6/24/2015
Sprint Source
Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame Welcomes Class of 2015 Inductees
Four Knoxville Raceway dignitaries will be inducted into the Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame in a ceremony on Saturday June 27 at 12:00pm Noon in Dyer-Hudson Hall and introduced to the public trackside during the night’s event. The afternoon banquet and luncheon is a reunion for all Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame members and their families. Tickets are free for Hall of Fame members and available to the public for a cost of $15. The meal will be pork loin or chicken parmesan, potatoes, salad, rolls, tea/lemondae/water, ticket must be purchased by Friday June 26th at the ticket office, call 641-842-5431.
The inductions will mark the 37th year that the track has honored those who have made "Knoxville" a world-wide name. The inductions will be a part of this weekend’s festivities including “Nostalgia at Knoxville” on Friday night, June 26, and Saturday’s Mid-Season Championships presented by Farm Bureau, and the FVP National Sprint League $5,000 to win main event!
The Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame will welcome;
Driver: Brent Antill (Huxley, Iowa) began racing at Knoxville Raceway in 1990 in the 360 class and finished fourth in points his rookie season in his family owned #59 with his father Boyd. In 1991 Brent moved up to the 410 class and in 1992 had his highest points finish of third. He also drove for Bruce Clark and Hall of Fame car owners Jordan Brothers, Dwayne Robuck, Bob Trostle, and Marty Johnson. Antill spent six winters in Australia driving for Ken Veal and Harry Delemont and picked up one win ‘Down Under’ and one top five finish at the Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic. He started the 360 Nationals A Main twice, finishing in the top five both starts, and also started the 2004 Knoxville Nationals championship A Main driving for the Jordan Brothers fishing 19th. Brent competed for 18 seasons at Knoxville and built his own engines nearly every year. He accumulated three wins in the 360’s and nine wins in the 410 class.
Track Official: John McCoy (Knoxville, Iowa) began his career as a driver at Knoxville Raceway in 1978 and competed through the 1987 season. He was a crew member for Mike Brooks through 1990. In 1992 McCoy stepped into the role of track official as Technical Director and then later was promoted to Competition Director in 1999 replacing Earl Wagner. In 2012 John was promoted to the position of Race Director after the retirement of Ralph Capitani, a position he still holds today. John has been influential in the sport of sprint car racing on a National scale, tirelessly pushing for improvements in safety of the cars, controlling costs for team owners, and making the facility safer. In all McCoy has accumulated 37 years of service at the Knoxville Raceway.
Driver: Dennis Moore Jr. (Grinnell, Iowa) started racing in 1991 in the 410 class where he competed for 12 seasons finishing in the top ten in points six times with his best finish of third in 1999. He accumulated a total of three wins in the 410 class and three more in the 360’s. Dennis moved to California to race full-time for three seasons from 2003-2005. After a crash in California during the 2005 season Dennis went through several surgeries to repair his left shoulder that ultimately shortened his career. He returned to Iowa and competed full-time in the 360 class for three seasons from 2009-2011 finishing in the top ten all three seasons. He won the 360 Knoxville Nationals twice in 1999 and 2003 and he also captured the 410 feature on the same night in 1999 making him one of only four drivers to complete a 360-410 sweep on the same night at Knoxville.
Driver: Mark Wilson (Des Moines, Iowa) started competing at Knoxville in 1988 in the 360 class and finished in the top five in points for three consecutive seasons from 1989-1991, including a runner-up finish in 1990. Mark finished third in the inaugural 360 Knoxville Nationals in 1991. In total Wilson won four 360 features at Knoxville, several more at the Iowa State Fair Speedway, and won the sprint car portion of the IMCA Super Nationals in 1991. Tragically Mark lost his life in a crash at Knoxville Raceway on April 14, 2001 at the age of 30. Mark Wilson started out as the young grandson of Hall of Fame car builder Bob Trostle, but he made his own identity as an accomplished sprint car driver.
See the cars that made Knoxville home on Friday night at “Nostalgia at Knoxville.” Admission is just $5 for adults, and it’s FREE for 19 and under. Pit passes are also $5. Festivities get underway at 6:45 p.m.
All three sprint car classes will be in action Saturday night. The 305, 360 and 410 classes have been ultra-competitive this season! Hot laps get underway at 6:45 p.m. Saturday night. Admission is $15 for adults.
For more information on these events and on the inductees, keep an eye on the track’s website at www.KnoxvilleRaceway.com!
Article Credit: Bill Wright