2008 Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame Inductee Bios
Saturday, June 28, 2008
2008 Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame
Mike Twedt – Huxley, Iowa – Mike’s career began in 1982 in the form of mini-sprints. With the help of his father and Earl Tice, a builder of front-engined mini-sprints, Mike continued to grow in his abilities. Soon they approached Bob Trostle and he too built them a new mini-sprint chassis. Their connection with Trostle would soon lead to a ride at Knoxville in his roadster machine in the modified division. In 1987 Mike and his dad put together a 360 sprinter from an old WolfWagon. Just prior to Nationals, Mike was severely injured with a broken back but he came back the following season of 1988 and captured the opening night feature in a new car. Long-time family friend and Knoxville Hall of Famer Lew Holland worked with the team effort at this time. Mike was the first 360 rookie to win a feature in that division and by 1989 he became the 360 track champion. He recorded 11 feature event wins at Knoxville which is 6th all time for the 360s.
Bob Thompson – Des Moines, Iowa – Son of Hall of Famer Jack Thompson and Sonya, Bob began coming to the Knoxville races in the mid-1950s. He has been a spectator, driver, owner and crew at Knoxville Raceway for over 50 years. His story continues when he began driving in the modified sprint division at this track in 1980. By 1982 he was driving the second car fielded by Gil Sonner while competing in stock car competion at other tracks as well. The 1985-86 seasons saw him fielding his own equipment. While working for a parts dealership, he would work on race cars during the nights leading to the development of his own sprint chassis, AmericanChallenge. Having accumulated nine 360 sprint division wins during his racing career, he now owns and crews the sprinter his son Tyler drives.
Larry Ball, Sr. – Des Moines, Iowa – Larry fielded cars as an owner from 1985-1995 in the 410 division at Knoxville Raceway under Ball Racing, Inc. Always a top ten car and often in the top five, the team efforts resulted in two feature wins with Jerry Richert, Jr. and John Sernett. The team crew consisted of John Leverenz, Howard Albright and Art Moose. Additionally, Randy Smith drove the Ball sprinter one night during his 1987 season championship run. The list of drivers who piloted the Ball Racing machines reads like a who’s who at Knoxville during that era: Jordan Albaugh, Larry Ball, Jr., Bruce Drottz, Don Droud, Jr., Max Dumesny, Billy Englhart, T.J. Giddings, Jimmy Grafton, Rocky Hodges, Ryan Jamison, Marlon Jones, Jaymie Moyle, Roger Rager, Jerry Richert, Jr., Jeff Tuttle and Scott Whitworth.
Larry and Pat Patterson – Kansas City, Missouri – The Pattersons have been long-time fans and supporters of Knoxville Raceway. They currently “head up” the annual NOSTALGIA AT KNOXVILLE event each year for the track volunteering numerous hours and being great ambassadors for the raceway in doing so. Pat and Larry have befriended, directed and helped many race fans, drivers and their families since becoming race fans in the early 1960s at this track. Larry’s involvement in racing came about in the 1970s when he crewed for Bill Rhine and later Hank Smith. That led to work with the Greenway #8 driven by Gary Scott as well as the Ofixco sprinter driven by Ron Shuman. He has also given his services to Riverside Speedway, Olympic Stadium and I-70. Pat lent her services as a nurse to those facilities at the same time.
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