WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — In keeping with its goal of providing information, education and entertainment, the Eastern Motorsport Press Association celebrated motorsports at the Genetti Best Western Plus Hotel and Convention Center this past weekend.
While in its 54th year of existence, members and supporters gathered for the organization’s 50th convention.
The Saturday night banquet highlighted the weekend, where many EMPA members and others received honors for their involvement in motorsports. Six individuals were inducted into the EMPA Hall of Fame including:
• Frank Rio, whose family was on hand to accept for the 96-year-old racing pioneer.
• Bobby Marshman’s son sent a letter of thanks for honoring his late father 59 years after his untimely death.Â
• Steve Kinser, also unable to attend, was recognized for his tremendous sprint car racing career.Â
• The late Greg Hodnett’s wife, Sherry, and his sister accepted the award for him. EMPA also presented her with a donation to the Greg Hodnett Foundation.
• Reggie Ruggiero provided some light-hearted comments on his great career in an asphalt modified.Â
• Mike Joy, now with FOX Sports, was inducted as well. Joy said he got hooked on racing at a young age and knew he had to be part of it. His many years of exceptional work in telling the story from an announcer’s perspective earned him his Hall of Fame award.
Joy also gave special thanks to Bill Brice for sponsoring the photography contest. He said many watch or read about people in sports, but it’s those on the other side who need to be recognized for capturing great pictures that also tell the story.
By vote of the membership, several others received awards for excellence.
Driver’s Of The Year
Jonathan Davenport and Erica Enders won the Al Holbert Memorial National Driver of the Year awards for excellence on dirt and asphalt surfaces, respectively.
Once again, it was a pair of drivers sharing the same first name who won the Richie Evans Memorial Northeast Driver of the Year awards. Matt Hirschman, asphalt, spoke of sharing his passion for racing, and being fortunate to have what he has in order to compete.
Matt Sheppard, dirt, said his remarkable season finally sunk in on his way to the convention, when he realized what a terrific season he had and picking up an award named after the great Richie Evans.
Logan Watt received the John Blewett III Young Gun, Presented by New England Race Fuels, Award. This goes to a driver under the age of 20, in recognition of an outstanding season.
Other Awards
EMPA honored the late Junie Donlavey with a Sprit of the Sport Award. This year’s winner was Tom Wanick III for his efforts both on the track and in the greater Hazleton (Pa.) community.
Brett Deyo won EMPA’s award for outstanding racing promotion. EMPA members Matt Thomas and Mel Thomas received the Ernie and Marilyn Saxton Award for outstanding service to the organization.
EMPA President, Dino Oberto, presented the President’s Awards to Debbie Gastelu and Diane Pursell Tracy for their work overseeing the photo contest each year.
In addition to the Brice’s NAPA Auto photo contest, Pete MacDonald and Harry Meeks had exceptional years for which they were rewarded.
MacDonald received both the Janice Brice Memorial Award and the Mary and Howie Hodge Memorial Award for the same photo. It was a trifecta of sorts for MacDonald, who earlier had won election as a new EMPA Board member.
Meeks, by vote of the membership, won the Ace Lane Memorial Photographer of the Year Award.
World Racing Group annually honors an EMPA member for their contribution to sprint car racing. The award is named in memory of the late Jerry Reigle, an award-winning EMPA member. Jack Kromer received this special award during the banquet.
EMPA writers compete for prizes in the Pocono Raceway writers’ contest. The EMPA membership honored Jason Beck, Managing Editor of Speedway Illustrated magazine, as the Jim Hunter Memorial writer of the year.
SPEED SPORT writers Ron Hedger and Jim Donnelly also received first-place awards for pieces that appeared in SPEED SPORT Magazine.Â
The 50th convention actually kicked off on Friday, with the annual Salute the Champions night. Drivers who won titles at area racetracks were on hand. Some returned for the second time, while other were there for the first time.
Isabel Barron, the first-ever female champion in the 57-year history of Woodhull (N.Y.) Raceway attended as the track’s 602 Crate Sportsman champion.
Andrew Yoder, another driver attending for the first time, won the late model title at Selinsgrove. The father/son duo of Ryan Godown and Ryan Godown, Jr. won titles but also won their respective features five times in the same night.