By Jarrod Lehman
Smithville, OH --- A long time member of the dirt racing community is announcing his retirement from the motorsports industry. Doc Lehman, a long time motorsports journalist, promoter, sanction official, radio & television host/writer/producer, is stepping away from being active in the sport after nearly 35 years due to long-term health issues and personal priorities.
Lehman, who has owned the public relations company Lehman Motorsports Services since 1985, will relinquish the firm over to his son, Jarrod Lehman, who will continue the company on a somewhat limited basis for the near future before determining how much to expand. Lehman will assist his son when possible.
“I’d like to thank each and everyone who I had the honor of getting to know and working with, and working for in the sport since 1973,” stated Lehman. “If I were to name everyone it would take pages upon pages to compile. I treasure the time and moments in the sport, and especially the people. Racing has been virtually my whole life for decades now and I leave the sport as an active member hoping I was able to contribute a small positive over the years.”
“I’m not walking away from the sport as a fan! I hope to be attending races the way I started my love of the sport, as a race fan. In the past six years I have been fortunate enough to be blessed with four grandsons and I want to take them with me as often as possible and hoping they get the passion for the sport. I am also hoping that some time soon perhaps my son-in-law, who took the year off, can get back into a race car so we can all cheer him on again.”
Lehman, the third generation of his family to be involved in motorsports, and an inductee into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame (Class of 2006), began working in Motorsports in 1973 as the public relations director at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, OH. Over the years he served as promoter of Wayne County Speedway; public relations director of the All Star Super Sprints; Executive Director & Vice-President of the STARS dirt Late Model series; General Manager of Pennsboro Speedway; publisher of Dirt Track Report magazine; associate producer of the Racing On Dirt TV program; owner of Lehman Motorsports Services since 1985; co-host of three radio programs (Dirt Racers Radio, Thrills On Wheels and Dirt Nation™) and as a reporter & columnist for a multitude of racing publications since the 1970’s.
During the past decade plus he has been a regular fixture in Area Auto Racing News, RPM Racing News, Dirt Late Model magazine and several others in addition to various websites, including his own Dirt America Online that existed for over six years. Lehman’s final columns will appear over the next month.
“I know I’ll miss the activity, but maybe not all those incredible hours put into it,” continued Lehman. “It’s time I reckon. I want to get more involved with my church and I really have a strong need and desire to spend as much time as possible with my wonderful wife of 30 years, Carol, who I have neglected so much over the years while chasing racing and my entire family, particularly those four incredible grandsons who have been a tremendous blessing to us. I have a real need to spend as much time with my family as possible.”
Lehman is contemplating finishing up two books that are nearly completed if a publisher can be found soon. After spending the past six years doing research yet to be completed, a third book based on the history of dirt Late Model racing is in the formative and tentative stages.
Lehman hopes his friends and many acquaintances will stop and say hello if they see him at a dirt track and he extends his warmest regards and blessings for a safe and happy holiday season to everyone in the sport of dirt racing.
-Prepared by Lehman Motorsports Services
Smithville, OH --- A long time member of the dirt racing community is announcing his retirement from the motorsports industry. Doc Lehman, a long time motorsports journalist, promoter, sanction official, radio & television host/writer/producer, is stepping away from being active in the sport after nearly 35 years due to long-term health issues and personal priorities.
Lehman, who has owned the public relations company Lehman Motorsports Services since 1985, will relinquish the firm over to his son, Jarrod Lehman, who will continue the company on a somewhat limited basis for the near future before determining how much to expand. Lehman will assist his son when possible.
“I’d like to thank each and everyone who I had the honor of getting to know and working with, and working for in the sport since 1973,” stated Lehman. “If I were to name everyone it would take pages upon pages to compile. I treasure the time and moments in the sport, and especially the people. Racing has been virtually my whole life for decades now and I leave the sport as an active member hoping I was able to contribute a small positive over the years.”
“I’m not walking away from the sport as a fan! I hope to be attending races the way I started my love of the sport, as a race fan. In the past six years I have been fortunate enough to be blessed with four grandsons and I want to take them with me as often as possible and hoping they get the passion for the sport. I am also hoping that some time soon perhaps my son-in-law, who took the year off, can get back into a race car so we can all cheer him on again.”
Lehman, the third generation of his family to be involved in motorsports, and an inductee into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame (Class of 2006), began working in Motorsports in 1973 as the public relations director at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, OH. Over the years he served as promoter of Wayne County Speedway; public relations director of the All Star Super Sprints; Executive Director & Vice-President of the STARS dirt Late Model series; General Manager of Pennsboro Speedway; publisher of Dirt Track Report magazine; associate producer of the Racing On Dirt TV program; owner of Lehman Motorsports Services since 1985; co-host of three radio programs (Dirt Racers Radio, Thrills On Wheels and Dirt Nation™) and as a reporter & columnist for a multitude of racing publications since the 1970’s.
During the past decade plus he has been a regular fixture in Area Auto Racing News, RPM Racing News, Dirt Late Model magazine and several others in addition to various websites, including his own Dirt America Online that existed for over six years. Lehman’s final columns will appear over the next month.
“I know I’ll miss the activity, but maybe not all those incredible hours put into it,” continued Lehman. “It’s time I reckon. I want to get more involved with my church and I really have a strong need and desire to spend as much time as possible with my wonderful wife of 30 years, Carol, who I have neglected so much over the years while chasing racing and my entire family, particularly those four incredible grandsons who have been a tremendous blessing to us. I have a real need to spend as much time with my family as possible.”
Lehman is contemplating finishing up two books that are nearly completed if a publisher can be found soon. After spending the past six years doing research yet to be completed, a third book based on the history of dirt Late Model racing is in the formative and tentative stages.
Lehman hopes his friends and many acquaintances will stop and say hello if they see him at a dirt track and he extends his warmest regards and blessings for a safe and happy holiday season to everyone in the sport of dirt racing.
-Prepared by Lehman Motorsports Services
