Howard Commander, Shane Andrews Among Stellar Line-Up Of Speakers At Dirt Modified Hall Of Fame Inductions
Story By: BUFFY SWANSON / NORTHEAST DIRT MODIFIED HALL OF FAME – WEEDSPORT, NY – The stars will be out! Hall of Famers will be introducing Hall of Famers during next week’s induction ceremonies at the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame.
The 27th annual induction program honoring the Class of 2018 will take place Thursday, July 26 at 7 pm in the Hall of Fame Museum, on the Weedsport Speedway campus in New York. The event is free and open to the public, with both pre- and post-program celebrations planned.
RPM’s 1990 Auto Racing Promoter of the Year, as well as a 2014 Hall of Fame honoree, Howard Commander had a front-row seat for driver Ken Tremont Jr.’s rapid rise to superstardom at his Lebanon Valley Speedway and beyond.
“There isn’t a race promoter in the United States, or even the world, that could have the unconditional support that the Tremont family has given Lebanon Valley,” Howard stated. “Others have supported us, too. But the Tremonts have certainly been at Lebanon the longest — the father for the past 60 years, and Kenny for 40 years now.”
Commander will take the mic, to share remarks and remembered stories, when he delivers the keynote speech for Tremont — Lebanon Valley’s all-time winningest driver — as he is inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Each one of this year’s guest speakers has a very personal connection to an honoree.
As Tri-City Raceway Park’s announcer from 1998-2012, Brian Spaid was behind the mic, calling all four of 2018 HoF driver Brian Swartzlander’s championship seasons at the track. Spaid will outline his overview of Swartzlander’s success in opening comments, and also hit on Brian’s very personal connection to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
They did it all — and, for the most part, they did it together. Anecdotes from the road, recounting the sport’s colorful rough-and-tumble years, will be retold with humor by respected NASCAR racer, EMPA Hall of Famer and eight-time Wall Stadium champion Gil Hearne, as he takes the stage to say a few words about his good friend and our 2018 HoF pioneer driver and builder Bob Rossell.
2008 Hall of Fame mechanic Charlie Langenstein will relive his stint as crew chief for this year’s HoF car owner Ray Bramall, talking about the tensions and triumphs of Bramall’s stellar 10 years as owner of the Freightliner Express team, with titans Brett Hearn and Danny Johnson.
It will be a bittersweet moment when the 2018 Mechanic/Engineering Award is posthumously bestowed on the great car builder Maynard Troyer, who passed away in May. Troyer will be poignantly remembered by the man who both raced against him on the paved tracks, and was the first to drive his “Mud Buss” dirt Modified to victory at Syracuse: legendary 1994 Hall of Fame driver Merv Treichler. Maynard’s son, Ken, will be accepting for his dad.
Longtime DIRTcar official Gary Spaid was on the road with 2017 HoF honoree Gaston Salvas for years, with Spaid handling scoring, handicapping and points for DIRTcar and Salvas serving as 358 competition director. Gaston’s personal and professional friendship with Gary will color his comments as Spaid is honored with the Leonard J. Sammons Jr. Award for Outstanding Contributions to Auto Racing.
Acclaimed track announcer and TV commentator Shane Andrews goes back a long way with journalists Don and Jo Ann Davies, who will be receiving the Andrew S. Fusco Award for Media Excellence. Andrews will make a momentary departure from his role as event MC to share some thoughts and express his fondness for the Feura Bush, NY, couple.
Third-generation racer and track official Bob Davidson is the son-in-law of our 2018 Outstanding Woman in Racing, Humberstone Speedway owner Linda Cosco. Bob will talk about Linda’s single-minded tenacity and perseverance in the face of tragedy, following her husband Pete’s sudden death four years ago.
The 7 pm induction ceremonies will be preceded by a “Happy Hour” from 5-6:45 pm, under a tent just outside the Museum. Event MC Shane Andrews will get the night started with “fly-by” interviews of notable guests. Videos of past HoF and racing events will add to the atmosphere. Food, beer and wine will be available for purchase.
At the conclusion of the ceremonies, the party will move to the beautiful Weedsport Speedway pavilion, where honorees and attendees can continue to eat, drink, socialize and enjoy video presentations.
That Saturday night, July 28, Weedsport Speedway will present its Super DIRTcar Series Hall of Fame 100 for the big-block Modifieds, sponsored by Beam Mack.
For the third year, a special Hall of Fame commemorative program has been produced, featuring the history of the Hall of Fame and Museum, a complete list of all HoF drivers and award winners in the past 27 years, a rundown of past HoF race winners, as well as stories and photos of all 2018 honorees. All profits from sale of the $5.00 program book benefit the Museum.
