Forum: Oklahomatidbits.com General Forum (go)
Moderators:  /  David Smith Jr

The state of Oklahoma has a history of producing some of the best racing talent, promotion and journalism that can match and exceed many other states. From the midgets at Taft to the indoor races at the old colisium at the Stockyards to the old fairgrounds at the now Douglas High School to the famed Thunderbird (Muskogee Fairgrounds) to the former Tulsa Speedway (Fairgrounds) to all the old tracks in Thackerville, Chickasha. From jalopies to midgets to super modifieds, modifieds, stock car, late model and mini sprints.

IF a Oklahoma Racing Hall of Fame were to be built, and for crying out loud one should be, WHO would you nominate as one of the first to be inducted - and why? Limit to five for inaugural inductions please:

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

Bud Carson: Almost self explanatory. First promoter at Fairgrounds Speedway and built a powerfull weekly program that saw near 10,000 people every Friday night. PROMOTED everything from his weekly program to specials for super modifieds, modifieds, IMCA sprints, late models, motorcycles, etc.

Shane Carson: When you talk the early WoO and their drivers, Shane Carson is one of those that are mentioned. When you would say Oklahoma sprint car drivers, his name is also one of those first mentioned. A couple of WoO wins and numerous with other sprint sanctioning bodies, his MAR-CAR promoted WoO events should be a pattern for success for most of todays promoters. That is when the weather cooperated and those dadgum lights that were slated to go off once curfew broke.

Pat Suchy: A loooong time car owner, which how long surprised me and still does to this day when I read more on him. Gave many a driver their start and also had big-time talent drive his racecars.

Van Gemmill: This Ponca City resident has a couple of NCRA late model victories and was a faithfull follower the first couple of years with the NCRA late model series. He also has amassed countless championships at Enid Speedway on the fairgrounds and from what I hear is very respected by fellow competitors and fans alike. Heck, he also produced son Troy and grandson Brenden into racing today.

Voloney Meece: If I recall correctly, he covered racing here at the fairgrounds and around the city for the Daily Oklahoman. I also think he sent his racing stories to NSSN - back in the day.

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

That is a tough one.

John Zink Two Indy 500 wins as owner. How many other wins did the Zink cars have all together?

Joe Ruttman Born in Moreland, OK. One Indy 500 win as driver. In 1997 Moreland was going to have a Joe Ruttman day. Maybe they went ahead and had it. But Troy passed away one month before the planned event.

Warren Vincent
Cans 4 Kansas Heroes

VAN "THE KIRBY MAN" GEMMILL, ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED RACERS OUT THERE, WHEN VAN SHOWED UP THE QUESTION WAS WHO WAS GOING TO FINISH 2ND.

Emmett Hahn: Founder of Creek county Speedway, ASCS and the Chily bowl. He was also a hell of a driver in his day with championships at State fair speedway and Tulsa Fairgrounds.

Ernest Jennings

John Zink

Bud Carson

This would be my first 4 picks.

Man this is impossible! So many great racers & friends. No matter how you pick, somebody is gonna get left out!

# 1: Bud Carson: Without Bud, don't think we would ever have enjoyed 50 years of racing in OKC. Had the pleasure of working with Bud from 87' until he passed. Believe he taught me more about the "SHOW" than anybody.

# 2: Jack Zink: Won Indy 500 55' & 56'. Enough said.

# 3: Harold Leep: The man could drive the wheels off anything, just won tons of races.

# 4: Emmett Hahn; not enough time to list it all here. How many championships, won inagural NCRA championship, created ASCS. In 93' was talking to Emmett at Creek, asked if he thought he would ever drive again. His response says it all! " Not as long as they they got them damn wings on em"!!

# 5: Mike Peters; Maybe a little biased here, have had the pleasure of working with Mike on & off for 30 years. The man still mashes the gas pretty good!

David, you've asked quite a question, but first, what should be the criteria for inclusion? Born in Oklahoma? Raced in OK? Made a lasting impact on Oklahoma racing? Won a lot of races or was innovative in some area of racing? Retired for how long or maybe still active? What categories should there be? This is important stuff, because an OK Auto Racing Hall of Fame IS going to happen. It will probably be a good while, especially with the money drying up and everybody and every organization lining up like baby birds to be fed, but hopefully I'll live to see it. Can't go into details, but think VERY seriously about the criteria and who should make the cut. Most HOF induct around five or six people each year, and depending on the criteria, you run out of the truly world-class candidates fairly quickly, but not everyone has to go in all at once. If you want some names from the early days, there's Ervin Wolfe, Ray Lavely, Emmett Barton, Ollie Goodrich, Jimmy Reece, Laymond Crump, maybe Joie Chitwood, then a bit later M.A. Walker, Jack Zink and Denny Moore, Lloyd Ruby and so on. It's a great subject for everyone to kick around this winter, but as I said, it won't happen quickly. It will, however, happen eventually. Have fun, folks.

I would like one promoter a year that was instrumental in the promotion of racing at a track or area. Lavely is a name I was thinking of. Who was the promoter at the old Tulsa Fairgrounds?

One media member a year who covered the sport and helped contribute. There is Merle Holbrook and I think Bill Hill was from Oklahoma or covered Oklahoma as well.

The other three (five inductions max.) would be drivers who raced in Oklahoma enough, not necessarily raided the state on special occassions.

My idea is to have a ten member panel of the veterans and historic knowledge of racing here in Oklahoma and those who are up on the current history of drivers or promoters - retired. Who knows, one year it could be all drivers who raced in the 1940's but when you picked up NSSN or went to the races, you knew who they were. People who you automatically think of as fan favorites or enemies.

OR the panel could consist of those people who contribute "x" amount of dollars to the funding of the museum. They put up the money to make it possible so they should have a vote in who is in, not limited to ten people. Don't have anything to do with this topic - per say - but I am one of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame 360 sprint car voters and my vote is tabulated with others for the final of who is 360 sprint car driver of the year. Not enough media members or other people to do something like that however.

Just an idea.

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

Lloyd K. $tephens.-owner

Bud Carson-promoter

Jimmy Reece--1st Driver from OK to compete in Indy 500 (I think)

There has to be a prominent person from the past in OK State Government who had a hand in getting SFS built back in the late 40's-Early 50's ???

Harold Leep & Earnest Jennings. ---- If you have to ask you're either too young or need to get to the track more

Strictly Oklahoma ties:

Jack Zink

Bud Carson

Jimmy Reece

Emmett Hahn

Shane Carson

And how about...Jack Claxton?

What about Dutch, DE Suggs, thinking more present here but what about Jason Hughes- he has made a name for himself in mod racing. Daniels, Lambert, Can't leave out the first family of the the Fairgrounds- the Jennings

I can think of more open wheel guys than stock car guys.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands 
in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he 
stands at times of challenge and controversy." 
Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Erich Petersen 

Here is my picks for the hall of fame

Jack Zink

Emmett Hahn

Denny Moore

Ray and Donnie Crawford

Darrel Brazeal

Scott Thomason



AM/PM Racing



Dirt = Real Racing



"Heroes get remember, but ledgens never die..."





 

 

Let's not forget the straight-liners, like Jimmy Nix and Jon Barrett.......they're certainly racers worthy of mention.

1 old Tulsa promotor Hugh Finnerty.

This will be tough subject, I agree you need to set some guide lines, the amount of people (promotors,builder's,drivers,owners etc.) would fill volumes of books.

Some of the best promotors of weekly racing ever in history have promoted in OK. Some of the best car builders of all types of cars have turned there trade in OK.

Alot of the greatest drivers of all types of racing have raced in OK.

Lastly some of the best car owners in all types of racing have lived in OK. supported racing in OK. and died here supporting racing, this goes far back before the war years and I'm talking WW 2, it is something that ought to happen but money or type of racing should not be the deciding factor who's in and who's out. There are volumes of people who depending on your criteria could be nominated for an OK HOF.

I totally agree with you as far as all of racing and it should be. I am not up on the straigh-liners but that was one reason I posted for Gemmill, as late models were huge at one time.

Of course I can think of only two announcers that made an impact at the track on drivers and fans, Jack Miller and Jack Claxton.

As I stated, I am still learning more as I go along each winter on the history of racing here in this state - mainly thanks to some of you peoples posting on Warren Vincents "Racing from the Past" message board. Between those and Galens pics and tidbits on my "Tidbits from the Past" page, it makes for some interesting reading.

David Smith Jr.
www.oklahomatidbits.com

How 'bout Jackie Stidham and Marvin Graham? Not to mention multi-time NHRA national event winner Mike Edwards from Coweta.

How bout some from lawton. Like Paul Pierce, AJ Little, and Junior Bruner.

Dick Colvin was the promoter of the Tulsa Fairgrounds Speedway in the mid 1960s.

Racing photographers - Danley Clow

Racers - so many to list- Buddy Cagle, Angelo Howerton, Jackie Howerton

"Back to the Drive"