SOMERSET, Ky. — The 30th Anniversary season for the Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series fueled by VP has kicked off with the announcement of the inaugural ALMS Hall of Fame class.
The inaugural class will see Kris Patterson, Earl Baltes & Eldora Speedway, Bazell Race Fuels, the Henricks Family & Oakshade Raceway plus longtime official Roy Faulkner.
These individuals will be honored at various points throughout the season.
KRIS PATTERSON
One of Michigan’s most prolific drivers holds six ALMS Championships along with 36 career series victories. From motorcycle racing at age 12, the St. John’s, MI driver was a 1983 Late Model Rookie of the Year plus holds five Eldora Speedway track championships along with two victories in the Johnny Appleseed Classic.
In his illustrious career, he made four Dirt Late Model Dream races and five World 100s with his best finish coming in 1993 with a seventh-place run. Patterson is also a three-time track champion at Oakshade Raceway as well as a three-time winner of the Barney Oldfield Race at Oakshade.
As well as on-track accolades, Patterson is a seven-time Michigan Speedway Promoters Association Award Winner. A milestone for Patterson came on May 14, 1999 in Glasgow, Ky., as he captured his 500th career victory at Barren County Speedway during a Northern Allstars-sanctioned event.
EARL BALTES & ELDORA SPEEDWAY
One of America’s most historic and famous dirt tracks, Eldora Speedway sits in the cornfields of Ohio and is home to the most American Late Model Iron-Man Series events (97 as of September 2025) including April 22, 1995 when Jerry Rice etched his name in the record books becoming the first-ever winner on the ALMS tour.
The track has held ALMS events each season since the tour started with Matt Miller holding the record at 10 victories. Earl Baltes opened the track in 1954 and the rest, as they say, has been history with major events such as the Dirt Late Model Dream, the World 100 and the Kings Royal for sprint cars.
Earl and his wife Berneice retired and sold the track to NASCAR driver Tony Stewart in 2004. Mr. Baltes passed away on March 23, 2015 at the age of 93. Since 2008, the Baltes Classic, sanctioned by the American Late Model Iron-Man Series proudly salutes the tracks founders each Labor Day weekend.
BAZELL RACE FUELS
Dating back to the series inception in 1995, Bazell Race Fuels was the title sponsor with “Sunoco” for the American Late Model Series for many seasons. Based out of Logan, Ohio, Bazell Race Fuels was a key regional distributor of motor engine fuels throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Delaware and Maryland. Mike Bazell was the owner the company along with son Brian plus salesman Tim McWhorter and numerous other employees.
HENRICKS FAMILY & OAKSHADE RACEWAY
Located in northwestern Ohio, Oakshade Raceway opened in 1975 and has been one of the longest, continuing UMP weekly operating tracks for dirt track racing. The three-eighths-mile track, founded by James and Donna Ehrsam (later Donna Green-married to John Green) has been a stalwart on the ALMS tour and DIRTcar Summer Nationals (with the Birthday Race celebrating the late John Green’s birthday) for many years. A variety of family members have played key roles in the race track’s success.
The track also hosts the annual Barney Oldfield Race which honors the pioneer racer whose name was synonymous with speed. As of 2025, Oakshade Raceway has hosted 87 previous American Late Model Series events with Rusty Schlenk capturing 15 of those victories.
ROY FAULKNER
A native of Columbus, Indiana, Roy Faulker has been a technical inspector for UMP (United Midwestern Promoters) which is now DIRTcar Racing. Faulker, a former employee at Cummins Engine Co., who recently celebrated his 78th birthday in November 2025, is still currently an active traveling race official for DIRTcar Racing & World Racing Group which sanctions the Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series.
Faulkner has worked hundreds of ALMS and Summer Nationals races over the course of his career plus has manned the scales for all but a handful of Dirt Late Model Dream and World 100 races at the famed Eldora Speedway.
From a race car driver to car owner many years ago with drivers like Darrell Herbert behind the wheel, Faulkner went on to work for UMP founder Bob Memmer while inspecting race cars alongside with the likes of Gary Herbert, Roy & Steve Trabue and many other longtime race officials. In October 2025, Faulkner was presented the Noel Hargis Lifetime Achievement Award from the Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series.
Dating back to April 22, 1995, the American Late Model Series, Jerry Rice captured the first-ever ALMS event at Eldora Speedway and the rest has been history. In 2024, Sam Driggers and Chris Tilley combined their two tours to become the Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series fueled by VP, preserving many years of history between the two organizations.
