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Written by Stephen Conley Follow on Twitter @Stephen_Conley
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America announced its inductees for the 2013 class. Legends are the only way this list can be described. From Motorcycle racing to the Media, this year’s class encompasses the greats of motorsports.
From Drag Racing Jack Chrisman: began racing in 1953 with a 1929 Model A. Jack won the 1961 NHRA Top Eliminator championship. During a regular afternoon event at Pomona in May 1963, the dragster’s rear end broke. Chrisman spent 42 days in the hospital recovering.After he had recovered, he started working advertising for National Dragster.
A pioneer in Motorsports Harvey Firestone: American businessman, and the founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, one of the first global makers of automobile tires. Firestone, Ford, and Thomas Edison were generally considered the three leaders in American industry at the time, and often worked and vacationed together. All three were part of a very exclusive group titled “The Millionaires’ Club.”
Sports Car Racer known as “The Kansas City Flash” Masten Gregory: In the early 50’s Gregory ran sports cars around Kansas and Texas with SCCA. He made his first international start in the 1000 KM Buenos Aries in Argentina in 1953. Making one start in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Then He raced Formula 1 from 1957-1965 making his first start in the 1957 Monaco Grand Prix.
From Motorcycle Racing Brad Lackey: Lackey was one of America’s pioneering Motocross racers of the 70’s and 80’s. In 1972 Lackey won the AMA 500cc National Motocross Championship. During his career, Lackey rode for CZ, Suzuki and Honda, but in the US he is associated the most on the green and white Kawasaki, The manufacturer in which he won his AMA Title.
From open wheel, Formula 1 and CART Alex Zanardi: A two time CART Champion in the 1990’s, Alex also had a very successful career in Formula 1. Yet with that success he is most remembered for his return to competition after a crash in 2001 that resulted in amputation of his legs. Two years after that wreck he was back in racing competing in the FIA World Touring Car Championship for BMW. In 2012 Zanardi’s new career in competitive hand biking he represented Italy in the Summer Paralympics.
From NASCAR and Trans-Am Side is Bud Moore: A decorated veteran of World War II, one of NASCAR’s most honored mechanics, Crew Chiefs and Car Owners having owned cars for Icons such as David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip and many more. In 1970, Moore owned the car of Parnelli Jones that won the SCCA Trans-Am Championship.
From the media side was Robert E. Petersen: Petersen began his career with Hot Rod Magazine in 1948. He built his publishing empire on Automotive based publications such as Car Craft and Motor Trend. His love of hunting led to other publishing successes as well as his Automotive magazines. Petersen formed the “Petersen Automotive Museum in 1994.
Receiving the Heritage award for 2013 will be Bob Riley: Any driver that has raced in the Rolex Grand-Am Series in a Riley Chassis knows Bob Riley and his son Bill who formed Riley & Scott Technologies in 2001. Building chassis for six of the last 10 Rolex 24 hour titles, Bob has been a leader in this technology for many years and will be honored for his contribution in motorsports with this prestigious award.
A list of men that have contributed to motorsports in every possible way and either they or the companies they built continue to be a part of the sport. Race fans owe a lot to these men and with an induction to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America will allow their legacies to live on.
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America announced its inductees for the 2013 class. Legends are the only way this list can be described. From Motorcycle racing to the Media, this year’s class encompasses the greats of motorsports.
From Drag Racing Jack Chrisman: began racing in 1953 with a 1929 Model A. Jack won the 1961 NHRA Top Eliminator championship. During a regular afternoon event at Pomona in May 1963, the dragster’s rear end broke. Chrisman spent 42 days in the hospital recovering.After he had recovered, he started working advertising for National Dragster.
A pioneer in Motorsports Harvey Firestone: American businessman, and the founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, one of the first global makers of automobile tires. Firestone, Ford, and Thomas Edison were generally considered the three leaders in American industry at the time, and often worked and vacationed together. All three were part of a very exclusive group titled “The Millionaires’ Club.”
Sports Car Racer known as “The Kansas City Flash” Masten Gregory: In the early 50’s Gregory ran sports cars around Kansas and Texas with SCCA. He made his first international start in the 1000 KM Buenos Aries in Argentina in 1953. Making one start in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Then He raced Formula 1 from 1957-1965 making his first start in the 1957 Monaco Grand Prix.
From Motorcycle Racing Brad Lackey: Lackey was one of America’s pioneering Motocross racers of the 70’s and 80’s. In 1972 Lackey won the AMA 500cc National Motocross Championship. During his career, Lackey rode for CZ, Suzuki and Honda, but in the US he is associated the most on the green and white Kawasaki, The manufacturer in which he won his AMA Title.
From open wheel, Formula 1 and CART Alex Zanardi: A two time CART Champion in the 1990’s, Alex also had a very successful career in Formula 1. Yet with that success he is most remembered for his return to competition after a crash in 2001 that resulted in amputation of his legs. Two years after that wreck he was back in racing competing in the FIA World Touring Car Championship for BMW. In 2012 Zanardi’s new career in competitive hand biking he represented Italy in the Summer Paralympics.
From NASCAR and Trans-Am Side is Bud Moore: A decorated veteran of World War II, one of NASCAR’s most honored mechanics, Crew Chiefs and Car Owners having owned cars for Icons such as David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip and many more. In 1970, Moore owned the car of Parnelli Jones that won the SCCA Trans-Am Championship.
From the media side was Robert E. Petersen: Petersen began his career with Hot Rod Magazine in 1948. He built his publishing empire on Automotive based publications such as Car Craft and Motor Trend. His love of hunting led to other publishing successes as well as his Automotive magazines. Petersen formed the “Petersen Automotive Museum in 1994.
Receiving the Heritage award for 2013 will be Bob Riley: Any driver that has raced in the Rolex Grand-Am Series in a Riley Chassis knows Bob Riley and his son Bill who formed Riley & Scott Technologies in 2001. Building chassis for six of the last 10 Rolex 24 hour titles, Bob has been a leader in this technology for many years and will be honored for his contribution in motorsports with this prestigious award.
A list of men that have contributed to motorsports in every possible way and either they or the companies they built continue to be a part of the sport. Race fans owe a lot to these men and with an induction to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America will allow their legacies to live on.
