Board of Directors

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 car control. After racing five years in figure eights, Roger moved up to the Late Model Division, much to his mother’s dismay. She wanted him to win a championship in figure eights before moving up to late models.

After Englewood Speedway closed in 1979, Roger ran late models regionally. He won the championship at Colorado Springs International Speedway in 1981 and was also very successful outside Colorado, winning many races in Texas and Oklahoma. In 1986 the NASCAR Southwest Touring Series began. Roger won the inaugural Southwest Tour Race at Saugus Speedway in California.

After a couple of years on the road, Roger came home to race when Colorado National Speedway was paved in 1989. He won his first championship at CNS in 1990 followed by track championships in 1992, 1993, and 1995. During those years, Roger also ran ASA and Midwest Series. In 2002, not only did Roger win the championship at CNS, but he also won the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Northwest Region Championship. This is one of the biggest accomplishments of his career and one in which he is most proud.

In 2011, Roger won his most recent championship in the Pro Trucks Division at Colorado National Speedway where he is still competing weekly in both the Late Model Division and Pro Truck Division.

Roger has driven for many car owners all across the country throughout his racing career, and they are as follows: Walt Avants, Ed Brunner, Mark Tunstead, Jerry Malloy, Alan Beebee, Darrel Smith, Dick Hoffman, Don Wilson, Mike Leary, Don Smith, Mark Vidger, Gary Young, Dave Napier and Alex Ortiz. One of the awards Roger is very proud of is the fan voted “Most Popular Driver Award” which he won five years in a row at Colorado National Speedway. He has been awarded “Overall Sportsman of the Year” a couple of times as well.

For Roger, racing is not only about the competition, but it is also about the people and it is a way for him to give back to the community. He was a part of the Missing Children’s Task force and has the honor of having the most “found kids” of all of the drivers who posted pictures of missing children on their cars. He also had the privilege of meeting some of the kids after they were found! He participated in the Englewood Speed Pledge Program promoting safe driving on the city streets.

Not only is Roger a fierce competitor, he is also a mentor to many of the drivers.

Scott Backman’s involvement in motorsports began in 1973, when he served as a mechanic on the #33 CARC modified his brother, Jack, drove at Lakeside Speedway. He served in this role until 1985, when he began driving a super modified with the Englewood Racing Association. During his first year, he earned Rookie of the Year honors for finishing fifth in the championship standings.

From 1986-1996, Backman teamed up with Shannon Muir to form Muir Motorsports and race in the Western States Super Modified Series. During that time, he competed at tracks from coast to coast, including Colorado National Speedway, where he won the season championship in 1989. That season, Backman won 11 of 15 main events, and had a clean sweep in 10 of those nights (quick time, trophy dash, heat race and main event). In 1991, Backman also competed in the Denver Grand Prix on the streets of Denver in a Coors-sponsored Indy Lights car, finishing 8th on his first road course race.

In 1996, he ran a limited schedule at CNS in a grand american modified, finishing 10th in points, and was named Rookie of the Year. 1997 and 1998, he ran a Pro Truck at CNS finishing, second in points both years and, again, won “Rookie of the Year honors. From 1999-2007, he ran late models at CNS, along with several NASCAR Touring Series races. In 2006, Backman was the track champion at CNS in the late model division, winning 7 of 18 races, including the Challenge Cup. He also finished 5th in the Western Region of the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series.

Backman was the track operator of Colorado National Speedway, from 2008-2011, one of the most successful “short tracks” in the United States. In 2009, he was appointed to the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame Board of Directors.

Scott Backman is Chair of the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Chris Blumke has been involved in planning meetings, producing décor for special events, and coordinating logistics for conferences within Denver and Colorado since 1972.

After working as a meeting planner in the financial services, oil and gas, and travel/tourism industry, she founded her own destination management company working with convention groups visiting Colorado, and then for the next 22 years, owned an event decorating company which became one of Colorado’s most notable design companies.

Chris was an original founder of the International Special Event Society; past president of Rocky Mountain Chapter of Professional Convention Management Association; and was a 10-year Board Member and Conference Chair for Colorado Festivals and Events Association.

She is recipient of the first Industry Leadership Award presented by the Meetings Industry Council of Colorado, and was inducted into the meeting industry Hall of Fame with the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Colorado Meetings and Events Magazine.

Chris has handled planning logistics for the CMHOF Induction Ceremony since 2014.

Chris Blumke is Treasurer for the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Costa Dunias has been a 20-year nationally licensed Sports Car Club of America racer, in addition to being an eight-time national championship competitor. He also served for more than 12 years as an SCCA staff member, where he was vice president of amateur activities. In addition to serving on the board of directors for the Colorado Motor Sports Hall of Fame, Dunias is also vice president of the board of directors for the Hospice of Saint John. He is married to Wilma and also owns a Mountain Man Nut and Fruit Company distributorship. Costa was inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame in 2023.

Gary Huibregtse is a charter member and current president of Colorado Vintage Oval Racers, a club that is dedicated to the historical preservation of oval track racing in the Rocky Mountain region and currently has over 90 members who own nearly 140 vintage oval track cars. Gary Huibregtse is also a professional photographer and has been a professor of Art at Colorado State University since 1985.

Mike started racing at in the sportsman division at Englewood Speedway in Denver, Colorado in 1978, quickly moving into Late Models. When Englewood Speedway closed, he raced at Colorado Springs International Speedway in Colorado Springs, until it closed in 1982.

He then decided that he would like to try dirt racing at Colorado National Speedway and I-76 in Fort Morgan.  He was awarded the Rookie of the Year Award at CNS in 1984, and then received the “Hard Luck Award” in 1985.  In 1986 members of GART –Grand American Racing Tour – approached him to race with them in an open show in Cheyenne.  He took his dirt car chassis, changing things around to race asphalt, and ran with them for the last show of 1986, and then full time in 1987 and 1988 traveling to Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Wyoming, finishing 3rd and 2nd in the points respectively.

In 1989, Colorado National Speedway was purchased by Jim Opperman, paved and Mike returned to CNS to run on a weekly basis.  Having a dirt chassis, running pavement, at times was tricky, and he had to learn to “manufacture” his own parts to fit his needs.  That, and a shallow pocketbook, made him learn all about driving and building racecars. With the help of local engine builders, he was also building his own motors. He finished 5th in the points in both 1989 and 1990.  From 1996-1998 he raced the Southwest Tour and Re Max Challenge series at Pikes Peak International Speedway, Las Vegas Speedway, and Gateway International Speedway in St Louis Missouri.

Mike and Nancy opened Leary Racing Products in 1999 as a circle track parts store, thinking he would have time to race more and much to his surprise, it became busy very quickly, and he hasn’t raced since!  Word of mouth spread rapidly, and we were discovered by those who race on dirt, on the drag strip, up mountains, and on road courses.  Then the Hot Rod enthusiasts found them.
His “competitive juices” have now transferred to building custom shocks for all kinds of racing all over the United States, Canada, Mexico and even Europe, and has clients with over 900 championships running his set-ups, including a NASCAR Late Model Regional and an IMCA Modified National Champion. They have even seen downhill ski competitors, rock crawlers and ice racers!

Robert Prilika is a driver who has raced in numerous types of motorsport genres. He has competed in road racing, circle tracks, hill climbs and endurance events throughout the United states. He has wins at major sports car racing events with wins on famous race tracks like Daytona and Watkins Glenn. He has won at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in a ZR1 Corvette. He has earned championships in IMSA-Grand American Road Racing (NASCAR road racing series), SCCA, SCCA US Majors, National Auto Sport Association. As a team owner he has won a NASCAR championship in circle track racing.

The different types of cars he has raced in is no less impressive with racing done in prototypes, open wheel Indy cars, late model stock cars, factory built racing sports cars, and spec racers. Robert has not limited his involvement in motorsports to just driving. He has also been involved behind the scenes as a team owner, member, mentor, spotter, strategist, drivers coach working with drivers like Sebastian Bourdais, Lucas Luhr, Sasha Massen, Rick Carelli, Buzz Calkins, Joe Belem, Richard Westbrook and Roberto Guerrero. Robert promoted motorsports and had a business selling race equipment. At one time half the field at the local short track Colorado National Speedway ran his Port City racing chassis. His involvement in motorsports also included sponsoring other local drivers like Mike Snow,Greg Fowler and Ed Belec. He also sponsored regional Karters for the SKUSA National Karting Championships in Las Vegas by providing his racing transporter for their use.

Robert was involved with bringing GForce racing cars to Colorado to sell open wheel Indy cars for the newly formed Indy Racing League. The GForce relationship created a new Colorado based Indy racing team with Price Cobb. Robert teamed up with Price Cobb to run Indy Cars for the Indy Racing League with several appearances at the Indianapolis 500. Robert kept his driving career active during this period by racing sport cars, stock cars and Indy cars in different series. He was involved in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, NASCAR Winston West, NASCAR Craftsman & ReMax Truck Series, NASCAR Southwest Tour, CART, Indy Racing League, World Challenge, SCCA Majors Tour, US Speedway Series.

On a regional level Robert was involved in the formation of the Porsche Club National racing program in Colorado. His involvement in Porsche Club Racing has spanned over twenty-five years and the program is used by many professionals as a feeder system into professional racing programs.In early life Robert was born in Denver, Colorado to an immigrant family from Croatia and Italy. His passion for motorsports came early in life when his father built him and his brother a racing go cart. When he could afford a dirt bike on his own, he became involved with a family friend to race motocross. Injuries forced him to look for other ways to compete, and auto racing was the next step.

Some highlights of his racing career:
1995 NASCAR Sponsor of the Year
1998 NASCAR Owner of the Year and Late Model Champions
1997 to 2001 Team member of Bradly Motorsports Indy Racing League team – Driver Buzz Calkins
2002 US Speedway Series Indy Car Rookie of the Year
2003 – IMSA-Grand American Rolex Champion SRPII (Daytona Prototypes)
2009 – NASA RMR GTS 5 Champion
2010 – NASA RMR GTS5 Champion
2010 – NASA RMR Enduro ES Champion
2012 – NASA GTS5 Champion
2013 – Pikes Peak International Hill Climb 3rd Place Open Class
2016 – SCCA Colorado Region GT-1 Champion
2016 – Pikes Peak International Hill Climb 3rd Place Open Class
2017- Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Champion TA2 Class
2018 – SCCA Majors Tour Mid States Conference GT-1 Champion
2019 – SCCA Majors Tour Mid States Conference GT-1 Champion
2019 – SCCA Rocky Mountain Region GT-1 Champion
2019 – Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee
2020 – Winner of the regional SCCA GT-1 championship, Finished 2nd in The SCCA Mid States Majors Series GT-1 class, Finished 6th in the unlimited class & 25th overall in The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

Robert Prilika has been appointed Vice Chair of the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame for 2021.

Wayde Samuel began drag racing in 2001 in the High School class at Bandimere Speedway in his dad’s 1964 Nova. Preferring baseball to racing, Wayde resisted until the 2001 Labor Day race where one pass down the track hooked him for good!

Since then, he’s been involved with Division 5 in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as participating in the 2011 Mopar Mile High Nationals in Super Gas, Bandimere’s Super Street and Super Pro events during 2013, ‘14 and ’15, and JEGS All Stars in 2015. He won his first Wally at Earlville LODRS Division Race in 2014, and again in 2015, as well as a Wally in LODRS Division Races in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City.

When he is not on the track competing, Wayde also shoots and edits videos for the NHRA D5 banquets and all Bandimere Speedway banquets.

Not satisfied with Second Place in the races he’s done since 2011, he hopes to get a Division Championship in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series in 2016. He also continues to race at Bandimere Speedway hoping to achieve a Super Pro and Super Street Track Championship.

Wayde loves what drag racing has done for his life. He says “I’ve met the greatest people through racing and love the family and camaraderie at the track.”

Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Dave’s interest in racing started at a young age when the racing bug bit at Lakeside Speedway where he spent time with his aunt who was then dating midget driver, Bud Shey. Dave since became increasingly involved with racing in Colorado when he became a pit crew member in the late 60s and later a driver in 1971. He got behind the wheel of a modified in 1971 and wheeled a top ten ERA car in 1979. His pit crew experience includes but is not limited to helping with figure 8s, being a part of a champion crew in the E Stock Eliminator series, and helping Mike Smyth on his GTX. Additionally, he has been instrumental in the success of his oldest son, Dan’s racing career since 1993 through which he has thoroughly enjoyed their mutual love for the sport. Dave’s favorite cars are those powered by Ford, a love that is also shared throughout the Savage family. Throughout the years, his racing involvement has taken him to a number of tracks, including but not limited to:

• Lakeside Speedway, Denver, CO
• Englewood Speedway, Denver, CO
• Benkelman, Nebraska
• Cheyenne, Wyoming
• Beacon Hill, Pueblo, CO
• Century 21 Raceway, Aurora, CO
• Pikes Peak International Raceway, Fountain, CO
• Colorado National Speedway, Erie, CO

Dave has been married to his wife, Lorrie, for over 43 years. Together they have three children, Dan, Jeremy and Jessica. Additionally, they have two granddaughters, Kendall and Shelby Savage. Dan drove his way to a Colorado State and Track Championship at Colorado National Speedway in 2011. Jessica too shares the love for motorsports and started driving in the Rocky Mountain Legend Racing series in 2012.

In his professional life Dave serves as the Vice President of King Soopers where he has been an employee for over 30 years.

Dave continues to be passionate about motorsports and is honored to be a board member for the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Phil Shuey has been a member of SCCA for more than 25 years. During this time, he has served as the Executive Steward for the Rocky Mountain Division, a Steward of the Meet for six SCCA National Runoffs, Regional Executive for Colorado Region, Divisional Administrator for Scrutineering, and continues as Secretary for the General Competition Rules Advisory Committee.

He participated in and served as General Counsel and Board Member for the Colorado Grand from creation until 2015. The Colorado Grand is a recreation of the Mille Miglia for distinguished sports and racing cars built before 1960 – as a 501 (c) (3) charity, it has raised over 5 million dollars for Colorado charities, including the Colorado State Patrol Family Foundation.

He was a founding member of Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing.

Professionally, Phil is a practicing attorney in Greenwood Village. He has been Chairman of the ABA’s Law Practice Management Section, the Colorado Bar’s Solo and Small Firm Section, and other Colorado Bar committees. He lectures regularly at the University of Colorado Law School and the University of Denver College of Law. He has spoken for over 50 State and local bar associations, and in addition as a past keynote speaker for the Canadian Bar Association. He has written for many publications from the Colorado Lawyer to the National Law Journal, and has been quoted in various publications from The Wall Street Journal to the Denver Business Journal.

In addition, he is the CEO of Shuey Robinson, an international consulting firm for the legal vertical market in technology and change management, with offices in the Denver Tech Center and Clearwater, Florida.

Phil is Secretary of CMHOF.

Joe Starr was born in San Diego, California and attended his first race at one week old. He got his racing bug from his family who attended midget races in the 1940s and 50s in California and Colorado. His uncle, Jimmy, competed in many of the first midget races he witnessed. Upon his dad’s retirement from the Navy, the family moved to Colorado in 1957. From the summer of 1967 every Saturday night it was either Englewood Speedway or Colorado National Speedway and then on Sunday it was Englewood Speedway or Lakeside Speedway.

In the fall of 1974 Joe bought his first camera with no thought of ever taking photos of race cars. He took the camera with him on a trip to Kansas City for a race at I-70 Speedway. Not knowing any better, he walked thru the back gate into the infield and shot some photos and then went back into the grandstand. He had no idea that he needed a pit pass to be in the infield.

Veteran race driver Don Woodard saw some of the photos he had taken and asked him to shoot some things for his business, Woodard Racing Graphics. He was taking many photos but was hesitant to actually speak to the people that he had photographed. He was helping Don Daly and Larry Keir at Englewood Speedway on Saturday nights. They literally forced him to speak with some of the drivers and show them the photos he had taken.

One of those drivers was Paul Garrison who was promoting the Erie Innovational once a year at Colorado National Speedway. Much to his surprise in 1980 Paul asked Joe to photograph the race because the regular photographer at CNS was not available for his race.

The photographer job at CNS became available for the 1981 season and George Butland called Don Woodard and asked if he knew anyone that could take on the job. Don sent Joe over to speak with George and he stared as the photographer at CNS in 1981.

As a result of his successful career, many of Joe’s images have been published in numerous racing related publications across the country, and as a result of that, he has been able to attend many national events including NASCAR, World of Outlaws, Indy Racing, USAC and many others to numerous to count.

In 1986 Gary Garrison asked Joe to help him with a radio show he was putting together to try and help secure some sponsorship for his race car. That has lead to doing radio off and on ever since with a multitude of people that continues to this day.

After getting many requests to view the images that he had taken on line Joe got together with Eric Guttormson and started Big West Racing in 2002. Their philosophy has always been to present a positive face to racing. Joe retired from the US Postal Service as an Operations Support Specialist in May, 2008 with 35+ years of service. At the 2010 Colorado National Speedway Banquet, the Speedway Officials inducted Joe into the Colorado National Speedway Hall of Fame.

Joe continues to gather images at Colorado National Speedway and many other racing venues and to provide local racing information to a variety of local and national media sources.

Born in 1943 in Denver, Colorado, Bill grew up in Central City, Colorado reading about the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, Bonneville and Daytona and dreaming of winning those races. He purchased his first motorcycle at the age of 12, beginning a life-long love of motorcycles.

Bill began working as a machinist at Coors Porcelain in the mid-1960’s and building custom motorcycles for other enthusiasts. The experience at Coors Porcelain led to a position with Stuska Engineering, where he acquired additional fine machining skills and a working knowledge of dynameters. Always interested in motor racing as a spectator, Bill began drag racing in 1966 by building a turbine powered motorcycle. He spent a year in drag racing competition, becoming acquainted with John Bandimere, Jr. when John allowed him to do practice runs with the turbine motorcycle on the drag strip John’s family was building just east of Morrison.

In late 1966, Bill began working for Kurland Motors as a motorcycle mechanic. Bill and Shari later purchased the parts and service departments from Mr. Kurland combining business and a love of racing. Bill began racing both dirt and pavement locally and in 1969 began road racing a Yamaha TD2 250cc road racer. A passion for road racing led Bill and his family on numerous trips to Daytona Beach, FL, Road Atlanta, GA, Pocono Raceway, PA, Laguna Seca, CA, Sears Point, CA and Ontario, CA. Bill became the 250cc W.E.R.A. Midwest Roadracing champion in 1976.

Beginning in 1970, trips to the Bonneville Salt Flats for land speed record attempts became the family vacation for Bill, Shari and their boys. Bill rode both 250cc and 750cc motorcycles, setting a 750cc land speed record in 1975 of 191.203 mph, a record which still stands today.

Between road racing and trips to Bonneville, Bill enjoyed motorcycle dirt track racing at Colorado National Speedway, Rains Raceway and short track racing at Adams County Fairgrounds. Dirt track racing took Bill and his family to numerous events throughout Colorado and Kansas. Dirt racing was so popular in the 1970’s a rider could race on Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday night if the distance between races wasn’t too great. Bill finished his 1971 dirt racing year as the S.R.A.C. Scrambles Pro State Champion. In 1971 the Pikes Peak Hill Climb began inviting motorcycles to compete. Once again, Bill was there for the summer races in July and the winter races on New Year’s Day. Bill won the 125cc Pro Class in July 1971 and was the overall ‘first to the top’ winner in the New Year’s Day race in 1974.

An opportunity to buy out an existing motorcycle dealer in 1972 led Bill and Shari to open their own motorcycle dealership in southeast Denver that has grown to be one of the largest Yamaha dealerships in the country. Along with the new business opportunity came an interest in racing motocross and enduros so both Bill’s sons could compete as well. Bill raced motocross in the 125cc and open classes and won the Block and Tackle National Enduro in the Senior Class in 1990.

Henry was born in 1962 in Denver and is a Colorado Native. His love for racing started
when he was a paperboy and his first hero, Don Woodard was on his route and was an avid
driver and racer. He would spend all his spare time in Don’s garage helping and learning.

His racing career started in 1981 when CNS owner, George Butlin started the bomber class.
Henry and his dad went 50/50 on a car that they would share and drive alternating weeks.
From then on, Henry was hooked. He bought his own car for his second season because
racing every other week was not an option anymore.

Henry ran two cars his third season, Superstock at Colorado National Speedway, and a Fiat
Topolino –bodied Altered at the Bandimere Speedway.  Bandimere only lasted one year.
The steering broke while going 138 miles per hour on the drag strip so he decided to
concentrate on competing in the Superstock division at Colorado National and on the dirt
at I-76 Speedway where he won the first two street stock invitationals.

Henry went on to win three Superstock track championships at CNS in 1989, 1991, and
1992. Henry and his fellow competitor, Mike Starnes became the subject of an article in
Stock Car Magazine entitled “One of America’s Great Rivalries” in their April 1995 issue.

Henry was also humbled by being a fan favorite which he loved and would spend hours
each night after racing signing autographs for all the amazing fans, especially the kids!

In 1993 Henry moved to the Grand America Modified division, where he went on to win
many quick times, trophy dashes, and main events. One of his favorite accomplishments
was created in the modified division, when he entered a national open competition show in
Las Vegas, set the track record, then won the main event. He also ran several races in the
Winter Heat Series In Las Vegas with Mike Starnes.

During his racing career he also had the pleasure to race in the Sportsman and late model
divisions, once having the opportunity to drive Rick Carelli’s late model.

Henry hung up his racing career around 1999 at CNS. 

Henry’s side hobby is now a 1968 Firebird, that was once his dad’s daily driver, with a “few”
modifications he turned into a pro streetcar for Bandimere but is also street legal to drive.

When Henry now looks back on a career of more than twenty years, he’d like it to be known
that he would not have been where he is now without the support of his wife and their
children, family, great friends, and amazing sponsors!