0
0
Pre- and Post-Event Parties Planned
The stars will be out! Former and future Hall of Famers, drivers, car owners, media and family members will be introducing the Class of 2025 during the upcoming induction ceremonies at the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame.
The 33rd annual induction program will take place Thursday, July 24 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.
Each one of this year’s guest speakers has a special connection to an honoree.
They are both in the twilight of their racing careers—but 34-time champ Duane Howard and current car owner Butch Getz are still getting the job done, winning as recently as last month. The pair have hit for 17 wins and a track title since they got together in 2021. Getz will provide insights into the paradox that is Duane Howard—commanding and ruthless on the raceway, reserved and self-effacing in real life—when he introduces his driver at the July 24 ceremonies.
Dale Planck and Jimmy Phelps were two young kids hanging around the pits on the old Outlaw circuit when they met—Planck crewing for his father Denny and Phelps helping his dad and Uncle Roger. They remained close as they both rose through the ranks, becoming championship drivers, themselves. In the aftermath of Planck’s untimely passing at age 53, Phelps will poignantly reflect on who Dale was and what we lost as he remembers his old friend prior to his posthumous Hall of Fame induction.
The Southern Tier will never be the same without a Van Pelt standing in victory lane. Oldest brother Curt showed the way starting in 1977, going on to claim more than 125 wins and the 1987 Mr. DIRT 358 Series title. When Billy, the youngest of the clan, retired in August 2022, he had 242 confirmed career victories and 30 championships to his credit. The family legacy will be explored and stories shared when Curt takes the mic to honor Billy’s accomplishments as only a brother could.
Hall of Fame driver Brett Hearn was close to invincible in Vinny Salerno’s signature 4* small-blocks. From 2004-09, they were good for 77 wins, five track championships and a Mr. DIRTcar 358 Series title—not to mention a big victory in the 2007 358 event on the Syracuse mile. Hearn will offer a behind-the-scenes breakdown of just what made the team tick as Salerno is recognized with the annual Gene DeWitt Car Owner Award.
Madsen Motorsports hired this year’s Mechanic/Engineering Award winner right out of high school, bringing young Tommy Conroy onboard to crew for celebrity driver Brett Hearn in 2005, a successful full-time stint that lasted eight seasons and produced a bushelful of big wins and major titles. Brian Madsen will assess that progression, watching Conroy grow into a top wrench on the circuit and a cherished friend “who’s like a son.”
It takes one to know one—so HJ Bunting is a uniquely fitting presenter for Charlie and Joyce Cathell, who will be honored with the Leonard J. Sammons Jr. Award for Outstanding Contributions to Auto Racing. Indeed, both factions represent Delaware racing dynasties: as promoters of the Delaware International Speedway complex for close to 60 years, the Cathells kept the dirt Modified class alive and well in the outer limits of big-block country. HJ, the all-time Mod champion at the track with eight titles and over 100 wins, is a second-generation star, son of Hall of Fame driver Harold Bunting.
Journalist Steve Barrick played a part in founding Auto Racing Research Associates (ARRA), the free online database documenting driver, track, series and other racing statistics, meticulously maintained by historian Fred Voorhees. Barrick will take to the podium to emphasize the importance of Fred’s initiative to substantiate the facts and figures of the sport, as Voorhees receives the Andrew S. Fusco Award for Media Excellence.
Sue Patrick, whose family published Gater Racing Photo News for nearly 50 years, has known our Outstanding Woman in Racing since the 1980s, when photographer Jane Cella became a regular and featured contributor to the trade paper. Patrick will say a few words about Cella, touching on both the professional and personal sides of their valued relationship.
The 7 pm induction ceremonies will be preceded by a “Happy Hour” reception hosted by Weedsport Speedway from 5:30-6:45 pm, under a tent just outside the Museum. A complimentary array of finger foods will be served, along with iced tea, water and lemonade, courtesy of the track. Beer and wine will be available for purchase.
At the conclusion of the ceremonies, the party will move to Weedsport Speedway’s Portside Pub, where honorees and attendees can continue to socialize, have snacks and drinks, and enjoy video presentations from 9-11 pm.
The induction ceremonies precede a blockbuster weekend of racing at Weedsport Speedway. On Saturday night, July 26, the track will present its Super DIRTcar Series Hall of Fame 100 for the big-block Modifieds, sponsored by Ryan Phelps Auto Sales and Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast. The following night, the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint Cars will invade in their only New York appearance of the year. Big-block Modifieds are also on the Sunday card. Tickets for both shows are available at weedsportspeedway.com.
For the ninth year, a special Hall of Fame commemorative program has been produced, featuring the history of the Museum and Hall of Fame, a complete list of all HoF drivers and award winners in the past 33 years, a rundown of past HoF race winners, as well as stories and photos of all 2025 honorees. All profits from sale of the $7.00 program book benefit the Museum.
