The Lorain Raceway Park Hall of Fame will induct ten new members on Saturday, July 19th at the annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Chip Chesbro, the 1989 Sportsman Champion and winner of the infamous 1998 Late Model Feature at the Halloween Festival of Speed.  Anytime the yellow, orange and brown #33 pulled into the track, Chip was a threat to win.  Chesbro, a native of Cleveland, Ohio climbed the ladder from Stock Cars to Sportsman and to Late Models and Super Late Models.  Chesbro began his career at Cloverleaf Speedway before moving to Lorain Raceway Park and Sandusky Speedway.  His success carried him to the ASA National Tour in 1998, where he made a start at Indianapolis Raceway Park, finishing 18th in a field of 32.

Roger Black, winner of hundreds of Stock Car races across the State of Ohio, including a Late Model Championship at Lorain Raceway Park in 1988 & 1989, Black’s infamous #29 was a front runner wherever he and his team showed up.  Later in his career Black found a home touring with the Main Event Racing Series where he found success in the Main Event 100 Lap Qualifiers at Lorain, winning in 1996 and 1998.  Black’s success carried over to many tracks, including Barberton Speedway where his career began, and took the likeable driver all over the country.  Black was instrumental in the early success of smaller wheelbase Late Models in the region, building and racing them for years with great success.

Rollie Beale, the 1973 USAC National Sprint Car Champion and 32 time winner with the USAC National Sprint Cars was one of the greatest drivers to ever wheel a racecar around Lorain Raceway Park and while his storied career is most known for this time spent winning USAC races and the 1973 championship, he won a track championship at Lorain Raceway Park before hitting the USAC tour.  Beale also won track championships at Fremont Speedway and the very first track championship at Toledo Speedway.  Beale is honored each year by USAC and Toledo Speedway with the Rollie Beale Classic USAC Silver Crown Series event at Toledo.

 

Dick Good, the 1961 Supermodified Champion at Lorain Raceway Park took his experience at Lorain Raceway Park to race and win in open wheel cars, specifically Supermodifieds, nationwide and even raced at Daytona in 1963, finishing 37th of 50 starters.  Good, from Mishawaka, Indiana became one of the first out of state drivers to dominate the racing scene at Lorain Raceway Park, along with his success at Lorain County, Good won 13 feature events (11 of them in a row) at Michigan’s Jackson Motor Speedway.

Armond Holley from Columbus, Mississippi took the Supermodified circuit by storm in the late 1960’s, winning the track championship at Lorain Raceway Park and later going on to compete in two Little 500’s and the NASCAR Cup Series.  Holley is most remembered around Northeast Ohio for winning the Supermodified Champioship at Lorain in a rear-engine Supermodified.  In addition to being a regular at Lorain, Holley was a regular front runner at Sandusky and Oswego Speedways.  Holley was the first driver to break the 15 second mark, with a new track record lap of 14.88 in July 1971.  His lap earned him a bonus of $50 from Earl Griffith of Griffith Paving, who paved the track in 1960 and offered the $50 prize to the first driver to turn a lap under 15 seconds.

Jim Shirey, the 1976 Supermodified Champion and Rookie of the Year joins the Lorain Raceway Park Hall of Fame after a storied career in open wheel racing. One of the last true pioneers of supermodified racing, Shirey built, tuned and raced his supermodifieds both locally and internationally on the ISMA tour.  Shirey took the checkered flag on his racing career in 2008 and today cheers on his son Danny in the 350 Outlaw Supermodified Sprint Series and grandson Gage in Quarter Midgets.

Ray & Shirley Yost, founding members of N.O.S.C.R.A. and early Promoters of Lorain Raceway Park.  Ray worked as an early General Manager and Promoter, while Shirley spent her time working the Box Office and ensuring the money made it into the right hands.  Ray’s brother Chuck Yost was the man responsible for the construction of the Speedway in 1949.  The Yost family as part of N.O.S.C.R.A. ran operations at the Speedway until 1965, when the property was purchased by Carl and Sam Lombardo.

Rich Rankin Started in 1962 at Lorain, managed the safety crew in 1969 and became the “voice of Lorain County Speedway” later as the lead announcer at the track.  Rankin also played a pivotal role in the track’s growth in the 90’s taking on Public Relations duties and marketing the track to local businesses.  Rankin played a role in the addition of the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series in 2001 and worked at the track until 2004.  Today, now retired, Rankin enjoys attending local racing and supporting the drivers and tracks that put on the show.

Linda Cudlin, a well respected journalist for The Chronicle-Telegram out of Elyria, Ohio.  Cudlin spent many late Saturday nights writing results and phoning them into the Editor at The Chronicle-Telegram.  Without Cudlin, no local motorsports coverage would have made it into the local newspaper for readers to enjoy on Sunday morning.  The tremendous coverage that Lorain Raceway Park and other surrounding race tracks received from Cudlin’s coverage helped local racing thrive and promoted the racing to every subscriber at home.

Jerry Owens, the 1984 Sport Stock Champion at Lorain Raceway Park along with winning 16 straight Features at Sandusky in the same year.  Owens was known as a smooth, patient driver who took care of his equipment.  HUmble beginnings gave way to a winning career for Owens as he competed at Lorain and Sandusky Speedway, eventually going on to win championships at both tracks.