The Pittsburgh Circle Track Club hosted their 31st Annual Awards Banquet on January 19, 2008 at the Butler Days Inn with a crowd of over 200 people. Music was provided by D.J. “Rookie Rick” Kohler.

Ted Wise, Carl Murdick, Dick Curry, Dave Pegher, and Frank Perpetua were inducted into the PCTC Hall of Fame.

The following champions were honored along with the top ten in each division: Davy Lee, Jimmy Stokes, George Nicola, Carl McKinney, Ryan Young, Daryl Charlier, Kyle Martel, Scott Rhodes, Bill Stivason, Noah Brunell, Jake Simmons, Bob Felmlee, Joe Nicola, and Dusty Curry.   [ More ]

P1194847.jpg	P1194848.jpg	P1194849.jpg	P1194850.jpg
P1194852.jpg	P1194853.jpg	P1194855.jpg	P1194858.jpg
P1194860.jpg	P1194861.jpg	P1194862.jpg	P1194864.jpg
P1194865.jpg	P1194867.jpg	P1194875.jpg	P1194876.jpg
P1194878.jpg	P1194880.jpg	P1194882.jpg	P1194883.jpg
P1194886.jpg	P1194887.jpg	P1194888.jpg	P1194889.jpg
P1194890.jpg	P1194891.jpg	P1194892.jpg	P1194893.jpg
P1194895.jpg	P1194896.jpg	P1194898.jpg	P1194899.jpg
P1194902.jpg	P1194903.jpg	P1194904.jpg	P1194906.jpg
P1194908.jpg	P1194910.jpg	P1194911.jpg	P1194912.jpg
P1194913.jpg	P1194914.jpg	P1194915.jpg	P1194917.jpg
P1194918.jpg	P1194919.jpg	P1194920.jpg	P1194921.jpg
P1194922.jpg	P1194923.jpg	P1194924.jpg	P1194926.jpg
P1194927.jpg	P1194928.jpg	P1194929.jpg	P1194930.jpg
P1194933.jpg	P1194935.jpg	P1194937.jpg	P1194938.jpg
P1194940.jpg	P1194941.jpg	P1194942.jpg	P1194945.jpg
P1194946.jpg	P1194947.jpg	P1194948.jpg	P1194951.jpg
P1194952.jpg	P1194953.jpg	P1194955.jpg	P1194956.jpg
P1194957.jpg	P1194958.jpg	P1194960.jpg	P1194962.jpg
P1194964.jpg	P1194965.jpg	P1194966.jpg	P1194967.jpg
P1194968.jpg	P1194969.jpg	P1194970.jpg	P1194972.jpg
P1194973.jpg	P1194974.jpg	P1194976.jpg	P1194977.jpg
P1194978.jpg	P1194979.jpg	P1194981.jpg	P1194984.jpg
P1194985.jpg	P1194986.jpg	P1194987.jpg	P1194990.jpg
P1194992.jpg	P1194993.jpg	P1194994.jpg	P1194995.jpg
P1194996.jpg	P1194997.jpg	P1195000.jpg	P1195001.jpg

A special thank you to the officers and board members:  President - Robert McWilliams, Vice President - John Miller, Secretary - Jill Folkmire, Financial Officer - Bob Stanford, Social Committee - Ginger Meloy, Cheryl Kennedy and Kathy Miller, Photographer - Jody Halbedl, Historian - Dave Burt and Statistician - Tim Riley.

Hall of Fame Chairman - Walt Wimer; Committee Members - Bob McWilliams, Don Dahle, Don Folkmire, Marsha Schempp

Board Members - Dave Burt, Don Folkmire, Don Dahle, Don Gamble, Ginger Meloy, Kathy Miller, Bob Neill Jr., Art Osmer, Tim Riley, Marsha Schempp, Greg Simmons, and Jerri and Jim Slade

New board members joining the club in 2008 include: Dave Dragovich, Dan Dunn, and Bob Heim.

Cheryl Kennedy provided corsages and boutonnieres for all the board members and Hall of Fame Inductees

Several media members and special guests were in attendance...

Jack Crowell & Mary Linn #1 Cochran Automotive

Dick Curry…Rappin’ on Racin’ and Trackside from Lernerville Speedway

Jack & Jeanne Coley from Twin State Auto Racing Fan Club

Dave & Beth Dragovich…Uniontown Herald Standard, Rappin’ on Racin’ and Motordrome Live from WMBS radio 590 AM in Uniontown.

Jody & Dennis Halbedl…Jody is the PCTC Photographer, Pittsburgh PA Motor Speedway Photographer and the PCTC Webmaster.

Estle Harp & Cindy Drushel from E-Racers Go Kart Park

Dave Kohler…Rappin’ on Racin’

Walt & Mary Wimer…Walt is a Columnist for RPM, Rappin’ on Racin, Trackside from Lernerville, announcer at Tri-City Speedway, writer for Raceway Magazine News, #1 Cochran Cavalcade Awards, Western Pennsylvania Rookie of the Years and Chairman of the PCTC Hall of Fame Committee.

There was a special moment to mourn our friends in racing that passed away this year Bob Kennedy, Ed Boyer, Shirley Koval, Red Miley, Eve Useller, Chris Connor, Linda Bashaar, Frank Krafick, Michael Dobnack, Marty Stickley, Thelma Kulbacki, Rick Meglaye, Martha Ann Geisler, Evie Swartzlander, Rollie Smith, Chuck Scott, Vic George, Ron Myers, Paul Rhodes and Mary Musolino.

Brittany Kennedy did an excellent job as the Trophy Presenter.

Speedway representatives in attendance included: Lernerville Speedway with Gary Risch Jr. and Eric Westendorf, Ty and Sis Miley from Motordrome and Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, Marcie Barlow from Sharon Speedway and Mike and Margaret Graham from Tri-City Speedway

A special PCTC thank you to all the people that contributed to the evening's activities. Jack Crowell, #1 Cochran Automotive, Chuck Kennedy's Auto Sales, Haas Construction, S & S Repair and Remanufacturing, H.L. Bartley Trucking, Isiminger’s Pennzoil, and special thanks also to Outdoor Life Lodge, Trophy Works, Gear Designs Inc, Fox Trucking, Fox Water Service, Auto Zone in Butler, PA, Dunn Olivieri Motorsports, Perschkes 356 Auto Sales & Tires, Al Sivik Automotive Service, West Newton Bicycle Shop, Rohrich Automotive Parts Warehouse, S&S Auto Repair in West Newton and Linda Fennell for their contributions for the banquet as well as their support during the season…

Special thanks to Estle Harp and his staff at Eracers Go Kart Park in Butler for hosting three family nights this year. It is always a great night of family fun! Be sure and visit their web site: www.eracers.net or call (724) 482-2555 for more information.

Over 100 door prize door prizes were given out by Jerri Slade, Kathy Miller and Ginger Meloy.

Rappin’ on Racin’ will return on Monday nights. The show is beginning the 25th year on April 7th. Rappin on Racin will also be available to internet listeners seven days a week and twenty four hours a day. More information will be available by going to the website at www.speedwayproductions.biz. Trackside will return to Lernerville Speedway on Friday.

Jody Halbedl photographed the evening's awards and will be posting them on the website.

There were five 2007 Hall of Fame inductees…

Kathy Lesnak and her husband Jerry accepted the award for her father Ted Wise.

Ted Wise of Hubbard, Ohio began his career in the 1948 in a Jalopy that he raced in a corn field. He then moved to the old coupes. He evolved from the early flathead Ford coupes, to the “Super-Modifieds” and Sprint Cars. Wise was a top runner and winner in five decades from the 1940s into the early 1980s. He raced at just about every track on either side of the PA-Ohio border and as far away as Knoxville, Iowa, where he finished third in the famed Knoxville Nationals in 1974 behind Dick Gaines and the legendary Jan Opperman.

Some of the tracks where Ted competed included: Ashtabula, Bedford, Blanket Hill, Butler, Canfield, Cloverleaf, Cortland Ohio, Eldora, Expo, Hagerstown, Heidelberg, Indiana State Fairgrounds, Jefferson Ohio, Jennerstown, Knoxville, Langhorne, Lernerville, Manzanita, Mercer, Morgantown, Port Royal, Selinsgrove, Sharon, Sportsman Park, Trenton, Tri-City,

Much of Wise’s early racing was done at the Sharon Speedway. His first win there in a Modified coupe came in 1955 and he capped off the season as the 1955 track champion. Wise was one of the first in our area to try a wing on the top of his Sprint Car. Ted is best remembered as a long time driver of the Jim McMillin #5 sprint cars. He won the 1976 Lernerville track title and over 30 races for McMillin. Some of his other car owners included: Joe Conroy, Olly Feverstein, B. Taub, J. Wheaton, Bud Miller, Gene Renz, Mike Garcia, and the King Brothers.

Early in his career he drove the Ralph Quarterson, Sr. owned #66 Modified coupe. After his Sprint career ended he ran big block Modifieds for the King Bros. winning races at Expo in 1980-81 and becoming a winner in four different decades. Records are not available to count the number of races Ted Wise won, but it is believed to be in the hundreds. From 1968 until he quit racing Sprint Cars, he won 45 races at local tracks including Lernerville, Tri-City, Jennerstown, Morgantown and Mercer.

In 1952 Ted was fourth in the points with NASCAR. In 1974 he was the oldest driver in the Knoxville Nationals where he ran second in the heat and the feature. In 1994 Ted represented the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame at the Sharon Speedway. Ted passed away on September 18, 2006 at age 73.

Dave Pegher of Wexford was one of the biggest winners of all time in the old Semi-late model division. Driving for the legendary Auction Barn team owned by Bill “Pappy” Kessler in the 1970s, Dave Pegher was the class of the field for quite a few years. Lernerville, North Hills, Tri-City, Motordrome 70, Mercer, it mattered little which track, if Pegher and the yellow #09 was in the field, he was the driver to beat in the Semi-lates. At Lernerville he won three straight Semi-late titles 1974-76 in the Auction Barn cars and also was a track champ at North Hills. Records are incomplete, but few drivers in the Semi-lates and Limited Late Models won more during their career than Pegher.
Tracks where Dave competed included: Ace High, Bedford, Blanket Hill, Greater Pittsburgh, Green Valley, Hesston, Hummingbird, Latrobe, Lernerville, Mercer, Motordrome, North Hills, Pittsburgh, Raceway 7, Schmucker’s, Sportsman’s Speedway, and Tri-City.

He won championships at and special events at Green Valley, Hesston, Lernerville, Mercer, Motordrome, North Hills, and Pittsburgh. In addition to Kessler Dave drove for Ralph Engle, Glenn Hinkle, and Bill Kessler Jr.

One of the best night’s of his career was the night he won the heat and feature for Pappy and came back to win the heat and feature in Bill Kessler Jr’s modified.

Frank Perpetua began his racing as a car owner, mechanic in 1957 and was a staunch advocate of Fords in a time when Fords were not the racecar of choice. His first car was a 1936 Ford Coupe No. 36 driven by Billy Meyers. Over the years Perpetua raced five nights a week.

Tracks where his cars competed at included: Arden Downs, Canfield, Cayuga, Canton, Clinton, Grand Rapids, Greater Pittsburgh, Hagerstown, Heidelberg, Hickory, Jennerstown, Langhorne, Latrobe, Lernerville, Mansfield, Mon-Duke, Motordrome, Pittsburgh, Sharon, South Park, Toledo, Tri-City, and Williams Grove.

Perpetua was known as the car owner everyone wanted to drive. In addition to Meyers other drivers included: Dick Bailey, Lee Smokey Stover, Bill Freithofer, Norm Benning Sr, Don Dahle, Dick Thomas, Gus Delong, Augie & Bob Sandman, Rusty Whiteman, Alex Makar, Nick Garin, Herb Scott (1 race) and Cincinnati, Ohio driver Don Wilbur.

His final year as a car owner was 1981. Perpetua claims his biggest moment was finishing as runner-up in the 1971 Pittsburgh 250 with Augie Sandman as driver.

Sandman stunned all in attendance by starting last in his qualifying heat race and won and started in the back of the 250 and raced to the front finishing second to Ed Howe. Bob Sennecker finished third.

Perpetua was courted by race teams (Holman and Moody for one) in the old Grand National (Cup Series) for his set-up expertise but his commitment to his wife and raising his daughters along with a successful business kept him in Pennsylvania.

Carl Murdick began racing in 1960 and just completed his 48th racing season. All of these seasons he has been driver, owner, and mechanic. He started in the Hardtop division which evolved into the Coupes, and later in the Modifieds. He has raced Late Models and Semi-lates that he has owned and has driven Pure Stocks and 6 Cylinder Modifieds. In 1970, he won the point championship at Lernerville in the Coupes, while also competing it the Late Models. He has always been very consistent thus earning the nickname of “Mr. Consistency’’ for many years. He rarely finished out of the top ten in points and for many years was in two divisions at multiple tracks. For years he raced 3 or 4 and sometimes 5 times a week. Since Lernerville opened, Carl has only missed a handful of nights.

Tracks where Carl competed…in Pennsylvania...Blanket Hill, Butler, Central PA Speedway, Challenger, Clearfield, Green Valley, Hickory, Indiana Fairgrounds, Hummingbird, Jennerstown, Latrobe, Lernerville, Meadville Fairgrounds, Marion Center, Mercer, Mon-Duke, Motordrome, Nazareth Mile, North Hills, Pine Valley, Reading, Ruffsdale, Sportsman’s Speedway, Stateline, Thunder in the Mountain, Tri-City, Warren Sports Speedway, Windber OP

In Ohio...Attica, Buckeye, Eldora, Expo Speedway, Ace High/Raceway 7, Schmucker’s, Sharon, St. Clairsville, Wayne County. In New York...Hamburg, Little Valley Speedway, Middletown, Ransomville…In West Virginia...Pennsboro, Tyler County, Wheeling Creek…Other Speedways...Hagerstown, MD, Flemington, NJ, Merrittsville Speedway, Canada

Championships and victories in special events include the 1970 Championship at Lernerville in the Modifieds. The 1984 & 1986 Modified Championship in the Pittsburgh Circle Track Club,

1974 was a good year with wins at Sportsman Speedway…in the Late Model Memorial Day Race, Mid-Season Championship Race…in 1975 the Late Model Mid-Season Championship Race and the Memorial Day Special

He received the Sportsmanship award from Auto Racing Club of Hagerstown.

His efforts in the Coupes at Sportsman in 1975 were very successful with wins in the Mid-Season Championship Race, the 4th of July, and Memorial Specials. 1977 another big win at Sportsman’s plus the big win in 1979 with the Modified on Labor Day at Tri-City.

1992 Lernerville Speedway Milestone in Racing Award. In recognition of a quarter century of competitive driving in the coupe/modified diving 1968-1992

2002 Mercer Raceway Park Outstanding Achievement Award. For finishing in the top ten in the modified points for 13 consecutive seasons 1989-2002

2003 Lernerville Speedway Appreciation Award. For participation, support, and spirit of camaraderie at Lernerville for the past 35 years.

2005 Tri-City Speedway Lifetime Achievement Award. 5 Decades of the love and dedication to racing in western Pennsylvania.

In 1998 Carl took his car to Syracuse for his son Dave to race. That year he got to meet Smokey Yunick. And Richard Petty. Carl raced against Bill Elliott, Neil Bonnett, Bobby Allison, Tony Stewart, and Dave Blaney.

Carl ran the late model for 9 years and has run in the coupe/modified division for 48 years. This year will be his 49 year.

Dick Curry’s jobs in racing included: crew member, car owner, driver, and cheerleader for his son’s team. Dick’s grandfather was vice president of Heidelberg Raceway and took Dick to the track every Thursday night. In 1964 he built his first race car and ran the entire season in the Claiming Division. He was crowned Late Model Rookie of the Year for 1967 in the Pittsburgh Racing Association.

The PRA’s creation of the Mini-Stock Division captured Dick’s attention and he finished second in points in their only season. Curry won multiple events in that division at the Memorial Stadium in Daytona Beach, Virginia Raceway (State Championship), Marion Center Speedway (won eight out of ten), Canfield Speedway (three wins in a row), Islip Speedway, North Hills Raceway and Lincoln Speedway where he finished third in points in the NASCAR Mini-stock division in 1972. The car was nicknamed “Mighty Mouse”.

Some of the other speedways where he competed were Blanket Hill, Carlisle, Challenger, Greater Pittsburgh, Green Valley, Hummingbird, Hagerstown, Heidelberg, Islip, Jennerstown, Latrobe, Lernerville, Mansfield, Pittsburgh, Richmond VA, Saluda VA, South Park and St. Clairsville. At several of these tracks he competed in the Pittsburgh Circle Track Club Senior Series.

He enjoys attending NASCAR races and traveling around the country in his RV with his family. His most memorable moment in racing was winning the 1973 World Series of Mini Stocks Championship in Florida. The most embarrassing moment came in 1971 after winning the grand finale at Daytona Memorial Stadium only to be disqualified. He can relate to some of the NASCAR teams today that are having issues with the rules.

People often refer to him as “Mr. NASCAR”. The nickname is appropriate because he knows more about that form of racing than anyone in the Tri-State area. In the mid-70s he started following the NASCAR circuit and in 1987 Dick joined the Rappin’ and Racin’ crew as the NASCAR reporter.

He wrote the auto racing column in the Pittsburgh Press for two years. Besides Daytona he covers the races at Michigan, Bristol, Richmond, Dover, Atlanta, Phoenix, Martinsville, Lowe’s, and Darlington and continues with reports on all series progress. 2007 was Curry’s 20th year covering all the NASCAR events and the ARCA/Remax Series.

Curry was the regular co-host on all the broadcasts of Rappin’ on Racin’ that were done for sixteen years from the STP Building in the pits at Daytona International Speedway. Larry McReynold's first ever radio interview was with Curry when Larry was the crew chief for Dale Earnhardt, Sr. McReynolds told Curry that he was interested in getting into broadcasting when he retired from being a crew chief and would like to be on the radio show.

Dick Curry was hired by Ketchum Advertising in Pittsburgh to work with their clients and do training sessions and mock interviews. We worked with Hut Strickland, Jimmy Spencer, Doug Richert, and Buckshot Jones.

His contributions to auto racing through his media experiences have become a very important part of local racing history.

Curry heard from a driver that ran in the mini stocks at a speedway in Ohio that Curry would clean house. Dick went to the track; set fast time, won the heat and won the feature. When he showed up the next week he heard them call his class and pulled the car to the line up area. There was nobody else there so he thought he misheard the announcement. Then the promoter came over and told him that the other drivers refused to run with him so he was paying Dick the winner's purse and permanently eliminating the class.

When leading a race on the 1/2 mile dirt at Virginia Raceway in Saluda, Virginia the yellow came out and he passed his brother's car which was on fire. His brother jumped out of the car and waved to Dick to tell him he was okay. After the race, his brother said, "I got out of there real fast so I could let you know I was okay." Dick said "I was LEADING the race....you didn't think I was going to STOP, did you?"

The Ruth & Glade Neil Memorial Sportsmanship Award was presented to Jack Crowell. The guidelines for the Sportsmanship Award…are Youth Involvement, Family Awareness, Fan Involvement, Sponsor Involvement, Commitment to Excellence, Ambassador to Racing; Lend a Helping Hand, P.C.T.C. Club Involvement

Previous winners included: 1999 Helen Martin, 2000 Ron Kosecki, 2001 Jim Steigerwald, 2002 Donna Rottman, 2003 John & Linda Wirtz, 2004 The Osmer Family, 2005 Jerri Slade & Kathy Miller, and 2006 Marsha & Smokey Schempp.

The Bill Steinbach Memorial Media Award was presented to Dave Dragovich. Steinbach was one of the most popular and well-respected members of the Pittsburgh media. He was a newscaster at KDKA Radio for 37 years and a pioneer in the reporting and promotion of auto racing in Western Penna. His interest in racing started in the early 60’s and at one point in his career he was calling the races at Heidelberg, South Park, Greater Pittsburgh, North Hills and Lernerville. Bill wrote a Motorsports column for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette for six years. Bill loved our sport and did everything in his power to promote racing and this award is used every year to recognize an individual who carries on the task of telling everyone about the greatest sport in America and for the promotion of Auto Racing in Western Penna.

Previous winners include: 1998 Dave Kittey & Larry Mattingly, 1999 Dow Carnahan, 2000 Ed Schaeffer, 2001 Bill Korch, 2002 Dick Curry, 2003 Deana Barbara, 2004 Dave Burt, 2005 Jim Zufall, and 2006 Walt Wimer.

The Art Smillie Award for the Race Track Person of the Year was presented to Jimmy Steigerwald. Art Smillie’s involvement in local racing began in 1967 when Schmucker’s Speedway opened. Art served as a scorer. He continued in that capacity as well as the position of pit steward, technical inspector and occasional flagman at several local speedways over the years. Art later worked at Lernerville, Motordrome 70 when it was dirt, and back to Schmucker’s when it was renamed Latrobe Speedway. When Motordrome was paved, Art returned there to work first as the pit steward and then as the head scorer. Art came on board to work at PPMS when Nick Garin opened the track in 1979 and was a fixture at the speedway through the completion of the 2001 season. Art passed away one week after the 2001 Pittsburgher 100. Art was the leader in the tower both at Motordrome and PMS. Art quietly did his job very well and did not want to be in the limelight. When Art Smillie made a decision, not many questioned his call.

Jimmy Steigerwald was unable to attend but sent his comments and thanks. He thanked the Circle Track Club for this honor and being mentioned with past recipients Smokey Schempp, Jim Magill and Linda Fennell. Art was a good official, a good scorer and a great person. Art would tell Jimmy “keep Smokey off the radio and we will get done a lot faster”. He is going to miss the drivers, crews and the fans at Pittsburgh. He tried to make everyone laugh and drive Ben Miley crazy. The reason Jimmy will not be back at Pittsburgh is a six day, ten hours a day work schedule. He will still be around with Racers for Tots with the Rocket Late Model raffle. He wanted to thank everyone for their continued support of Racers for Tots.

The 2007 Rookies of the year were honored. Mike Mohn - Pure Stocks, Clayton Kennedy – E-Mods, Tony White – Amateur Stocks, Daryl Charlier – Crate Late Models, and Dennis Niederrieter in the Late Models.

The people in attendance had a great time and plans are already underway for the 32nd Annual Awards Banquet on January 31, 2009.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~

A special thank you to Jim & Jerri Slade and John & Kathy Miller for the donation of the wine.  Also thank you to Ron Spangler for helpng with the beer.

Top of Page