Weedsport, NY — May 29, 2010 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director
All set to join charter member Northeast Modified Hall of Famers Billy Wimble and Billy Rafter and fellow inductees ‘Irish’ Jack Murphy and Dave Lape for a rare trip to Cayuga County Fair Speedway, legendary driver Dutch Hoag has been forced to give up his seat at the autograph table on Sunday.
“I had some tests done last week and the doctor just called and said we better go ahead with it,” relayed Hoag, 83, from his Bath, N.Y. home as he conveyed the message that he will be undergoing a second round of prostate surgery June 3. “It’s not life-threatening or anything like that, just something that happens when you get older.”
A record five-time Race of Champions winner and inaugural selection to the NE Hall of Fame in 1992, Hoag will be undergoing surgery next Thursday and plans to remain in the hospital 2-3 days during recovery. A similar procedure was performed last June and he expects this operation to bring finality.
“I was looking forward to seeing a lot of my old friends back in Weedsport. Don’t go out to these track events much anymore but the Hall of Fame is certainly something special. Please pass along my apologies, hopefully there will be another time to get in touch with everybody real soon,” Hoag added.
Despite the absence of the Dutchman, the 19th edition of Hall of Fame Day will still be like no other when some of the best drivers from both past and present converge on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds for a night to remember.
The rare reunion of all-time greats begins Sunday, May 30 when the Class of 2010 is publicly decorated at 3 p.m. in the Northeast Modified Hall of Fame & Classic Car Museum. Honored in afternoon ceremonies will be newest driver inductees Lin Hough, Ralph Quarterson and Gary Reddick, along with special award winners Brian Mulligan, Jeff Brownell, Andrew Phillips, Tana Robinson, Judy Snyderman and Buffy Swanson.
Activity then moves next door to the historic Cayuga County Fair Speedway for the annual ‘Hall of Fame Classic,’ featuring round three of the Super DIRTcar Series for the mighty Big-Block Modifieds. The evening extravaganza will include a spectacular fireworks display plus the special Hall of Fame driver autograph session at intermission inside the Cayuga County clubhouse. Racing begins at 7pm, pit gates open at 3pm and grandstands open for seating at 5pm. Adult admission is $22. Senior Citizens $20. Active Military and Students 10-18 are $9 each and children nine & under are free.
Don’t forget, the family four-pack at $50 is the best deal going and a great way for the entire family to enjoy the Memorial Day celebration together. As part of the four-pack, two adults and two students can enjoy a choice of hot dogs or hamburgers and soft drinks as part of their grandstand tickets. The names of those who purchase the family four-pack will be placed into a separate drawing with one lucky winner escorted up to the speedway VIP Tower before going trackside to share in victory lane ceremonies.
DIRTcar Racing Northeast main office is located in Weedsport, New York on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds, home of DIRTcar All-Star Weekend in July. DIRTcar Northeast’s crown jewel event —Super DIRT Week at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse runs annually in October featuring Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Championship Series events for Big-Block Modified, 358-Modified, Sportsman and Pro Stock divisions. Ticket and schedule information is available by contacting the Weedsport office (315/834-6606) during the day or logging into www.allstar100weekend.com and www.superdirtweekonline.com anytime.
The Big-Block Super DIRTcar Series is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Hoosier Racing Tire www.hoosiertire.com and VP Racing Fuels www.vpracingfuels.com. Promotional partners include the University of Northwestern Ohio www.unoh.com and Chizmark & Larson Insurance www.chizmarklarson.com, and contingency sponsors are Bicknell Racing Products www.bicknellracingproducts.com, Bilstein Shocks www.bilstein.com, KSE Racing Products www.kse-racing.com, Motorsports Safety Systems www.motorsportssafetysystems.com, MSD Ignition www.msdignition.com, Penske Shocks, www.penskeshocks.com, Racing Electronics www.racingelectronics.com, Vicci Racing Apparel www.vicci.com and Wrisco Industries www.wrisco.com.