Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Glenn Andrews, Conrad Taylor among Five to be Inducted into Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame Saturday, March 31

Auburn, Maine – The Selection Committee of the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame recently announced the names of the five individuals to be inducted into the hall of fame. The Class of 2012 is made up of three race drivers, a car owner/crew chief and one who wrote about the excitement on the track.

Bruce Elder, co-chairman of the Selection Committee and vice-president of the Maine Vintage Race Car Association, announced the members of the Class of 2012 at the General Meeting of the Maine Vintage Race Car Association held on November 9th.

The Class of 2012 inductees are: drivers Glen Andrews, Ray Leach and Bob Turner, car owner/crew chief Conrad Taylor and motorsports writer Bob Morris.

Presented by the Maine Vintage Race Car Association, the Hall of Fame Class of 2012 dinner and induction ceremonies will be held at the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday, March 31, 2012. The Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame was founded in 2004 and presently has 60 members.
The five members of the Class of 2012, with a brief summary of their contributions to motorsports in Maine, are:
– GLENN ANDREWS (Harrison), twenty year racing career began as a 15-year old when Oxford Plains Speedway opened in 1950; consistent top finisher, won on dirt and assault; 1960 champion at Northeastern Speedway in Vermont.

– RAY LEACH (Arundel), twenty-five year racing career began in 1960 at Beech Ridge Speedway; won Modified and ‘B’ Class Bomber championships at Beech Ridge; tutored son Steve; member of the Beech Ridge Hall of Fame

– BOB MORRIS (Auburn), spent nearly thirty years covering motorsports, wrote for New England Speedway Scene and Lewiston Sun Journal SUNDAY; show director for Northeast Motorsports Expo for 20 years; co-founded Maine Vintage Race Car Association.

– CONRAD TAYLOR (Farmington), has spent nearly fifty years as a crew member, crew chief and car owner; won nine track championships and over 60 races as crew chief and car owner for son Jeff Taylor at Oxford Plains Speedway.

– BOB TURNER (Waterboro), began racing at 16 at Arundel (ME) Speedway and Hudson (NH) Raceway; raced NASCAR Modifieds around New England; sat on the pole for the original “Spring Sizzler” in 1972 at Stafford (CT) Motor Speedway; raced at Beech Ridge for 20 years.

In addition, two individuals will be honored posthumously for their significant contributions to auto racing in Maine. The families of Clifford Cyr and Roger Shaw will be presented “Special Recognition” awards at the hall of fame ceremonies. Cyr was involved with auto racing nearly twenty-five years as a car owner, chief mechanic and car builder beginning in the early 1950’s at Oxford Plains Speedway. Shaw’s racing career was only fifteen years in length but was a frequent visitor to victory lane in the 1950’s and 1960’s. He won three track championships – one at Oxford Plains Speedway and two at Beech Ridge Speedway.

Reserved seat tickets for the Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremonies are $35.oo each and must be purchased and ordered by March 1, 2012. To request a “Ticket Order Form”, contact the MVRCA at 50 Beech Ridge Road – York, Maine 03909; by e-mail at [email protected] or visit the website.

For more information about the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame Class of 2012 dinner and induction ceremonies, visit the Maine Vintage Race Car Association website at www.mainevintageracecars.com.