THE HISTORY OF THE AUTO RACING PROMOTER OF THE YEAR:
The Auto-Racing Promoter of the Year, commonly referred to as “the ARPY” is the highest honor any track promoter can receive. To-date, there have been 47 recipients, which have been awarded as part of the Racing Promotion Monthly (RPM) Workshops.
Hugh Deery, the well-known promoter of Rockford (IL) Speedway, was the first Auto Racing Promoter of the Year, receiving the award in 1976. Jody Deery, with whom he founded Rockford Speedway, and co-founded these Workshops, received the award in 1994. Their son Chuck, for twenty-four years the promoter of LaCrosse (WI) Fairgrounds Speedway, was the 25th recipient of the award in 2000.
Along the way, the greatest promoters of our time received the award … J.C. Agajanian, for his Ascot Speedway in Gardena, CA; and D. Anthony Venditti, builder and promoter of Seekonk Speedway in Massachusetts. And to… Don Martin, the builder and promoter of Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, PA. And also to… Jack Gunn, for his operation at Williams Grove (PA) Speedway, Howard Tiedt, Santa Fe (IL) Speedway, now gone, but formerly in suburban Chicago; and Paul Kuhl, the long-time promoter of Flemington (NJ) Speedway, the famed square 1/2-mile track, first dirt and later paved. Bob Sargent, Roger Slack, Steve Beitler, Gregg McKarns, Ray Marler, Joe Kosiski and Lyle DeVore, most recently are all new additions to an incredibly humbling list of winners.
The Promoters of the Year are promoters of both dirt and paved tracks. There has been an Auto Racing Promoter of the Year from every geographic region.
Over 47 years, the stories of the Auto-Racing Promoter of the Year vary in background, education and experience in building their own successful methods and operations, however, one thing remains clearly in common, their passion for the promotion of the sport of short track auto-racing.
FORTY-SEVEN YEARS OF PROMOTIONAL EXCELLENCE:
Promoters selected Ron Drager and Scott Schultz, Flat Rock (MI) and Toledo (OH) Speedways, as 37th Auto Racing Promoter of the Year last year. Previous winners are:
Hugh Deery, 1976 (1)
J.C. Agajanian, 1977; (2)
D. Anthony Venditti, 1978; (3)
Jack Gunn, 1979; (4)
George Eisenhart, 1980; (5)
Dick O’Brien, 1981; (6)
Howard Tiedt, 1982; (7)
Don Martin, 1983; (8)
Hugh Deery, 1984; (9) *Only Two Time Recipient
Glenn Donnelly, 1985; (10)
Cary Agajanian, 1986; (11)
Bud Lunsford, 1987; (12)
Bob Daniels, 1988; (13)
Howard Commander, 1989; (14)
Ray Wilkings, 1990; (15)
Paul Kuhl, 1991; (16)
Robert Lawton; 1992; (17)
Earl Baltes, 1993; (18)
Jody Deery, 1994; (19)
Andy Vertrees, 1995; (20)
Charles Powell, 1996; (21)
C-Ray Hall, 1997; (22)
Larry Kemp, 1998; (23)
Charles Cathell, 1999; (24)
Charles Deery, 2000; (25)
Ralph Capitani, 2001; (26)
Lanny Edwards, 2002; (27)
Bob & Nadine Strauss, 2003; (28)
Tom Curley, 2004; (29)
Steve York, 2005; (30)
John Padjen, 2006; (31)
Lynn Phillips, 2007; (32)
Joe & Walt Doellefeld, 2008; (33)
the Nuckles family, Columbus (OH) Motor Speedway, 2009; (34)
the Queensland Family, Deer Creek (MN) Speedway, 2010; (35)
Robert Sargent, Macon (IL), Paducah (KY) Speedways, 2011; (36)
Ron Drager & Scott Schultz, Flat Rock (MI) & Toledo (OH) Speedways, 2012; (37)
Roger Hadan, Eagle (NE) Raceway, 2013; (38)
Donna & Gary Howe, Kalamazoo (MI) Speedway, 2014 (39);
Gray Garrion, the Hawkins family, Bowman-Gray (NC) Stadium, 2015; (40)
Dan Robinson, Lucas Oil (MO) Speedway, 2016; (41)
Steve Beitler, Skagit (WASH) Speedway, 2017; (42)
Gregg & Angie McKarns, Madison (WI) International Speedway, 2018; (43)
Roger Slack, Eldora (OH) Speedway, 2018; (44)
Ray & Sue Marler, I-55 (MO) Speedway, 2019; (45)
Joe Kosiski, I-80 (NE) Speedway, 2020; (46)
Lyle DeVore, Albany-Saratoga (NY) Speedway, 2021 (47)
PAST REGIONAL AUTO RACING PROMOTERS OF THE YEAR: Bob Barkhimer, Ned Jarrett, Harvey Tattersall, John Marcum, Ed Bloom, Bob Slack, Dick Tobias, Roger Holdeman, Ken Clapp, Marshall Wilkings, Keith Hall, Stan Durrett, Darwin Hentz, Jim Corcoran, Leroy Nelson, Jim Raper, Doug Fort, Dan Jones, John Stiles, George Butland, Gary Cressey, Sharon & Craig Kelley, Marty Jones, Dave Manes, Bill Leesch, Roger Van Daalwyk, Frank Plessinger, Bill Lipkey, Mason Day, the Meals Family, the Beacham Family, Benny Yount, Rick Farren, Mick Beadle, the Rubin Brothers, John Bandimere, Lee Baumgarten, the Cook Brothers, Marion Collins, Tom Helfrich, Russell Hackett, Bob Fredrickson, Mike Lamm, the Chrysler Family, Mark Chewning, Alan Kreitzer, Dale & Johnnie Pinelis, the Stone Family & Ted Austad, Bob Allen, Craig Cormack, Mooney Starr, Joe Clay, John Hellendrung, Ray Marler & Ken Schrader, Les McBurney, Harvey Fink, Don Hoenig, Andy Cusack, Terry Eames, C.J. Richards, Alex Freisen, Ben Dodge, Mark Arute, Red MacDonald, Bill Ryan, Andrew Harpell, Sylvia & Shirley Porter, Gary & Donna Howe,James Griffin, Adam Nelson, Roger Hadan, Steve Beitler, Wayne Anderson/Linus & Don Mack/Darren Evavold, Bruce Rogers, Todd Fisher, Fritz Roehrig, Al Varnadore/Todd Hutto, Jim Doran, Paul Zimmerman, the Bassuener Family, Orville Chenoweth, Toby Kruse, Rodney Wing, Brad Whitfield, Brett Deyo, Dennis Gage, Rex LeJuene, Cole Queensland, John McCoy.