Hall of Fame day

[Dave Severson]

This Saturday is a big day for me, my mentor, former business partner, race car driver, and later one of the guys I drove for is being inducted into the Hall of Fame at one of our old haunts, Jackson Speedway, Jackson, Mn.

Last summer Lyle and another friend were restoring a mid-70's vintage circle burner car, and I had the privilege of doing the body and paint. The car will be one of 3 on display this Saturday at the ceremony and later in the infield when the current Saturday night racers push off....

This car's name is "revenge".... A bunch of us raced at area tracks other then our home track, reason being, the guy who managed it was a real ------hmm, well not a nice guy...so we choose to race elsewhere. At the end of the season this track manager always had a "cheaters day", he swore that none of us who had "deserted" his track were good enough to win it....Well, this car did just that!!!! It was built by the late Daryl Dawley (owner), Don Reiners Jr. (driver) and a whole host of volunteer labor and parts in an amazing 33 days from start to finish..... Pushed it off for the first time Saturday afternoon, then Don Jr. won his heat, the Trophy Dash, and the Main in the car on Saturday Night!!!!!!!!.....

The car was sold that winter to some guy's in Iowa who raced it a couple years, then the race car continue to change hands until finally parked and almost forgetten until 3 years ago when a chance meeting between a few old racers brought about it's return to home turf and the restoration. This year we'll make a few shows with the car, and next spring it will be parked in the Hall of Fame and Museum in Knoxville, Ia.

Just thought I would share a bit of racing history from around here. Really great to see the car restored and going to a place where so many people can enjoy it!!!!