KNOXVILLE, IOWA (August 31, 2016) – Fans touring the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum during this year’s Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals, September 15-17, are in for a treat.  Highlighting this year’s programs are a Friday VIP reception featuring recent North-South 100 winner Bobby Pierce, also known as “Smooth Operator,” and his veteran father, the “Tall Cool One,” Bob Pierce.  In addition, Friday will also feature a Late Model 101 forum entitled “Busch All Star Tour” with several series officials and drivers.  Saturday’s focus will start with the annual auction to benefit the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum and the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in Union, Kentucky.  Finally, Saturday afternoon will wind up with a Stocksville Reunion honoring Denny Hovinga, Wayne Larson and Bob Weber.

The details of the four programs are as follows:

Friday, September 16

11:30 a.m. – VIP Reception: “An Afternoon with Bobby & Bob Pierce”

National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductee and award-winning journalist Dave Argabright will interview recent North-South 100 winner Bobby Pierce (a.k.a. “Smooth Operator”) and his legendary father Bob Pierce (a.k.a. “Tall Cool One”).  The youngest Pierce, born in 1996, has been a United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) star for years, but with his success in a NASCAR Truck at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway, the Illini driver has put himself on the map nationally.

1 p.m. – Late Model 101: “Busch All-Star Tour”

Join us on the second floor of the National Sprint Car Museum for a forum featuring officials and drivers from one of the most successful series in dirt late model racing, the Busch All Star Tour.  For seventeen years, Jim Wilson and his crew of dedicated race officials gave Midwest dirt late model fans outstanding racing programs. Lee Ackerman of the I-80 Speedway will moderate the 90-minute forum with Jim Wilson (director), Art Daufeldt (tech), Mark Ludwig (tech), Ron Streger (tech), Mable McCuen (registrar), Dean Howe (flagman), Tom Lathen (announcer) and drivers/brothers Joe Kosiski and Steve Kosiski (7-time series champion; only driver to make every BAST race).

Saturday, September 17

12 Noon – Knoxville Dirt Late Model Memorabilia Auction

A live auction of unique, autographed memorabilia from the worlds of dirt late model racing, sprint car racing, NASCAR stock car racing, Indy Car racing and NHRA drag racing.  Emceed by Kathy Krafka Harkema and auctioneered by veteran late model driver and owner Lynn Richard, you’ll want to take in this fun event and relive the stories and memories as you can bid on autographed dirt late model body panels, die-cast and apparel at reasonable prices!  See what volunteer Jim Rasmussen has up his sleeve in 2016.  The auction benefits the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum in Knoxville, Iowa, and the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in Union, Kentucky.

3 p.m. – Stocksville Reunion: “Denny Hovinga, Wayne Larson & Bob Weber”

Chad Meyer of the Kossuth County Agricultural & Motorsports Museum will moderate the 90-minute forum with three Iowa veterans:  Denny Hovinga of Laurens, Wayne Larson of Ames, and Bob Weber of Burt.  While their biggest wins came behind the wheel of IMCA Modifieds, Hovinga, Larson and Weber competed against the best drivers that Iowa and southern Minnesota had to offer in late models during the 1970’s and ‘80s.  During this forum, we will explore the cars, drivers, tracks and history of racing late models during that era.  We will also discuss how the late model competition then prepared each for their own stellar modified careers.

Those seeking more information on the September 15-17 events are encouraged to visit the www.sprintcarhof.com web site.

Jon Hiscocks piloted the “German Valley Special” at the Algona track. He and seven others will be inducted into the Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame in 2016.

The Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame recently announced its 2016 class of inductees. This year’s class features eight individuals that achieved great success in the sport.

Drivers inducted this summer include Denny Anderson, who earned his 100th IMCA modified feature win at Algona several year ago, plus Jon Hiscocks, the late Jack McCorkell and the late Dale Wilhite.

Bill Holcomb and his brother the late Ken Holcomb, were car owners and supporters of racing at the Kossuth County track, while Dean & Nancy Schroeder will be recognized for their many years of providing automotive parts, fuel and supplies here. Dean also competed as a driver for several years in Algona.

The committee, with the help of the living members of the Kossuth Racing Hall of Fame, selected the eight inductees for 2016. Candidates not selected will be considered for future inductions.

The induction ceremony will take place August 6th during the annual Kossuth County Fair.

More details about the Hall of Fame and the induction ceremony will be released when they are available to www.KossuthMuseum.com.

What: Author Bill Haglund will be selling and signing his new book. Over 600 pages & 500 photos, documenting Iowa auto racing from its inception through 2014. This book includes many racers and personalities that frequented the speedway in Algona!

When: Sunday, January 31, 2016
Noon: Book sales/signing starts

2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. “Iowa Racing 101,” Moderated by Chad Meyer
Discussion of Iowa’s rich racing history, the creation of the book, and many racing stories from the author

4:00 p.m. Event concludes

Where: Kossuth County Ag & Motorsports Museum
Located on the Kossuth County Fairgrounds (Hwy 169 South)
800 East Fair Street, Algona, IA

Book signing and “Iowa Racing 101” – free and open to the public
Museum also open – $3.00 adults, $2.00 children

For more information, contact Chad Meyer, cmeyer@maxyieldcoop.com, 515-320-2593.

KNOXVILLE, IOWA (September 23, 2015) – Fans touring the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum this Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. will get a unique opportunity to attend a just-added Late Model 101 forum: “Sixty Minutes with 3-Time International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) Late Model Champion Justin Kay.” Chad Meyer of the Kossuth County Agricultural & Motorsports Museum will moderate the hour-long forum with the 2013, ’14 and ‘15 IMCA national point titlist and the 2014 and ‘15 IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series champion.

According to Chad Meyer, “Justin, whose last name rhymes with ‘guy,’ has tons of talent. He was the (Cedar Rapids) Gazette’s ‘Eastern Iowa Driver of the Year’ in 2014 and ’15. Just this year, he has recorded 29 feature wins, seven of which were in Deery Brothers Summer Series events and he is the 2015 Dubuque Speedway track champion. He has 80 main event wins since 2013. Taking nothing away from Don O’Neal, but Justin Kay is the ‘Real Deal’ here in Iowa.”

“Sixty Minutes with 3-Time IMCA Late Model Champion Justin Kay” will follow the museum-benefit auction at 3 p.m. on the museum’s second floor. Interestingly enough, the Noon auction will be led by auctioneer Lynn Richard, himself a former IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series champion car owner in 2013 with driver Brian Harris.

Those seeking more information on the September 24-26 events are encouraged to visit the www.sprintcarhof.com web site.

This story first appeared in MaxYield Cooperative’s My Solutions magazine…

The Ag and Motorsports Museum houses the Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame, which was established in 2007 and recognizes individuals who achieved great success at the track or contributed to the betterment of racing in Kossuth County. Honorees must have lived in or raced in Kossuth County, IA.

Auto racing has been an integral part of Algona history since at least 1914, with automobile and motorcycle racing held during the Kossuth County Fair and at special events. Originally the race track was a half-mile in length and the large grandstand sat on the east side of the facility.

Weekly racing at the track began for the first time in 1961. During that time, high school football games were held in the infield of the speedway. This required volunteers to climb the light poles to turn the lights outward for racing, or inward for football games.

In the third race of 1961, tragedy struck when Larry Cordes died after his car left the speedway and caught fire. Prior to the start of the 1962 season, the speedway was reconfigured into a 1/4-mile track to reduce speeds.

Racing continued weekly at Algona until the conclusion of the 1975 season. Due to economics, the track sat dormant until 1986. The county fair board and local volunteers reopened the track.
Weekly racing has continued, with Joe Ringsdorf promoting the track the last 21 years, up to 2014.

In 2015, the fair board is promoting races on Thursday nights, with Al Thoreson from Fairmont, MN, as race night manager.

Plan Your Visit
The Kossuth County Ag and Motorsports Museum is located just off of Highway 169 on the north end of the Kossuth County Fairgrounds. Admission is $3.

For more information, log on to www.kossuthmuseum.com or call Louie Bormann (515-320-0332) or Ron Lohman (515-341-1312) to schedule a time to visit the museum.

The late Ted Zieman in victory lane, Labor Day in Mason City in 1967. He is a 2015 Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame inductee.

The Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame recently announced its 2015 class of inductees. This year’s class features six individuals that achieved great success in the sport.

The late Ted Zieman plus Gale White, Joel Rasmussen and Willie Kluss were drivers who achieved success at Algona Raceway.

William “Bill” Clegg joins the hall of fame as a Kossuth County native who promoted tracks in other parts of the state.

The late Gary Harken and his wife Joann will be recognized for their many years as track officials and track employees at the Algona track.

The committee, with the help of the living members of the Kossuth Racing Hall of Fame, selected the six inductees for 2015. Candidates not selected will be considered for future inductions.

The date of the induction ceremony will be announce soon.

More details about the Hall of Fame and the induction ceremony will be released when they are available to www.KossuthMuseum.com.

Save the date! Modified racer Kelly Shryock will join the Kossuth County Ag & Motorsports Museum on Sunday, January 18th at 2:00 p.m.

We will discuss his amazing career, his chassis business and we will remember his father, the late Bob Shryock, who is an inductee into the Kossuth County Racing Hall of Fame.