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South-Central Kentucky Dirt Racing Hall of Fame Announces Class of 2025

SOMERSET, KENTUCKY (August 30, 2024)—Voting Members have selected the sixth class of the South-Central Kentucky Dirt Racing Hall of Fame for 2025 featuring ten drivers, five contributors and one special “fan vote” that’s been created starting with this class.

Drivers: Jack Boggs, Eddie Carrier Jr., Jeff Coulter, Whitney McQueary, Russ Petro, Ricky Spalding, David Speer, Tim Tungate, Mickey Williams and Paul “Butterball” Wooldridge. Contributors: Michael Despain, David & Anita Ferrell, Scott & Win Smith, Don Swafford and Spencer Wilson. Fan Vote: Joe Miller.

The Class of 2025 will officially be inducted on Saturday March 8, 2025 (times TBA) at The Center for Rural Development Ballroom in Somerset, Ky. All inductees will be given complimentary tickets to the Ronnie McDowell-country concert that evening held in the main theatre courtesy of CT Promotions.

JACK BOGGS – Murial Jackson Boggs of Webbville, Ky. known as “Black Jack” found major success in the dirt late model ranks going back to the 1980’s. After dabbling in street and drag racing in the early 1970's, Boggs became enamored with dirt track racing after visiting Southern Ohio Raceway in 1978. He purchased a Hobby Stock and began his career, moving up to Late Models in 1979. Boggs is a three-time Dirt Track World Championship winner (1984, 1990 & 1995) along with a World 100 victory in 1995. Boggs was the 1988 STARS Racing Series Champion and has 27 STARS victories to his record. Boggs holds three NDRA victories, he was a three-time North-South 100 Champion (1986, 1992 & 1994) and was the 1986 National 100 winner. Boggs holds three Ralph Latham Memorial victories at Florence Speedway (1990, 1992 & 1993) along with winning the Spring 50 on five occasions. Boggs holds three Hillbilly 100 paydays (1985, 1986 & 1987), the 1993 Kentucky Klassic winner at Barren County, Ky., the 1993 Paul “Butterball” Wooldridge Memorial at Richmond, Ky. plus holds 20 victories in the Georgia-Florida Speedweeks. In 1982 Boggs won the famed NDRA sanctioned “Superbowl of Dirt” race held indoors at Pontiac (Mich.) Silverdome in front of 30,000 fans. Boggs also has five HAV-A-TAMPA Racing Series victories to his racing resume. Boggs passed away on March 27, 2000 at the age of 49. Boggs was posthumously inducted into the very first class of the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in 2001. Boggs amassed over 400 career wins.

EDDIE CARRIER JR. – The second-generation racer originally from Burgin, Ky., but would later call Leburn, Ky. his home. Following in the footsteps of his father, National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer and South Central Kentucky Dirt Racing Hall of Fame member Eddie Carrier, Sr. and would embark on a legendary racing career that would see him burn up the dirt tracks of the Eastern Kentucky region, before having would be his breakout season in 2002 when he would capture the inaugural Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series season championship (with cousin Brian Carrier aka “Beano” serving as crew chief) and he ranks fourth on the tour’s all-time win list with 4 career victories. Would eventually move to Salt Rock, W.V. and would pick up the nickname of the “Salt Rock Express” and would begin a long tenure of driving for Carl Grover and during this time, Eddie, Jr. would become one of the top drivers in the country. Carrier, Jr.’s wins would include three GA/FL Speedweeks victories (2 career East Bay Winternationals wins), the 2007 Hillbilly 100, was the 2011 World 100 runner-up, won a DIRTcar Summer Nationals event at Brush Creek Motorsports Park in 2012, scored his biggest career win in 2014 with a victory in the North/South 100, and also won the 2018 Paul “Butterball” Wooldridge Memorial with the Schaeffer’s Oil Iron-Man Racing Series. He would be a regular competitor with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series for a bit, with his best season being in 2014 when he finished 5th in series points and has 10 career tour wins. Carrier, Jr. has since stepped away from full-time racing behind the wheel (makes an occasional Super Late Model and Open Wheel Modified start), but now works as a full-time employee with Rocket Chassis in Shinnston, WV.

JEFF COULTER – Resident of Harrodsburg, Ky., started racing in 1982 and started out in the Late Model division. The late Hugh “Junebug” Rowland and Eddie Carrier, Sr. were big influences on Jeff in his racing career, especially in the early days of his racing career. Bought his first race car from “Junebug”, but had to hide it for a time until he was ready for his parents to find out about it. Eddie Carrier, Sr. built his first engine for the first Late Model. Eddie, Sr. raced the car the first time at Pine Knot Speedway to shake it down and Jeff ran his first race after that at Rockcastle County Speedway. Won the semi-feature at Taylor County Speedway in just his third night in the car and would go on to win a ton of semi-features in his career, to the point that many folks called him the “semi-king” for a bit. Fellow South-Central Kentucky Dirt Racing Hall of Fame member Jeff Gullett worked alongside Coulter and served as his crew chief from the time started in 1982 until 1999. Coulter raced regularly at tracks such as the Rockcastle County Speedway, Ponderosa Speedway, Richmond Raceway, Burnside Raceway/Lake Cumberland Speedway, Barren County Speedway, and Bluegrass Speedway. Also made appearances at Brownstown Speedway, Florence Speedway, and Eldora Speedway. Coulter’s biggest career win came in a NDRA Invitational Qualifier event at Burnside Raceway in 1985. Always noted for having a sharp race car, Coulter’s driving career would come to an end after he stepped away from racing in 2001.

WHITNEY MCQUEARY – native of Liberty, Ky., began his driving career in the early 1980’s and raced at Taylor County Speedway (won his first-ever heat race win) and at Ponderosa Speedway and the Burnside Raceway and competed during the “wedge era” of Dirt Late Model racing in 1982 and 1983. Won his first Late Model feature at Burnside Raceway in 1983 and a couple of more seasons of racing, McQueary stepped away from racing and began hauling gates to make his living. McQueary would still be around the tracks and would help a young Dustin Neat and Brad Neat in the early part of their racing careers in the Street Stock and Bomber divisions at Ponderosa Speedway in the early to mid-1990’s. McQueary would start back racing in 1995 in his own equipment and would race off and on and would begin working at Cornett Race Engines as well around this time period and would later work for Estes Race Engines and Butch Smith Racing Engines. McQueary would drive some for Larry Yantz as well in the early 2000’s, winning a feature with the (Larry Yantz Racing) team at Scenic Raceway. McQueary won a feature event with his own team at Bluegrass Speedway in 2002, later making the feature field for the 2002 DTWC at Bluegrass Speedway, finishing 14th in the 100-lap event. McQueary would finish second to Don O’Neal in the NALMS sanctioned 2003 Bluegrass Classic and finished 4th in 2003 Bluegrass Speedway track points. McQueary started getting some help from long-time friend Doug Tarter during the 2004 season and raced for Tarter’s Big Dawg Motorsports team in 2005 and the early part of 2006. During the 2005 season, McQueary and team chased the Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series, finishing third in series points and claimed two career BoB Series victories, both coming at 201 Speedway in Sitka, Ky. After his driving days were completed, McQueary would serve in a crew chief role for Brad Neat during the early portion of Neat chasing the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. McQueary currently owns and operates his own business C&W Sales.

RUSS PETRO – Part of the historic Petro Family from Columbus, Ind., Russ Petro had over 500 feature wins. Petro was a three-time Late Model track champion at Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway (1974, 1981 & 1983). Petro won the Jackson 100 in 1983 and 1983 and was also a 2005 Brownstown Speedway Hall of Fame Inductee. Petro was also a member of the Class of 2003 for the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame. Petro found major success at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, Ky. including the Firecracker 50 win on July 2, 1982. He was winning so many features in 1982 at Ponderosa Speedway, track officials placed a bounty on Petro that season if someone could beat him. Petro made his first World 100 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio in 1976, finishing 17th. He made the World 100 six times with his best finish of fifth coming in 1987. Petro’s brother Gene and his son Randy saw major success in the dirt track ranks over the years. Russ Petro won his last race in 2010 in the Bomber division at age 71.

RICKY SPALDING – a native of Raywick, Ky. started his racing career in 1972 at Taylor County Speedway in a 1955 Chevy that sported the number D7. Spalding changed his number to 31 (which was his Army draft number) in 1973 as the “St. Joe Garage” team would debut a 1967 Chevelle. At one time, Spalding had a car with a Corvair body that was an eye-catching and fast car. Won his first Late Model feature at Taylor County Speedway. Spalding raced for himself for the entire time he raced with the exception of one stint of driving a car for Billy Selby. Spalding had good friend Paul Hardesty serve as his crew chief during his entire racing career. He raced at Taylor County Speedway, Ponderosa Speedway, Barren County Speedway, Burnside Raceway, Rockcastle Co. Speedway, Frankfort (Interstate) Speedway, Richmond Raceway, Brownstown Speedway, and Florence Speedway. Spalding would also venture to Paducah International Raceway in 1985 and would place 17th in the USA World 50 (race won by Larry Moore) and also attempted to make the World 100 at Eldora Speedway as well and would conclude his driving career in the mid 1980’s. Spalding passed away on March 27, 2010 at the age of 56.

DAVID SPEER – The talented Campbellsville, Ky. race car driver made his mark on the sport of dirt racing in the Kentucky and Midwest regions. Born in 1942, the driver from Taylor County, Kentucky went on to make a name for himself in dirt Late Model racing. Speer, a fan-favorite in the area, started seven consecutive World 100’s at Eldora Speedway (1977-1983) with his best finish of third in 1983. Speer made the Dirt Track World Championship field on three occasions. Speer had multiple track championships at Florence Speedway in Union, Ky. and Taylor County Speedway in his hometown of Campbellsville, Ky. Speer drove for some of the sport’s biggest names including Chubby Baird in the late 1980’s, the Duncan Machinery # 59, the Paul’s Pipeline car, the JW Hunt # 12, the Napper Motorsports car, the Ruth Motors car and even drove the C.J. Rayburn house car. Speer also drove for Gerald Dixon and Fats Coffey on a few occasions. Speer passed away in 2004.

TIM TUNGATE – native of Campbellsville, Ky., began his racing career around 1986 running a Street Stock for James Rattliff. Transitioned to Super Late Models in the late 1980’s and began a long-time tenure of driving for Jody Keltner. Scored feature race wins at Taylor County Speedway, Barren County Speedway, Ponderosa Speedway, Pennyrile Raceway, Lake Cumberland Speedway, Rockcastle County Speedway, Cool Springs Motor Speedway, 201 Speedway, Richmond Raceway, and Bluegrass Speedway just to name a few. Tungate was the all-time leading Super Late Model feature winner at Bluegrass Speedway with 34 career wins. Had 4 career Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series wins (13th on the tour’s all-time win list). Was the 2005 Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series co-champion in 2005 with Mike Jewell. Tungate was a two-time Paul “Butterball” Wooldridge Memorial winner (2005 and 2007). Also was a Kentuckiana Klash winner and Jerry Rucker Memorial at Bluegrass Speedway. Other car owners Tungate drove for included Dale and Anita Clark, Duke Mounce, Jeff and Eddie Harrod, and Logan Parrott. Has done a limited amount of Super Late Model and Crate Late Model racing in recent years, but has now stepped out the seat. Now serves a crew member along with fellow South-Central Kentucky Dirt Racing Hall of Fame member Jeff Gullett for Justin Rattliff, Jason Jameson, and Daulton Wilson, who all drive for James Rattliff, who owns all three cars. Tungate retired as Transportation Director for Campbellsville Independent Schools on July 1, 2024.

MICKEY WILLIAMS – Native of Russell Springs, Ky. His real name was Dennis Williams, but acquired the nickname of “Mickey” at an early age and he just always went by Mickey Williams. Mickey began his racing career around 1967. Williams raced at won at tracks such as the Russell County Speedway, Taylor County Speedway, Barren County Speedway, Somerset Speedway, Monticello Speedway, Jabez Speedway, Pine Knot Speedway, Franklin County Speedway (also known at Interstate Speedway), and on asphalt at the old Danville Sportsdrome, with Williams tallying well over 100 career feature event wins. Williams on many occasions had two cars and would have different drivers wheel them, with two of those being well known racers Don Cox and Finn Watson. Williams and Watson would become very famous with their team cars, starting out in 1955 Fords and later on 1955 Chevys that had the unique feature of the exhaust running out through the sides of the fenders at the time (as there was no engine set back rule at the time), creating a very unique engine sound. Williams would later go to late 1960’s model Camaros that he and Watson would drive, with Finn in #11 and Mickey in #20. Williams racing career would conclude in the 1990’s and Williams would pass away on March 22, 2009 at the age of 74. A couple of things of note: Williams sold a young Dale Atwood one of his first race cars and Mickey won the last feature race that Michael Despain’s Father Donohue Despain ever drove in at Barren County Speedway in 1976 (Mickey Williams, Harry Underwood, and Donohue Despain were the top three finishers).

PAUL “BUTTERBALL” WOOLDRIDGE – The Frankfort, Ky. native made the first World 100 in 1971 finishing fourth to Bruce Gould driving the all-aluminum block-powered Duncan’s Delight Chevelle. Wooldridge was born in 1931 and passed away in 1987 leaving behind a great legacy for race fans in the Central Kentucky area for years to come. He was the original operator of the Franklin County Speedway in Frankfort, Ky. as well as a 2011 inductee of the Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame. The driver known as “Butterball” amassed 51 feature event wins in 1971 and 34 victories in 1972. He was also a 1975 winner of the Kentucky Dirt Track Championship at Richmond (Ky.) Raceway. The driver from Franklin County was named the Dirt Racing in the Bluegrass Driver of the Decade for the 1970’s. The Paul “Butterball” Wooldridge Memorial runs annually at Richmond Raceway in the racers honor.

MICHAEL DESPAIN – The longtime announcer and publicist resides from Campbellsville, Ky. Despain started his announcing career behind the microphone in 1993 and called his first go-cart race at the Mannsville (Ky.) Kart Raceway and announced his first stock car race in 1995-1997 at Barren County Speedway in Glasgow, Ky. Despain announced and served as the P.R. Director at Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway for three seasons (1999-2001) and was inducted into the track’s Hall of Fame in 2021. Despain had two stints at Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, Ky. as the track announcer and P.R. Director (1997-1998 then 2002-2011) for David and Anita Ferrell. Despain has also served in the announcer role for Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, Ky. from (2006-2016) for various promoters including the Yantz Family, Jerry Denson and Jamie Stumph. Despain was the announcer and P.R. Director for the Yantz Family at Richmond (Ky.) Raceway from 2015-2016. Despain was also the Spring & Southern Nationals Announcer and announcer on the former Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series and filled in on the microphone for several Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events over the years. Despain has done announcing on former internet broadcasts for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Despain has been the announcer and P.R. Director for the Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series since 2015 and plans on retiring at the end of the 2024 season from full-time announcing at the age of 54.

DAVID & ANITA FERRELL – David and Anita Ferrell-longtime residents of Junction City, KY. Got involved in racing by way of David competing in Demo Derbies. Got into the track promotion game in 1989 at Ponderosa Speedway, along with partners Ed and Vicki Hasty at the time, and would eventually promote Ponderosa Speedway by themselves before stepping away from the track in 1998. During their tenure at Ponderosa Speedway, they also promoted Lake Cumberland Speedway for a couple of seasons, along with promoting the final season of racing action at Taylor County Speedway in 1994. After being away from racing in 1999, the husband-and-wife duo took the promotional reins at Bluegrass Speedway in 2000 and would promote the track for twelve seasons until they left the track in 2011, which turned out to be the track’s final season. During their tenure at Bluegrass Speedway, the Ferrell’s played host to the Dirt Track World Championship on three occasions (2002, 2003, 2004), along with hosting such series as the Northern Allstars Late Model Series, Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series, MSCS Sprint Car Series, NRA Sprint Car Series, STARS MDRL Racing Series, NARA DirtCar Series, Lucas Oil Late Model DirtCar Series, Tennessee Thunder DirtCar Series, and World of Outlaws Late Model Series. They are also recipients of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series promoters of the year award. David and Anita have not promoted any events since the 2011 season, but have stayed close to the sport and their daughter Amanda, who is married to World of Outlaws Series Director and former Dirt Late Model driver Steve Francis, now works with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series and the pair have also worked for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.

SCOTT & WIN SMITH – The Danville, Ky. father-and-son duo had a major impact on how racing news got distributed to the race fans across Kentucky and other regions. Scott and Win Smith along with Scott’s wife Flois started the original Kentucky Dirt Track Racing News in 1982 which then became Kentucky Racing News that ran through 2005. The newspaper covered racing at tracks across Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee and West Virginia. Scott Smith even had a popular column in the monthly newspaper that was called “Pit Road” that featured his opinions and views as well as breaking news that might have been relative to that time. Kentucky Racing News was always $1.00 an issue or $10.00 yearly for twelve issues. Long before the internet became the way to get information out faster to the racing public, Kentucky Racing News kept race fans informed for 23 years with winners’ photos, results, upcoming events, rules updates, advertisements and even classified ads over the years. Scott and Win both raced cars back in the day and following stints in the race cars, Win’s son Jared raced in a go-cart as well as other stock car races. Scott Smith was inducted into the Kentucky Racing Hall of Fame in 1990. The United Midwestern Promoters named Scott Smith Media Person of the Year in 1991. In 2005, Scott Smith was honored during Legends Night at Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, Ky. Scott Smith passed away at the age of 89 on August 11, 2013.

DON SWAFFORD – Native of Campbellsville, KY. Swafford’s involvement in motorsports began through drag racing as he was the promoter of the Campbellsville Dragway in the late 1960’s into the early 1970’s and also briefly promoted a dragstrip in Tompkinsville, KY during this time. Swafford also ran a performance speed shop that sold high performance racing parts for the drag racers of the area out of his home during this time. But Swafford may be best known for his pinstriping of passenger vehicles and his lettering of race cars. Starting when he was just a child (the first vehicle he worked on was his father’s and he wasn’t supposed to do it and got into a bit of trouble for that), Swafford would become well known around the area for his graphic and pinstriping skills, with all this taking place back in the day when it was all done by hand with a brush. He began lettering race cars for John Gill when he drove the MasterSbilt House Car in 1988 and would letter several of Gill’s race cars over time and even lettered Gill’s machines when he drove C.J. Rayburn Race Cars as well (Swafford had gotten acquainted with Rayburn from Rayburn’s drag racing days back in the 1960’s and 1970’s). Some of the local area drivers that Swafford lettered race cars for included William “Fats” Coffey, Danny Hatcher, Finn Watson, Dale Atwood, Billy Selby, Dennis Selby, and Billy Meredith among others. His son, Walt, took over the family business when the vinyl graphics started being used and continues to do sign work and wraps for race cars today. Mr. Swafford passed away on September 16, 2018.

SPENCER WILSON – A native of Somerset, Ky. might be best-known for creating and running the Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series which ran from 2002 through 2009. Wilson also created the NARA DirtCar Series tour (North American Racing Association) which became the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in 2005. Wilson sold NARA to Lucas Oil and became the Series Director of the tour for the next few seasons. Wilson also promoted Barren County Speedway in Glasgow, Ky. in 2004 along with a group including Tony & Debbie Rose and Josh King and promoted Richmond (Ky.) Raceway for one season. Wilson was a former statistician and photographer at various race tracks in South-Central Kentucky. Wilson passed away on October 9, 2017.

JOE MILLER – A native of Columbia, Ky., first got involved in motorsports through drag racing (won his first race, but fell asleep and missed the second race). He was around 15 years of age when he discovered dirt track racing and decided he liked that better than drag racing. Some of the early track’s Joe would attend and watch races at were in Campbellsville, Russell Springs, Somerset, and Monticello. His two favorite tracks were Taylor County Speedway and Barren County Speedway, but Joe would travel and might show up anywhere for a dirt racing event. Some of his favorite drivers over the years have included David Speer, Finn Watson, C.J. Rayburn, Don O’Neal, and Dan Schlieper, but his two favorite current drivers are Dale McDowell and Mike Marlar (Mr. Miller has been known to drive from Columbia to the Marlar race shop in Winfield, TN and just hang out for the day). Miller has also quietly helped racers and promoters behind the scenes and not asked for any fanfare or recognition, giving racers money to buy tires or need parts or by giving track promoters money for things such as fast time awards at a particular event. Miller’s love for the sport even saw him, along with a friend, take in the entire 2006 DIRTcar Summer Nationals schedule of races. Miller has been attending dirt racing events as a fan for over 60 years.

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