I spent my weekend at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame for their annual induction ceremony.  It is possibly the best weekend to attend an event at Knoxville because so many of the inductees return for the event (and the racing isn't too shabby either).  If you want to run into a retired sprint car driver, mechanic, owner or promoter, Knoxville is the place to do it the weekend after Memorial Day. 

The 2008 inductees and (briefly) their accomplishments:

Tony Bettenhausen - Driver - won numerous sprint car races including  Jungle Park, Milwaukee, & Dayton.  Set the single season Champ Car races win mark at 8 of 15 races (later broken by Foyt in 1964). Won 1958 USAC Sprint Car Championship.

Dick Jordan - Media - USAC VP of Communications.  Worked for USAC since 1968 writing and directing PR efforts.  Also interpreted USAC rules for the organization.  As an aside, helped Tony Stewart purchase "Munchkin" to run at Fort Wayne's midget car race each New Year's.

John Padjen - Promoter - Promotes both Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico and Placerville Speedway.   Runs the Golden State Challenge, a 410 sprint car series that travels California.  2007 Auto Racing Promoter of the Year.

Johnnie Parsons Sr. - Driver - 1950 Indianapolis 500 winner.  1949 AAA National Championship Winner.  Between 1948-1952 won 11 national championship events and from post WWII to 1955, he accured more championship points than any other driver. 

Glenn Fitzcharles - Driver - holds records for most career URC features at 81.    Won URC championships from 1987-1990.

Kramer Williamson - Driver - "The Pink Panther" driver.  77 feature wins in sprint cars.  Track titles at Williams Grove in 1976 & 1978, at Selinsgrove in 1978 and title in the KARS circuit in 1976 & 1978.  Original member of the "Pennsylvania Posse"

Bob Hampshire - Owner - Famously hired Jack Hewitt to drive his Hampshire 63, which recorded 100 feature wins and many other top 5's in competition against the All-Stars, USAC and Silver Crown cars.  Hewitt nearly lapped the entire field twice on two separate occasions in the dirt championship sprint car.

Doug Howells -  Mechanic/Owner - Ran IMCA, WoO, NSCA, and All-Star  schedules with Don Mack, Doug Wolfgang, Jack Hewitt, Jac Haudenschild, Danny Smith, Lee Osborne, Rocky Hodges, Joe Gaerte, and Kenny Jacobs as drivers in the  white 4.  Curently working with his grandson Lee Grosz on his sprint car career.

Gordon Schroeder - Mechanic - designed torsion bars which are still used by sprint car teams and Nascar teams.  Schroeder's company has supplied sway bars to all Nascar Champions of the last decade.  During the 1970's Schroeder developed the first quick-release steering hub approved by Nascar, which eventually was used by many different forms of motorsports. 

Rusty Espinoza - Track - Briefly took photos at Carrell Speedway,   Worked signing in racers at the pit gate from 1951 until his retirement.  Worked 41 years as secretary of the CRA.  Worked for USAC as starting stand observer at Riverside and Ontario Speedways. 

Brent Kaeding - Driver - Won 375 feature events in his career (which is not over yet).  Won 13 Northern Auto RAcing Club championships; 13 Golden State Challenge championships; and 4 Trophy Cup championships.  Driving titles at Calistoga Speedway, Kings Speedway, and Ocean Speedway.  Won the NARC California Speedweek title a record 5 times. 

Earl Wagner - Driver - won 43 feature events at Knoxville.  Also raced stock cars with USAC. 

These gentlemen join approximately 72 others in the Hall of Fame.