikes Peak Hill Climb four times in a row...

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Jerry Robertson

Jerry Robertson has built one of the most impressive racing resumes in the history of Colorado oval-track competition.  He began his competitive career by winning rookie of the year honors in the Colorado National Speedway Sportsman division at age 19, and moved up to...

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Odie Robertson

Odie Robertson began his racing career in 1960, driving a 1951 6-cylinder Chevrolet at El Cajon Speedway, which was then a dirt track in El Cajon, California.  By the late 60’s he was racing at tracks around the Los Angeles area, including Irwindale, Ascot Park, and...

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Chris Sheil

Chris Sheil won championships in the International Kart Association of Colorado, Rocky Mountain Mini-Sprint Association, and Colorado Outlaw Association before moving to the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association and driving his way to Season Titles in 2007 and 2010.

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Mark Schellinger

Mark Schellinger’s career in Motorcycle racing has included winning two Championships in MRA Race of the Rockies Superbike Series, as well as serving as the MRA New Rider Director for 12 years and the current Yamaha Champions Riding School Senior Instructor.

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Dan Savage

Dan Savage began his oval-track racing career in 1993.  A multiple-time main event winner in both Super Late Model and Pro Truck divisions, Dan won the prestigious Challenge Cup in 2010, followed by the Colorado National Speedway and NASCAR Colorado State Super Late...

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Dave Savage

Dave Savage has been involved in Colorado Motorsports for over 50 years as a driver, race car owner, crew chief and sponsor.  Dave says he wanted to race “as far back as he can remember”, influenced by seeing drivers like Earl Kouba and Buddy Shay compete in their...

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Robert Sutherland

Bob Sutherland’s dedication to restoring, collecting, and—most importantly—driving vintage racing cars is legendary.  His collection included some of the most important competition cars of the 20th century, from the well-known Ferraris and Maseratis to his most...

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Lee Stark

Lee Stark’s induction into the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame is in recognition of his support for Colorado drag racing through the establishment of On Track Performance, a widely respected speed shop that has served the state for the past 20 years.

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Mike Starnes

Mike Starnes’ racing career began in 1970 at Detroit Dragway. He won a trophy for being the only car in his class, and he still has the trophy. He also states that after seeing a Joey Chitwood Thrill Show in San Antonio Texas, something clicked and he was hooked on...

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Rick Smith

Rick Smith was born into a racing family, and spent much time in his early years traveling with his family to tracks around Western Nebraska & Eastern Wyoming. His dad and uncle were racers, as was his Grampa, who built a race track outside of Gering,...

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Butch Salter

Butch Salter’s “affair with the Automobile” began while he was in high school and he removed the top from his first car, a 1928 Ford, to make it a roadster. It became his first race car, powered by a four cylinder engine. In the quest for speed, he built a...

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Randy Schranz

Randy Schranz has watched or participated in every Pikes Peak Hill climb since moving to Colorado in 1959. He beganhis racing career in 1967, competing in the Rainbow Falls ice races in a 1955 Jeep pickup and drag racing through the late 1960’s at Continental Divide...

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Gaylord Smith

Gay Smith is recognized for his competitive accomplishments in Hill Climb racing in Colorado, Wyoming, and New Mexico, most notably while racing and winning championships in several divisions at Pikes Peak.  He was also highly involved with Championship...

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Ron Schleiger

Colorado native Ron Schleiger attended his first race a young age. In his own words, “My passion for auto racing started when I was six or seven years old. My dad took me to Speedway Park, a track, a north of Fort Collins, for the midget races. From the minute I saw...

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Pete Stringer

Pete Stringer’s love affair with motorsports began at a young age. It began when he turned his brother’s soap box derby car into a coupe and added the number 45. Pete’s first experience at the racetrack began at Lakeside Speedway, where his dad would take him if he...

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Zan Smith

Zan attributes his being a motor head to his father. His father rode motorcycles, flew airplanes, loved cars and passed the wonderful world of “wheels” on to Zan. While in high school and college Zan had a job with a local foreign car dealership where he got to drive...

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Russell “Doc” Simpson

Russell “Doc” Simpson grew up in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania. His love affair with racing began at a very young age, as both his father, RG and his uncle, Ronald were involved in racing. As a matter of fact, Ronald became the first black mechanic to work at the...

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Butch Speicher

Butch Speicher was born in 1942. Growing up near old Lakeside Speedway in north Denver, Butch grew to love racing. In 1966, he built a ’55 Chevy stock car and began his racing career. His “lucky red” race car, #73, changed often through the years as his natural talent...

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Dave Strickland, Jr.

Dave Strickland Jr., also known as “Kid Strickland” until he won his first championship, started racing Midgets on May 21, 1977. His career lasted through 2004. He is the son of USAC Midget star, three-time Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association Champion and 2004...

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Don Styes

Don Styes had an interest in motorsports from an early age. He was born and raised in Englewood and was attracted to Englewood Speedway from the time it was built, first as a spectator, then as a racer and later through many official capacities.In 1953, he was on the...

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Scott Stocker

The board selected veteran motorsports journalist Scott Stocker to be the recipient of the 2012 Jerry Van Dyke Memorial Award, recognizing outstanding contribution to motorsports by an individual.As a journalist, Scott has received numerous awards for his outstanding...

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Buck Shaver and Grier Manning

With his brother Vern, Buck Shaver began his racing career in 1954 when the Shaver brothers built a 1932 Ford coupe, #39, which they raced at Pikes Peak Speedway in Colorado Springs. Later on in 1956, Buck and Grier Manning purchased the Shaver and Manning Phillips 66...

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Vern Shaver

Vern Shaver’s love of racing spanned more than 30 years. His racing career began in 1954 when he and brother, Buck, built their first stock car, which they raced at Pikes Peak Speedway in Colorado Springs. Veteran police officer Wayne Strobridge was their driver. In...

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Joe Starr

The board selected veteran motorsports photographer Joe Starr to be the recipient of the 2011 Jerry Van Dyke Memorial Award, recognizing outstanding contribution to motorsports by an individual.Joe Starr was born in San Diego, California and attended his first race at...

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Nick Sanborn

For more than 50 years Nick Sanborn was involved with the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. He was born in the shadow of Pikes Peak in 1935, along with his twin brother Frank. At an early age the brothers constructed what they called “Chugs” and they raced down...

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Steven Streeter

Born in Sioux City, Iowa, Steven Streeter is now a longtime resident of Denver. He is now CEO of Steel Lock General Fence Contractors. His racing career really got started in the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s, when he raced snowmobiles for Team Polaris. In 1979 through...

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Buddy Shay

Buddy Shay was born in Ohio but spent most of his formative years in Indiana. His older brother, Vic, bought a midget race car and decided to take it to races in Kansas City and Denver. In 1939 Shay left Indiana, worked in Chicago and then went to visit his brother in...

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Wayne Stallsworth

Wayne Stallsworth drove his first race in a late model Stock car in 1956. He won his first championship at Englewood Speedway in 1961 in a modified and in 1968 missed winning the modified championship at Lakeside Speedway by only three points. In 1970, he won both the...

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Tak Shiramizu

Tak Shiramizu was considered one of the best engine preparation specialists In the country. The drag race engines he prepared won major racing events across the United States as well as setting many track records. His own drag racing cars named “Tak’s Toy” were a...

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Bruce Sass

Bruce Sass started motorcycle racing in 1969 with the Sports Riders Association of Colorado. By 1972, he had had won state championships in both moto-cross and flat track two years in a row. He won three Mountain Racing Association championships in 1975, 1976 and in...

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Miles Spickler

Miles Spickler built his first midget racecar in 1936 for his brother, Burton, and drove to six main event victories in 1937. After serving in World War II, he returned to Colorado and built a number of midgets that he drove and had others drive, as well. Roy Bowe...

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Dave Strickland

Dave Strickland knew he wanted to race cars after competing in the Soap Box Derby race in Englewood, Colorado at about 10 years old. Strickland tried his hand at drag racing, running a ’37 Chevy pickup with a Corvette engine in Lodi, California, and again at the...

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Sammy Sauer

Born in 1935, Sammy Sauer was considered one of Colorado’s most versatile drivers. He ran midgets, modifieds, super modifieds, and sprint cars, plus many other types of race cars. Sauer was the 1963 Lakeside Speedway modified champion, 1968 and 1969 Englewood Speedway...

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Darrell Smith

Unlike other racing champions, Darrell Smith didn't come from a racing family background. Fresh out of High School, and with the encouragement of Hall of Fame Member Wayne Etter, Darrell tried Drag Racing and found it wasn't his cup of tea. After serving in the Army...

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Telluride Autumn Classic 2024

The 2024 Agajanian Award will be given to the Telluride Autumn Classic, an automotive festival that has grown from a single day show to a four-day Automotive Festival that includes a Concours d’Elegance on the Telluride Golf Course, car shows on Telluride’s Main...

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Dan “Otis” Turner

Dan “Otis” Turner has had a remarkable 38-year career as one of the most successful riders in the history of Colorado Motorcycle road racing.  A sports writer once said “you could say Dan has been racing motorcycles since he was old enough to twist the throttle” and...

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Danny Thompson

Danny Thompson’s path to the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame has been a long, historical trek. The son of legendary motorsports hero Mickey Thompson, Danny made motorsports history and fulfilled a lifelong dream when he shattered the world land speed record for...

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Joseph Thibodeau

In addition to becoming an accomplished tax attorney, Joe Thibodeau has been a prominent member of the aviation community and competitor in air racing. Since 1996, he has flown in the Reno, Nevada National Championship Air Races in the Unlimited Class,...

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Dave Tansey

Dave Tansey was born November 1st, 1943 in Newton, Iowa, and moved to Lakewood, Colorado at age twelve. His first experience with racing was going to Lakeside Speedway while he was in his late 20`s. After a next door neighbor invited Dave to the races at Englewood...

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Steve Troxell

Steve Troxell was born in 1942 in Kansas City, Missouri. He began his racing career in 1963, driving a Solar chassis midget. He won his first main event in 1965 and his first Championship with the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association in 1966. He went on to win a...

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Mike Troxel

Born in Wichita, Kansas in 1948, Mike Troxel got his first taste of success on the track as a youngster racing go-carts. In his early 20’s, he rebuilt the small block “fuelie” out of his 64′ Corvette in the basement. His dad wasn’t sure which was the bigger challenge;...

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Johnny Tolan

Johnny Tolan won 45 midget car races in 1946, and won the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association championship. Tolan repeated his championship in 1947, and scored 47 wins. He had 27 feature wins in 1948. He captured the 1950 AAA Midwest championship, and his first...

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Joe Umphenour

A Colorado native, Joe Umphenour became involved with building straight-line Chevy engines in 1952, which led him to help form the Chevruns of Denver Car Club that same year. In 1961, Umphenour built and drove an in-line GMC-powered Chevy Coupe and then moved up to...

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Louis Unser

Louis J. "Louie" Unser, was the second of the four Unser brothers from Albuquerque who dominated Indianapolis, Pikes Peak Hill Climb and countless tracks in between. The younger twin brother of Jerry and older brother of Bobby and Al, Louie won the stock car class at...

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2021 Vintage Drag Racing Association

The beginnings of the Vintage Drag Racing Associationdate back to 1991, when five gentlemen whoshared an enjoyment of modified Ford and Mercury Flathead V-8 engines met in a park in North Denver. Fred Floth, Ed Piz, Wes Wicks, Wes Johnson, and Dann Jurgens formed the...

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2019 The Vickery Family

The Vickery family is this year’s recipient of the J.C. Agajanian Award, which is given in recognition of contributions to Colorado motorsports by a group or organization. Several family generations of the Vickery Racing Team have been involved in...

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Tom Vanswearingen

Tom Vanswearingen received a 2018 Jerry Van Dyke Award for contributions made to Colorado Motorsports during his 50 years of involvement in racing as an event announcer, pit steward, and race official for numerous organizations and race tracks.Tom was the...

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Leonard Vahsholtz

Leonard Vahsholtz is the owner of Vahsholtz Racing, with his wife, Barb. Leonard raced for a record 32 years in the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, with 18 class wins. In 1993, he won the Stock Car and Truck divisions, while setting course records and winning the...

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Jerry Van Dyke

Jerry Van Dyke was born in Denver, Colorado, in 1934 and never lived anywhere else. His uncle took him to a midget race at Lakeside Speedway in 1946, and he was hooked on racing. His hero became Johnny Tolan. He sat in the bleachers on the south east side of the track...

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Don Woodard

Don Woodard’s decades of support for the racing community began in 1973, with Woodard Signs and Woodard Racing Graphics creating promotional products and race car lettering for competitors and race teams in multiple classes across Colorado.

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George Willett

George Willett built a drag racing career marked by success at the highest ranks of the sport. He first appeared on the local drag racing scene at age 16 in a 1950 Oldsmobile. His love for the sport turned to passion as he transitioned from the guy behind the wheel to...

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Jeff Winter

The Rocky Mountain Region of the Porsche Club of America was formed in October of 1957. The chapter has grown from 14 members in 1958 to over 3,200 today, and the Rocky Mountain Region is the eighth oldest and thirteenth largest of 147 PCA regions. The club motto is,...

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Jim Willy

Jim Willy developed an interest in stock car racing in 1953, when he put together a 1939 Dodge to race at Peoria Speedway in Illinois with “little to no success”.  After spending two years at Fort Carson as part of his time in the Army, he decided to stay in Colorado,...

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Charles Wilson

Charles Wilson’s career had humble beginnings on the tacky dirt of Lawton Speedway in Oklahoma, where a part-time job at a machine shop opened the door to a lifelong love of racing. By the 1986 season, he won a track championship as a rookie in the Street...

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Jeff Walters

Jeff Walters’ career began in 1978 as he raced go-karts in Boulder and Longmont.  He graduated to full-sized race cars while competing in the Bomber/Pure Stock class--first at Lakeside Speedway, then at Colorado National Speedway in 1981.  As his career...

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Rob Williams

Rob “Robby” Williams grew up on a farm in Keenesberg, Colorado, surrounded by mechanical devices and people who knew how to work on them. At age 12, his grandfather gave him a twin-engine go-kart; at age 14 he purchased a Harley Davidson Super 10 motorcycle, from...

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Art Walsh

The board selected veteran Pikes Peak International Hill Climb flagman, Art Walsh, to be the first recipient of the 2010 Jerry Van Dyke Memorial Award, recognizing outstanding contribution to motorsports by an individual.

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John Witthar

John Witthar started building roll cages for race cars in the ‘60’s. He has been associated with Howe racing building chassis for both dirt and asphalt cars since 1979. Although he won over 100 main events in his career, he never won a championship but said many times...

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Art Ward

Art Ward moved to Colorado from Oklahoma in 1958 at age 18. Soon after, he became a feared street racer behind the wheel of his two hot ‘57 Chevys. He and his friends would hang out at drive-ins looking for races. In 1959 Ward graduated from the streets to a track in...

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Mark Williams

Mark Williams began a lifetime involvement with drag racing in the late 1950s owing and driving an Olds-powered ’34 Ford coupe. By 1960, he built and drove his first dragster primarily made out of old drive shafts. A trained machinist, Mark worked for John Bandimere,...

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Windy Windholz

Windy Windholz was born in Kansas in 1923, the youngest of 15 children. In 1943, he was drafted into the Army Air Corp. and was sent to Aviation Mechanic School. One of Windy’s World II assignments was to work on a top secret aircraft later to become known as the B-29...

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Don Wilson

Don Wilson started racing modifieds at Lakeside Speedway in 1955 and won seven modified championships on that oval. He was one of the few drivers that drove modifieds, midgets and late models at Lakeside Speedway. He finished in the top 10 in Rocky Mountain Midget...

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Fritz Wilson

Fritz Wilson began his career racing motorcycles when he was a teenager and graduated to stock cars in 1947. He won the first stock car race he entered that season. He went on to win several modified and late model championships at Colorado National Speedway,...

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Bill Yalotz

Bill Yalotz has been involved with racing and race cars for over 65 years. When asked when he is going to stop racing Bill usually replies, “Driving race cars is my true passion but when I grow up or get old, I’ll probably quit.” Bill began racing at age 17 and won...

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Bruce Yackey

Bruce “The Moose” Yackey was born in Greeley, Colorado in 1966. After football season ended during Bruce’s high school senior year, he and his Uncle, Bob, built his first race car, a Chevrolet Vega, to run in the Mini-Stock class in 1984 at Big Country...

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Ralph Young

Ralph Young was a champion car owner and mechanic for many years. In 1967, with Sam Sauer as driver, his car set a Colorado Auto Racing Club track record at Lakeside Speedway that stood for nine years. They also finished second in CARC season point standings in 1967....

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Darrell Zimmerman

Darrell Zimmerman ran in the A Gas Dragster and A Dragster classes, winning 176 trophies and 26 top eliminator awards, while setting 22 track records during his career. He helped form the West Central Drag Association that was the forerunner of the National Hot Rod...

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