Riverside, OH --- Officials of the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame (NDLMHOF) have announced the inductees to the Class of 2003. The National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame was formed in early 2001 and the first induction ceremony for the inaugural class was held in August 2001 followed by the second annual induction ceremony in August 2002, both at Florence (KY) Speedway during the annual NORTH-SOUTH 100 weekend. With the votes all tallied from the 40-member Voting Board the Class of 2002 is now official. The annual induction ceremony will be held this August 2003 at the annual North-South 100 at Florence Speedway on a date to be announced.
In the Retired Drivers Category newly inducted members include Leon Archer, Ray Godsey, Bud Lundsford and Russ Petro.
Georgian Archer who won the first-ever NDRA championship in 1979. Among Archer’s many exploits include three NDRA feature wins in his career. He also qualified for the World 100 on three occasions, finishing second in 1979.
Indiana driver Godsey, the 1982 Brownstown Speedway champion, made the field for the World 100 five times and the Jackson 100 ten times. He was also a regular on the All Star Circuit of Champions Late Model Series and a semi-regular competitor with the NDRA and STARS.
Lundsford, one of the Southeast's winningest drivers, racked up hundreds of victories, including two NDRA features, before hanging up the helmet to build Lanier Speedway.
Indiana barnstormer Russ Petro, two-time Brownstown Speedway champion, four-time winner on the All Star Circuit of Champions, two-time winner of the Jackson 100 and a frequent competitor with several sanctioning groups.
In the new Masters Category, reserved for active drivers with in excess of 30 years of dirt Late Model racing experience, was hotly contested with Delmas Conley, Jim Curry, John Mason and Bob Pierce being inducted.
Conley, the patriarch of the racing Conley family of Ohio, has over 500 victories to his credit and has made the field for the World 100 on eight occasions. He spent many seasons as a regular on the STARS circuit as well as a being a frequent competitor with the All Star Circuit of Champions Late Model Series.
Indiana racer Curry, with two Jackson 100 victories, as well as three career UMP Summernationals wins, is a four-time Brownstown Speedway champion and former All Star Circuit of Champions Late Model regular.
Ohio Mason holds two STARS championships, is a former ‘Dirt Track World Championship” winner and two time NDRA winner and former Wayne County Speedway and Lakeville Speedway track champion. He is also a former regular with the All Star Circuit of Champions Late Model Series.
Pierce is the 1990 UMP National champion from Illinois, tied for third on the all-time UMP Summernationals winners list with 13 wins and a championship. Has over 400 career feature wins, including the North-South 100, Bluegrass Nationals, Kenny Simpson Memorial, Hoosier Dirt Classic and Prairie Dirt Classic.
In the Outstanding Contribution to the Sport category the new inductees include JW Hunt, Rick Gross, Johnny Johnson and Carl Short.
The late JW Hunt, the only inductee to receive a unanimous vote by the voting board, was a major sponsor for several professional dirt Late Model teams and drivers, including Charlie Swartz and Jack Hewitt, among others, and was a major sponsor for numerous high-profile events for many years.
Gross is the 17-year president of the Renegade Dirt Car Racing Series and was the former promoter of Wayne County/Buckeye Speedway and Pennsboro Speedway.
Johnson is a long time successful dirt Late Model driver, car owner, promoter and sponsor and benefactor in Midwest and national racing.
Short has been a successful promoter at several race tracks with notable success at putting Pennsboro (WV) Speedway on the national racing map with the Dirt Track World Championship and Hillbilly 100. He is also the founder of the Short Track Auto Racing Series (STARS).
In the write-in Sportsman Award, the recipient for the Class of 2003 was national star Bill Frye, the current MARS national champion.
The NDLMHOF Executive Board members consist of Holder, Doc Lehman, Susan Bauer Lee, Tim Lee, Eva Goes, Jerry King, Gerald Newton and Ozzie Altman.
The NDLMHOF Voting Board consists of 40 members from the ranks of the media, sanctions, tracks and manufacturers.
Official sponsors signed to the NDLMHOF include Arizona Sport Shirts, Hoosier Tire Midwest, DIRT LATE MODEL Magazine, Dirt-Racers/DirtAmerica.com, CJ Rayburn Race Cars, Fisher Race Engines, Florence Speedway and Dirtwearmall.com. Parties interested in becoming an official sponsor of the NDLMHOF should contact Holder.
For additional information contact Holder at 937-233-0924 or via email at: BillHolder@webtv.net or Doc Lehman via email at: DocLehman@sssnet.com. Additional information will be posted on the NDLMHOF website that is located at: http://www.ndlmhof.com.
In the Retired Drivers Category newly inducted members include Leon Archer, Ray Godsey, Bud Lundsford and Russ Petro.
Georgian Archer who won the first-ever NDRA championship in 1979. Among Archer’s many exploits include three NDRA feature wins in his career. He also qualified for the World 100 on three occasions, finishing second in 1979.
Indiana driver Godsey, the 1982 Brownstown Speedway champion, made the field for the World 100 five times and the Jackson 100 ten times. He was also a regular on the All Star Circuit of Champions Late Model Series and a semi-regular competitor with the NDRA and STARS.
Lundsford, one of the Southeast's winningest drivers, racked up hundreds of victories, including two NDRA features, before hanging up the helmet to build Lanier Speedway.
Indiana barnstormer Russ Petro, two-time Brownstown Speedway champion, four-time winner on the All Star Circuit of Champions, two-time winner of the Jackson 100 and a frequent competitor with several sanctioning groups.
In the new Masters Category, reserved for active drivers with in excess of 30 years of dirt Late Model racing experience, was hotly contested with Delmas Conley, Jim Curry, John Mason and Bob Pierce being inducted.
Conley, the patriarch of the racing Conley family of Ohio, has over 500 victories to his credit and has made the field for the World 100 on eight occasions. He spent many seasons as a regular on the STARS circuit as well as a being a frequent competitor with the All Star Circuit of Champions Late Model Series.
Indiana racer Curry, with two Jackson 100 victories, as well as three career UMP Summernationals wins, is a four-time Brownstown Speedway champion and former All Star Circuit of Champions Late Model regular.
Ohio Mason holds two STARS championships, is a former ‘Dirt Track World Championship” winner and two time NDRA winner and former Wayne County Speedway and Lakeville Speedway track champion. He is also a former regular with the All Star Circuit of Champions Late Model Series.
Pierce is the 1990 UMP National champion from Illinois, tied for third on the all-time UMP Summernationals winners list with 13 wins and a championship. Has over 400 career feature wins, including the North-South 100, Bluegrass Nationals, Kenny Simpson Memorial, Hoosier Dirt Classic and Prairie Dirt Classic.
In the Outstanding Contribution to the Sport category the new inductees include JW Hunt, Rick Gross, Johnny Johnson and Carl Short.
The late JW Hunt, the only inductee to receive a unanimous vote by the voting board, was a major sponsor for several professional dirt Late Model teams and drivers, including Charlie Swartz and Jack Hewitt, among others, and was a major sponsor for numerous high-profile events for many years.
Gross is the 17-year president of the Renegade Dirt Car Racing Series and was the former promoter of Wayne County/Buckeye Speedway and Pennsboro Speedway.
Johnson is a long time successful dirt Late Model driver, car owner, promoter and sponsor and benefactor in Midwest and national racing.
Short has been a successful promoter at several race tracks with notable success at putting Pennsboro (WV) Speedway on the national racing map with the Dirt Track World Championship and Hillbilly 100. He is also the founder of the Short Track Auto Racing Series (STARS).
In the write-in Sportsman Award, the recipient for the Class of 2003 was national star Bill Frye, the current MARS national champion.
The NDLMHOF Executive Board members consist of Holder, Doc Lehman, Susan Bauer Lee, Tim Lee, Eva Goes, Jerry King, Gerald Newton and Ozzie Altman.
The NDLMHOF Voting Board consists of 40 members from the ranks of the media, sanctions, tracks and manufacturers.
Official sponsors signed to the NDLMHOF include Arizona Sport Shirts, Hoosier Tire Midwest, DIRT LATE MODEL Magazine, Dirt-Racers/DirtAmerica.com, CJ Rayburn Race Cars, Fisher Race Engines, Florence Speedway and Dirtwearmall.com. Parties interested in becoming an official sponsor of the NDLMHOF should contact Holder.
For additional information contact Holder at 937-233-0924 or via email at: BillHolder@webtv.net or Doc Lehman via email at: DocLehman@sssnet.com. Additional information will be posted on the NDLMHOF website that is located at: http://www.ndlmhof.com.
