Six to be inducted into Knoxville Raceway's Hall of Fame
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Six Knoxville Raceway dignitaries will be inducted into the Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame in trackside ceremonies Saturday night July 4. The inductions will mark the 31st year that the track has honored those who have made "Knoxville" a world-wide name. Below are brief biographys of those six people.
Guy Forbrook of Morgan, Minnesota follows his father, Dick Forbrook into the Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame. Coming of age just as his father was finishing his own career, Guy wanted to race sprint cars and found his way to Knoxville in 1983. A passenger car wreck forced Guy to the sidelines and it was Ron Kohls who “dragged him out of the house” to a sprint car race and changed his life. That is when Guy set his sights on the role of owner/mechanic and what a career that would be here at Knoxville. Guy leads the all-time win list for owners with 66 to his credit hiring such drivers as Danny Lasoski, Jac Haudenschild, Jerry Richert, Jr, Terry McCarl and Johnny Herrera. Also as an owner he leads in all-time track championships with 9 during the years 1989-90-91-92-93,95-96,99 and 2008. Guy received Knoxville Owner of the Year plaques in 1991 & 2008. Who can forget the Jackpot Junction logo on the #5 wing? Al and Ron Kohls as well as Dan Holland were mainstays during the Guy Forbrook Knoxville wins.
John Kearney, Valley Falls, Kansas began his racing career in go carts in 1986. He had watched his father, Bub, prepare race cars when he was in junior high and high school which piqued his interest in racing. In 1987 he found his way to Knoxville with the small wing 360s. The next year he won the Pleasanton (Kansas) Nationals and ran in numerous NCRA shows. He returned to Knoxville in 1989 with Al Vander Woody and recorded a 6th place finish in his first night in the 410s. 1999 saw him garner a 2nd place in Knoxville’s 360 division and followed that up in 2000 as track champion. He gained his first win that year and would end his career with 23 360 wins which is second on the all-time list. Though he competed in 6 410 Nationals, his success was in the 360 division where he made 7 360 Nationals A Mains in 12 years. Driving his own equipment in 2008, John won the final race of his career.
Glen Wignall, Des Moines, Iowa will be inducted as a crewman who started with Bob Trostle in 1975 though he had been a Knoxville fan since 1968. Known as “Snook”, he was with Trostle until 1988 and was on the Nationals winning teams of 1977 (Wolfgang) and the 1980 Steve Kinser win. He crewed with the Guy Forbrook/Danny Lasoski teams. Other teams he worked with were the Casey Luna car, the Lonnie Parsons car and with Tim & Gina Doogs. From 2001-present he has been with George Lasoski and Brian Brown. In all, Glen has been involved with 10 teams that have won Knoxville track championships.
Scott Ritchhart, Springfield, Illinois found his interest in racing as a kid when he went with his father to various race venues, especially the USAC Stock Cars. His dad had known Don White while in the service and they followed his career. Once Scott turned 16 he bought a go cart for his first racing experience. Soon he went to college studying pre-Dentistry and graduated in three years so he could get back to racing. In the late ‘70s he bought a midget and raced with USAC for several years. He was hurt in an accident at Indy Raceway Park which paused his career in racing for a time. In the early ‘80s he went back to racing sprint cars and in fact built his own sprinter. In 1983 he met Chuck Merril and drove his 5M cars. Eventually he climbed into the 47 Casey’s cars with the Sonner team. He also drove the TMC Challenger cars before he took a year away from racing. In 1987 he hooked up with Chuck Merril again with his final race being the Nationals of that year. 1988 saw Scott enter dental school again where he graduated in 1992. He has three career wins here and competed in 4 Nationals from 1983-1987.
Tex & Pat Gatrel of Des Moines, Iowa were truly ambassadors for Knoxville Raceway during the years that they came here. With a racing career that reaches way back to the early 1950s, Tex raced stock cars at various central and southern Iowa tracks. Later he became a flagman and Pat was often involved in scoring the races. Starting in 1961 the Gatrels began coming weekly to the races at Knoxville. As time went along they would often represent Knoxville in South Florida at such tracks as Tampa, East Bay and Volusia County in the winter months. They worked behind the scenes for Knoxville at Devil’s Bowl, Oklahoma City, Jacksonville and other race venues. In 1983 they opened the first Press Room for the Nationals after having utilized their own trailer to host attending promoters. They coordinated the uniforms for track officials as well as board members. They were instrumental in working for the concept of a National sprint car museum to be located in Knoxville. For years they were vendors on the grounds with their own designed tee shirts and belt buckles.
(Pictured): John Kearney (Dave Hill)
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