JOLIET, Ill. — Chuck Stebbins, an influential figure in Midwest midget auto racing, passed away July 23 at the age of 86.
Growing up in Joliet, Ill., where he went to high school, Stebbins was attracted to the midget racing at Joliet Memorial Stadium. For years, the facility was the “home track” of the United Auto Racing Association.
Stebbins, along with his brother Phil, raced midgets with Chuck finishing 29th in the UARA points standings in 1966 during his brief career behind the wheel.
Chuck Stebbins became the secretary/treasurer of UARA in 1969 and became the club’s president in 1972. Stebbins, along with several others, founded the National Alliance of Midget Auto Racing in 1972 with Stebbins becoming the new group’s first president. NAMAR was founded with the intent of bringing various midget racing associations together under similar rules with a number of special races held in order to name an overall champion.
“Dave Fall was the one behind the formation of NAMAR,” said Stebbins years later.
Fall, a racer himself, was also a motorsports writer and public relations man, even writing his “Chicago Dateline” column for several years for National Speed Sport News.
“I got things going,” said Stebbins. “I just wanted to get a big working agreement between clubs, but it was Dave’s idea to form a national organization. It (NAMAR) was basically his idea.”
Stebbins’ younger brother Phil reminisced about his brother’s early racing exploits.
“Chuck use to go to the Saturday night midget races at the “Stadium.” He raced a Chevy II for a while. He and his (late) wife Chyril got the job of scoring the races there for promoters Leo Melcher and Chuck O’Day. He became an officer of UARA and then president.”
Four-time UARA driving champion Bob Richards remembers Stebbins.
“Chuck had a humorous side and always had a joke or two,” said Richards. “He was great at coordinating things. He was a good promoter and did a lot for UARA, NAMAR and midget racing.”
Stebbins was inducted into the Mazon Speed Bowl/Grundy County Speedway Hall of Fame in 2013.
