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Dave Lape Returns to Weedsport Sunday For Autographs

Dave Lape Family

Dave Lape Family - Ken Dippel Photo

Weedsport, NYMay 29, 2010 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing Northeast PR Director

Coming to a climax with the headline ‘Hall of Fame Classic 100’ on May 30, the Memorial Day Weekend Super DIRTcar Series showdown on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds is now only 1 day away. The historic Weedsport, New York speedway comes to life for the traditional holiday special with the 100-lap Big-Block Modified winner on Sunday waiting to take home a cool $6,000 top prize.

Helping commemorate the past two decades of Hall of Fame happenings at the home of DIRTcar Northeast, highlights from many of the past induction days will be recalled in anticipation of the first big holiday racing event of the season.

At the time of his induction into the NE Hall of Fame, Dave Lape was 56 and became only the fifth active driver ever to be selected and he continues to be a staple at Fonda Speedway today. Under the Hall of Fame’s charter, a driver must be retired three years before being considered, but there is an exception for drivers over age 55 who have more than 25 years experience. Back during the ’04 ceremonies the Canajoharie, N.Y. chauffeur joined Lou Lazzaro, Tommy Corellis, Chuck Akulis, and Lou Blaney as active drivers who have been inducted. Lape and Bob McCreadie (Class of ’06) are the only inductees to win a Hall of Fame Classic and go on to be enshrined in the Hall. Among those joining Lape in this year’s trackside tribute on Sunday will be fellow Class of ‘92 Hall of Famers Billy Wimble and Billy Rafter, along with ‘Irish’ Jack Murphy (2000) as they meet fans and sign autographs during intermission.

Lape began his stock car career campaigning a Modified Sportsman at age 16 in 1964. His first race was at the old Victoria Speedway near Schenectady, N.Y. following several years as a successful go-karter. His cars have always carried the number 22 — a tribute to famed car owner Bob Whitbeck, also from Canajoharie, with driver Pete Corey at the helm that was one of the winningest combinations in the East during the 1950s. Lape became a Fonda regular in 1965 yet didn’t win his first feature until 1969. Since then he’s won more than 150 main events at Fonda, Albany-Saratoga, Utica-Rome, Weedsport, Rolling Wheels, Orange County, Canandaigua, Syracuse, Ransomville and Devil’s Bowl. Crowned the 2nd-ever overall Mr. DIRTcar points king in 1977, Lape is currently locked on 99 wins at Fonda’s ‘Track of Champions’ where he has captured six track championships in 1983, 1986-87, 1991-92 and 2003.

Northeast Modified Hall of Fame Classic Big-Block Modified Winners
2009 – Billy Decker on May 24; 2008 – Dale Planck on May 25; 2007 – Danny Johnson and Tim Fuller on Aug. 19; 2006 – Danny Johnson on May 28; 2005 – Tim Fuller on May 29; 2004 – Gary Tomkins on May 30; 2003 – Alan Johnson on May 25; 2002 – Tim McCreadie on May 26; 2001 – Tim McCreadie on July 5; 2000 – Danny Johnson on May 28; 1999 – Billy Decker on May 30; 1998 – Gary Tomkins on May 24; 1997 – Danny Johnson on May 25; 1996 – Alan Johnson on May 26; 1995 – Rain; 1994 – Bob McCreadie on May 29; 1993 – Dave Lape on April 4; 1992 – Steve Paine on April 12.

The 19th Hall of Fame Classic at Cayuga County Fair Speedway on Sunday, May 30 is round three of the 2010 Super DIRTcar Series. Log into the homepage at www.superdirtcarseries.com to find out more about the nation’s premier Big-Block Modified tour and be sure to sign up as a Super DIRTcar Series follower on Twitter by visiting http://www.twitter.com/SuperDIRTcar. For further track information, access http://www.CayugaCountyFairSpeedway.com or phone 315/834-6606 during the day.

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.

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