Pittsburgh Circle Track Club Awards Banquet Photos

2013 PCTC Hall of Fame candidates up for consideration

Johnny Beaber, Herb Buck, Carol Gamble, Jimmy Hawley, Bobby Henry, Dirt Henry, George Kittey, Mike Little, Jimmy Steigerwald, Ted Swiontek

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This years inductees

Johnny Beaber (nominated by Walt Wimer) already an established Sprint Car driver in his native Ohio when he made his first western PA visit in the mid-1970s. Driving for Ohio car owner Harold Kemenah, Beaber won his first western PA race in June of 1977 at Tri-City. The next year would see him win his first races at Lernerville and Mercer with the Kemenah #3x car. Beaber relocated to western PA a short time later and drove for a number of well-known car owners including Kemenah, Bob Hampshire, Jim Zeigler and Don Donatelli. It was with the Zeigler and Donatelli"s North Street Auto Supply cars that he won the majority of his 132 western PA Sprint Car races. He won six #1 Cochran Cavalcade Point titles from 1978 through 1987 and a number of track titles including three at Lernerville. During his years on the local scene, Beaber won at ten different race tracks in western PA and many more in Ohio. His biggest win totals came at Lernerville (55), Mercer (26) and Tri-City (21). In the early 1990s he moved back to Ohio and at age 60 is still driving today, racing with the Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series non-wing Sprint Cars.

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Carol Gamble (nominated by Lynn Geisler) Scorer at Lernerville, North Hills Raceway, Tri-City and Pittsburgh's Pennsylvania Motor Speedway, Lernerville Speedway in charge of Sign-in, Publicity Director for 25 years, started a Kids Club, which has been adapted throughout the US. The Kid's Club had a "Fan Van" that took the young kids for pit tours prior to the races. The drivers would stop and sign autographs each week. Carol initiated the Sponsor Nights at Lernerville. Columnist Speedway Programs, Tri-State Auto Racing News, RPM Magazine and Butler Eagle, First woman to host a local auto racing program, Trackside with Jack Seckel on WIXZ Radio, Co-host at Rappin' on Racin', reporter on Trackside program from Lernerville Speedway. Car owner 1970 to 1984. Carol has promoted auto racing and enhanced its image in various ways over the last 40 years.

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Jimmy Hawley (nominated by Walt Wimer) One of a growing number of second generation drivers to make it big on the western Pennsylvania racing circuit. His dad, Vern Hawley, drove coupes back in the 1950s/early 1960s and later promoted races at Mercer and Hickory. The younger Hawley started his driving career at the same Mercer track with a six-cylinder Chevy coupe in the early 1980s. He won a few races in that coupe at Mercer and Sportsman's Speedway in 1984, but his real calling would be in the lightning fast Sprint Cars where he took his driving talents shortly afterwards. He would win his first Sprint Car race at Lernerville in June of 1986 and in the next two years score his first at Tri-City and Lernerville. However, his years of greatness would begin in 1998 with a four year stint driving for Dr. John Crawford. During those four years Hawley won 62 races with the famed C-III car, five track titles and three #1 Cochran Cavalcade titles. In 1999 he won the track title at all three tracks he raced at, Lernerville, Mercer and Tri-City, a feat seldom achieved by and driver. Hawley ended his career with over 100 Sprint Car wins, at least 94 of them in the 410 cars and a few more in the 360s.

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Dirt Henry (nominated by Bobby Neill) In 1960 Dirt Henry went up to the Uniontown Speedway. He liked what they saw and decided to build a racecar, a 1950 Chevrolet 2 door coupe. The following year he had a 1955 Chevrolet with drivers WiIly Maraugha and Earl "Shorty" Detweiler. In 1964 Dirt bought a 1961 Chevrolet from Jim Reed in Peekskill, Reed ran in the 1961 Daytona 500 and finished 6th. In 1964, Reed was the NASCAR dirt track champion. Henry called him on the phone and purchased the car for $1,500.

Dirt and his sons Rick, Gary, Jeff and Bobby were a big part of his racing career. All four brothers ran an enduro race at Motordrome back in 1984 and all four at one time or another during the 300 lap event led the race. The Henry's were very successful in their racing careers.

Dirt was a long time car owner for his son Bobby the winningest active driver at Motordrome with over 125 feature victories. They started racing on dirt in the Limited Late Model division in the mid 1980's, winning many features and a couple championships. They moved to the asphalt when Motordrome was paved in 1990, and continued their winning ways, securing Championships. They frequently won races at Jennerstown.

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Pittsburgh Circle Track Club Awards Banquet Photos

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