National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum

National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum "Promoting the Future by Preserving the Past"
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Richard Hoffman was born this day in 1942. Working aside his father Gus, Richard provided both financial and mechanical...
09/02/2026

Richard Hoffman was born this day in 1942. Working aside his father Gus, Richard provided both financial and mechanical backing to the famous Hoffman Racing/Dynamics, Inc. #69 USAC team, beginning with his co-ownership in 1969 and Hoffman Racing continues today with Brady Bacon behind the wheel. Richard's first involvement with racing came by polishing and cleaning his father's midget driven at 16th Street Speedway in Indy by Andy Linden and Eddie Sach in the '50's. Gus bought the former Malloy Special (Troy Ruttman, Bill Puterbaugh) #2/Duane Carter #7 and competed with Offy power to beat the USAC field with Jim Hemmings at Salem in 1961. Richard was in charge of the maintenance. After several modifications, they decided to sell it and build their own. In 1969, with a physics degree from Xavier, Richard was co-owner of the race team. Richard's first wins would come with Larry Cannon at Reading and Cincinnati in 1971. In 1973, the team expanded to the Champ Car circuit, running two cars. Though they failed to qualify for the Indy 500, but made the show the following year with Cannon. The number 69 would come in the late-'70's, and Joe Saldana would compete in the champ car. Richard did not return to sprints until 1987. Rich Vogler would give the team their first USAC sprint car championship in 1989, and was dominating until his untimely passing in 1990. Steve Butler won for the team, and Robbie Stanley brought two more USAC crowns in 1992 and 1993. Dave Darland (dirt) and Andy Michner (pavement) headed the driver cast to bring owner championships to the Hoffman's again in 1996 and 1997. Darland would bring another title home in 1999. Tracy Hines would claim the championship in 2002 and 2004 for the Hoffman's, and Jerry C***s Jr. would do the same in 2008. Kyle Larson claimed the rich Ultimate Challenge race in Oskaloosa, Iowa in both 2011 and 2012 for the Hoffman's. Brady Bacon would bring two more titles to the Hoffman's in 2014 and 2016, giving them a total of eleven USAC Sprint Car Owner Championships. The team has recorded more than 100 wins with USAC. Richard was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2013, and passed away in 2019.

Jim Culbert was born this day in 1920. Jim caught the racing bug in California at and early age, specifically sprint ca...
09/02/2026

Jim Culbert was born this day in 1920. Jim caught the racing bug in California at and early age, specifically sprint cars. He passed for the age of 21 at age 15, as he was 6’2” and 200 pounds already. He was a racer, but would make his name in the sport as a builder. He started by studying the cars in building his own. He implemented his own designs, and soon other racers wanted one themselves. After serving in World War II, he returned to San Diego and opened Culbert Automotive Engineering (CAE), one of the first auto sport superstores. The business would encompass the next 40 years. His cars and car kits were some of the first “store bought” racers in existence. Parts for sprint cars and dragsters poured out the doors of the 10,000 square foot shop that peaked at around 30 employees. Jim estimated that he built over 400 race cars in his lifetime, at about one a week. Jim was a pioneer in South African sprint car racing, introducing the sport through his manufacture there, much as Bob Trostle was to Australia. He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2004 and passed away later that year.

2012 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee Gary Sokola was born this day in 1941. He grew up in Michigan, but settle...
08/31/2026

2012 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee Gary Sokola was born this day in 1941. He grew up in Michigan, but settled in California in 1960 after service in the Navy. He became a car owner, with Lee Robison competing with CRA, an organization he would become deeply involved with. After Don Peabody left his post in charge of CRA operations in 1977, Gary was ready, and with big ideas. As Director of Marketing and Director of Racing, for the next ten years, he transformed the regional club into one that drew national attention. Among his accomplishments was bringing the first real corporate sponsorship to a sprint car series in Kraco Enterprises. Safety and keeping the series on great financial footing were also great accomplishments. He also organized the first Midwestern tour for the CRA in 1985, when they visited venues like Terre Haute and the Devil's Bowl. In the same time period, he helped USAC form the Western States Midgets and helped JC Agajanian with the Turkey Night Grand Prix. In 1987, like Peabody, he left for USAC, becoming the Assistant Director of Competition. Under his watch, USAC went from a total of 14 sprint car races, to a reintroduction of pavement racing, winged racing, and the explosion of "Thursday Night Thunder" on ESPN. After a decade of building USAC's series, he left to oversee the construction of the brand new Dodge City Raceway Park in Kansas. A 3/8-mile paved oval at the time, he brought in the USAC Western States sprint car division to run there. He passed away in 2000.

Happy Birthday Alan Kreitzer! Alan has been a steady presence in the Central Pennsylvania world of sprint car racing for...
08/30/2026

Happy Birthday Alan Kreitzer! Alan has been a steady presence in the Central Pennsylvania world of sprint car racing for decades. His family owned and operated Silver Spring Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, so Alan came by his love for racing naturally. From promoting the go-kart track to developing programs and yearbooks, he learned much at a young age. Alan’s hand has touched virtually every central PA track at some point. He owned and operated Susquehanna Speedway (now BAPS) in the early 1990’s, bought Lincoln Speedway with Bob and Don Leiby in 1993, where he remains a part of operations with new owners. He promoted at Williams Grove and Selinsgrove for several seasons as well. If you enjoy Pennsylvania Speedweek, you have Alan to thank for that as well. It was his idea and he still coordinates and promotes those events. He has also heavily been involved in the growth and success of the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing (EMMR). Alan was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2023. He’s also a member of the Eastern Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame and the York County Racing Club Hall of Fame.

Happy Birthday goes out to Brad Noffsinger! He was into motocross by age 10, and was the Rookie of the Year at Ascot in ...
08/29/2026

Happy Birthday goes out to Brad Noffsinger! He was into motocross by age 10, and was the Rookie of the Year at Ascot in a super midget at age 16. In 1978, he moved into the United States Racing Club (USRC) midgets and won Rookie of the Year again. The next season saw another Rookie of the Year Award, this time with the CRA sprint cars. Brothers Todd (who passed in an accident at Ascot in 1983) and Bart also raced. Brad's fifty wins with CRA rank seventh all-time (the six in front of him on the list are also Hall of Famers: Thompson, Jones, McSpadden, Shuman, Hogle and Oskie). 41 of Brad's CRA wins came with owner Jack Gardner Jr. The captured the 1986 and 1987 CRA titles. He'd relocate to North Carolina to race with NASCAR in 1988, running a full season before sponsorship dried up. It was back to California in 1989 and 1990, Ascot's last season. Brad won the 1987 Peabody Classic and the 1989 Pacific Coast Nationals at Ascot. He also sat on the pole of the Mopar Million at Eldora in 2003, and finished second at the 1984 Western World between Ron Shuman and Steve Kinser. He set 21 track records at nine different tracks across the country, including Ascot where he turned the first 18 second lap, and Baylands, where he turned the first 16 second lap. Brad and his family returned to North Carolina in 1993. He has worked in a number of capacities over the years including stunt driver and coordinator, a driving instructor for the Richard Petty Driving Experience, a NASCAR spotter, crew chief, team manager and developmental driver instructor. He currently manages the Frank Manafort Racing midget team with USAC as well as other duties. He's always been at the fore of ingenuity and design in racing and with safety. He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2013.

Born this day in 1909, George Nesler was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2014. George began his ra...
08/29/2026

Born this day in 1909, George Nesler was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2014. George began his race career building cars in the 1930's. He primarily competed in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He would own cars in series like ACRA, ARDC, IMCA, URC and USAC. He made his name with URC. With driver Earl Halaquist, starting in 1959, they raced to much success with URC, with Earl being the co-champion in 1962, and winning an outright championship (and George an owner championship) in 1964. George bought another car for 1965, and hired Hall of Famer Larry Dickson. Larry would go on to win five features, and Earl four, as they finished first and second in points with URC. George would buy a Trevis for Dickson in 1966 and send him to Rookie of the Year honors with USAC. Meanwhile, Earl would rack up three more URC titles for Nesler from 1966-68. Their dominating 1967 season included 15 wins. George also fielded midgets with ARDC with drivers such as Leigh Earnshaw, Nick Fornoro, Mike Grbac, Dale Thompson and Steve Yodock. Walt Bettler and Harold "Sonny" Strupp drove Tobias modifieds, and Denny "DJ" Comiskey, Joe Verbile and George himself were behind the wheel with ACRA. IMCA competitors included Halaquist, Dickson, Bill Brown, Ronnie Dunstan, Bill Roynon, Gino Swarthout, Dick "Toby" Tobias and Bruce Walkup. Tom Bigelow and Wally Dallenbach were among George's USAC drivers. George passed away in 1993. Prior to being inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, he was inducted in the Eastern Motorsport Press Association Hall of Fame in 1999 and the URC Hall of Fame in 2012.

Born this day in 1906, James M. "Billy" Winn was one of the top "Big Car" pilots in the 1930's. Winn was associated with...
08/27/2026

Born this day in 1906, James M. "Billy" Winn was one of the top "Big Car" pilots in the 1930's. Winn was associated with fellow Hall of Fame Inductee, promoter Ralph Hankinson. He was a leading draw for Hankinson for a decade. Nicknamed "The Red Devil", Billy was known for his red shirt and helmet. He first had success at the Woodbridge, New Jersey board track. He registered 27 wins there between 1932 and 1934. When Hankinson started promoting in the Midwest, Billy went with him. He was perennially in the top five in points for the AAA Eastern circuit, despite picking and choosing his races. He had victories with AAA in Springfield, Illinois in 1934 and 1935, and at Syracuse in 1935 and 1937. He added three more on the Milwaukee mile and one at Roby, Indiana. Showing his diversity, he fared well in Vanderbilt Cup races on a dirt road coarse on Long Island. One year, against much tougher European competition, he broke after four hours while running third. He also competed in Indianapolis on eight occasions. He formed a close bond with another Hall of Famer, builder Harry Miller. He would lose his life in a crash in Springfield in 1938. He was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2003.

🏁⛳ THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE 2026 GOLF CLASSIC A MEMORABLE ONE!It’s been a week since our Golf Classic in Memory of Kevin...
08/21/2026

🏁⛳ THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE 2026 GOLF CLASSIC A MEMORABLE ONE!

It’s been a week since our Golf Classic in Memory of Kevin Gobrecht, presented by Marion County Bank, and we’re still thinking about what a great group of golfers, sponsors, and supporters we had with us!

Mother Nature definitely had other plans for the day 🌧️. With all the rain we received, we made the call to shorten the tournament to 9 holes. The conditions weren’t ideal, but our golfers rolled with it, had some fun, and made the best of the day!

A HUGE thank you to all of the teams who came out and played and helped make the day so much fun. We truly appreciate you spending part of your Knoxville Nationals week with us!

And we couldn’t put on this event without the incredible support of our sponsors and partners:

⭐ Marion County Bank
⭐ Schnee-Lawson Chassis
⭐ Kwik Star
⭐ Bob’s Custom Trophies
⭐ Coffee Connection
⭐ Fareway
⭐ Hy-Vee
⭐ Huset’s Speedway
⭐ Knoxville Raceway
⭐ Neumann Brothers, Inc.
⭐ Rib Shack
⭐ SugarBee Apples
⭐ Horsepower Hydration
⭐ Roberts & Associates
⭐️ DeZine Metal Art
⭐️ Leavitt Graphics

Thank you for believing in the mission of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum and helping us make this event possible. Your support means more than you know!

🏁 Thank you to everyone who was part of the 2026 Golf Classic! We can’t control the weather, but we can certainly be grateful for the amazing racing community that continues to support the Hall of Fame. ❤️

1997 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee Dick Wallen was born this day in 1935. Dick began his film career in 1958...
08/18/2026

1997 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee Dick Wallen was born this day in 1935. Dick began his film career in 1958 when he bought a new 16mm camera for $300. He filmed the Riverside Grand Prix, make $50 and impressed many, including Fred Bailey, of Race Film Productions. After helping the crew film the 1959 Indy 500, Dick decided this was the life, and moved from L.A. to Indianapolis. In the early '60's, he filmed the likes of Foyt, Unser, Jones, Hurtubise, McElreath and Marshman, and hustled back down the road to edit the film. Each Wednesday night would see drivers and teams gather at Dick's to watch the last weekend's events. Though he made some money with the teams, his break came in Hollywood. He would sell film from the track that was used in over 500 movies and many T.V. shows. Dick also was the premiere supplier for producing commercial clips. He lamented when video replaced film, but with the influence of his wife, Lou Ann, he would and still sells his films on video. His vast historic vault of racing video is now accessible to the public through his "Racing Classics." Dick passed away in 2024.

Happy Birthday to John Mahoney! The 2005 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee started going to the Indy 500 in 1955...
08/18/2026

Happy Birthday to John Mahoney! The 2005 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee started going to the Indy 500 in 1955 with his father, and he found the dirt, and sprint cars, not long after. He'd take his box camera to take pictures in the pits after the races, and the love of photography has never waned. He got a print-developing kit and along with brother, Steve, started some dark room work. He learned most of that craft from Gene Harris after starting to shoot with a 35mm camera. He met fellow Hall of Famer Gene Crucean at Indiana University, and they started road-tripping together. A couple of years later, they started publishing the "Sprint Car Pictorial" annuals together. It would last for fifteen years. John became a fixture at sprint car races in the 1960's and 1970's. His work has graced the pages of Open Wheel, Sprint Car & Midget, and National Speed Sport News to name just a few publications. He was also a contributor to the books detailing the careers of Tony Stewart and Rich Vogler. In 2004, he released a collection of his work, titled "Full Tilt!" He also contributed to the recent release of "Modern Thunder: The Illustrated History of USAC National Sprint Car Racing (1981-2017)" with Dave Argabright and Pat Sullivan. He's also been very generous in donating much of his works to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum.

Address

1 Sprint Capital Place
Knoxville, IA
50138

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 12am
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+18008744488

Website

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