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Federated Auto Parts Wayne County Speedway
1083 N. Carr Road
Orrville, OH 44667
Office Phone: 419.522.8761
Track Phone: 330.682.7435
Fax: 419.522.0463
Ernie Coffman/Promoter - 419.522.8761
Chuck Griffith/General Manager - 419.496.9775
Email: [email protected]
June 2, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
WCS Hall of Fame Inductees Announced; Ceremony During Sprint Speedweek
Orrville, OH --- A dozen prominent individuals that have spent years and decades participating at Federated Auto Parts Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, OH will be recognized and honored on Monday June 25 when they are inducted at the 3rd Annual Wayne County Speedway Hall of Fame ceremony that will take place prior to race time when the 12th Annual Pete Jacobs Memorial presented by Federated Auto Parts, part of the prestigious 25th Annual UNOH Ohio Sprint Speedweek presented by RacingJunk.com is held at the popular dirt track on Monday June 25.
The 12th Annual Pete Jacobs Memorial presented by Federated Auto Parts and the 3rd Annual Wayne County Speedway Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on the eve of the 42nd anniversary of the track's opening. The track, founded by N.E. 'Pete' Jacobs, first opened on June 26, 1965.
Inductees in the Class of 2007 include drivers Keith Berner, Dave Haven, Sr., Tom Jarrett, Rusty McClure, George Prosser, John 'Doc' Simmons, Joe Thompson and Lloyd Wirt. In the Car Owner category Tom Green was selected while the late Jim Lehr and the late Clyde Shoup were chosen in the staff category. Selected for the fan category was George Stephenson.
Keith Berner started his racing career in 1976 after serving as a crew member for several drivers, notably Racin' John Mason. After a couple seasons winning big in the Limited Late Models (Chargers), Berner moved up to Late Models and spent well over a decade as a frequent winner and a track championship in 1990. Despite establishing himself as a successful and popular regional racer in recent years Berner still frequently returns to his home track of Wayne County Speedway where he has three MACS sanctioned wins.
Dave Haven is the longest tenured of the Class of 2007. Haven began racing at Wayne County Speedway the year it opened, 1965, and competed in the decades since that time. Despite being somewhat 'retired' in recent years Haven still occasionally will climb into a race car. Haven made his 'Super 6' Late Model a well known fixture at WCS over the decades and has been a strong supporter of the track along with his family.
Tom Jarrett was a very successful Late Model driver beginning in the latter part of the 1960's in eastern Ohio and during much of the 1970's Jarrett was a big winner at Wayne County Speedway who had a large fan base at the track that followed the famed #21. Jarrett also won more than his share of invitational races along with two WCS Late Model championships (1974, 1976).
Rusty McClure has been a long time supporter of Wayne County Speedway and when spent many years winning races at the track upon the return of Sprint Cars in 1983. Along the way McClure won many feature races and was a consistent performer in sanctioned races. McClure, who went on to become nationally known for his expertise in a wingless Sprint Car in Indiana, California, and elsewhere, retired several years ago after serious injuries in a racing accident. McClure scored two WCS championships (1985, 1991).
George Prosser began his Sprint Car racing career in 1968 and raced at Wayne County Speedway through the 1972 season when Sprint Cars were dropped from the weekly program. Prosser raced at WCS during the 1970's at the All Star Circuit of Championship, All Star Super Sprints, USAC, MOSS and World of Outlaw races held there and returned when the Sprint Cars were brought back in 1983 where he was a frequent winner and the 1989 Sprint Car champion. Prosser, now retired, was a WCS racer until the division was dropped from the weekly show after the 2003 season.
John 'Doc' Simmons was a popular name during the 1960's and 1970's where he had several years of domination at Wayne County Speedway including a number of special event invitational victories in addition to his dozens of weekly racing wins. Simmons' yellow and red 'Fireball' 500 car was a fan favorite during it's time. Simmons captured 1972 Late Model championship.
Joe Thompson was a popular Modified & Sprint Car racer at Wayne County Speedway once they swung the doors open. During the 1960's and early 1970's Thompson was a regular winner and strong competitor in sanctioned events. Thompson continued to support WCS' invitational and sanctioned events until his retirement. During several years in the 1990's Thompson was a WCS staff member after a number of years as a track promoter in northern Ohio.
Lloyd Wirt was a second-generation driver who started his career in the latter part of the 1960's where he found immediate success. Throughout the late 1960's and throughout his career until he retired in the early 1980's Wirt was one of the track's biggest winners and top front-runners week in and week out. Although a championship eluded him, Wirt spent the majority of his career with top three and top five point finishes. After his retirement from driving Wirt has supported the track through his Wirt's Towing service in addition to sponsoring various race cars.
In the Car Owner category Tom Green was selected. Beginning in 1978 when he first sponsored Keith Berner's race car Green has been an ardent supporter of local dirt track racing. For a number of years the Berner-Green racing Team visited victory lane on a regular basis and also won a WCS track championship and a STARS Sportsman of the Year award. Although no longer an active partner in race car ownership, Green, both personally and through his Village Motors in Millersburg, OH has spent a couple decades supporting WCS through generous sponsorship support in addition to sponsoring race cars including Berner and Mike Mizer.
In the Staff category the late Jim Lehr was selected based on his many years supporting Wayne County Speedway. Lehr worked as a cornerman, tech inspector and other duties for many years, including the 1980's and until he left the track in the mid-1990's to become a WCS driver in the Limited Late Model vision. Also selected was the late Clyde Shoup, who was an original stockholder at Wayne County Speedway and spent over 20 years on the board of directors. Shoup also spent a couple decades working at the front gate as the ticket-taker. In addition to his duties at WCS, Shoup also spent a number of years as a car owner.
Selected in the Fan category is George Stephenson, a WW II veteran who has spent several decades as a dedicated race fan at Wayne County Speedway. In addition to purchasing a ticket every week for decades, Stephenson has also often brought along guests to enjoy and experience the WCS atmosphere of outstanding dirt track racing.
Management of Federated Auto Parts Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, OH have announced that the popular 3/8 mile dirt track will reopen on Monday June 25 for the running of the 12th Annual Pete Jacobs Memorial presented by Federated Auto Parts, part of the prestigious 25th Annual UNOH Ohio Sprint Speedweek presented by RacingJunk.com. The race track has been closed since a fire on Saturday April 21 destroyed the concession stand/office and the electrical system. The week long series is sanctioned by the O'Reilly All Star Circuit of Champions.
The 25th Annual UNOH Ohio Sprint Speedweek presented by RacingJunk.com will once again travel to seven dirt tracks in seven nights in Ohio beginning at the end of June and the tour stops on night two at Federated Auto Parts Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, OH featuring some of the top Sprint Car stars in the nation.
The support class for the 12th Annual Pete Jacobs Memorial presented by Federated Auto Parts will be announced soon.
To find out more about Ohio Sprint Speedweek and to view the driver pre-entry list, visit www.ohiospeedweek.com
Look for additional announcements concerning Federated Auto Parts Wayne County Speedway in the coming weeks.
Federated Auto Parts Wayne County Speedway is located nine miles east of Wooster, OH on US Route 30 or 15 miles west of Massillon, OH on US Route 30 then one mile north on Carr Road. For more information contact: 330.682.7435 (track), 419.522.8761 (office) or GM Chuck Griffith can be contacted at his office at: 419.496.9775 or via email at: [email protected] For more information on WCS visit: www.waynecountyspeedway.com
-Prepared by Lehman Motorsports Services
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