Saturday, March 24, 2012

2012 Inductees - West Coast
Stock Car Hall Of Fame

Deanna and Bill McAnally (photo by Gayle McKnight Minton)

Phoenix, Ariz. – The West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame announced their 2012 inductee class and four new directors at a press conference during the Subway Fresh Fit 500 weekend at Phoenix International Raceway.

“We’re very excited about this class of inductees,” said Hall of Fame Board Chairman Ken Clapp. “In some cases these gentlemen are nearly forgotten, so it’s great to reconnect with them and their families.”

As is the case with every class, the inductees are broken down into a historic division (from 1930-1970) and a modern division (1971-today).

The 2012 West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame 2012 Class:

Modern:

-Butch Gilliland, the 1997 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion and winner of 13 victories in the division. His then-crew chief, son David Gilliland, currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

-Vic Kurten, a prominent Ford car owner during 1970s. With the late Sonny Easley driving, Kurten’s car won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West’s first race at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway.

-Bill McAnally, a five-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series West owner champion, former series driver and promoter at various West Coast tracks including Roseville (Calif.) Speedway.

-Pat McElreath, crew chief for Hall of Fame member Herschel McGriff, who won 12 races with McElreath in 1972. The two also paired for a fifth-place finish in the 1973 Daytona 500.

Classic:

-The Justice brothers, whose fuel and lubrication additives have been and continue to be used by competitors not only in stock cars but throughout the industry. The company is a pioneer in contingency sponsorship of racing teams.

-B.L Marchbanks, whose 1.4-mile Marchbanks Speedway near Hanford, Calif. hosted a number of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races whose winners included Fireball Roberts. The track also staged several U.S. Auto Club races under promotion of Hall of Fame member J.C. Agajanian won by A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti and Gordon Johncock.

-Bob Phillipi, a Northern California Lincoln-Mercury dealer, won in the 1940s and 1950s. His drivers included Hall of Fame members Marvin Burke, Ben Gregory and Johnny Soares.

-Fred Steinbroner, raced out of Los Angeles and won several races in the pre-NASCAR days and once held the all-time track record on the wall at Oakland Speedway driving a Lincoln.

The 2012 class will be inducted during a gala event June 21 at Napa Smith Brewery (NapaSmithBrewery.com) in Napa Valley, Calif., during the NASCAR weekend at Infineon Raceway, which showcases the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

During the press conference, Clapp also announced the appointment of four new directors to the Hall. They are Blake Bechtel, Ralph Sheheen, Bryan Sperber and Wayne Wells.

The Hall, which inducted its inaugural class in 2002, was founded in 2001. It memorializes significant contributors to the sport’s development and history – including designers, engineers, mechanics, drivers, racetrack owners, promoters, publicists and members of the motorsports media.

For additional information about the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame, please visit WestCoastStockCarHallofFame.com. To obtain details about table sponsorship for the 2012 awards dinner, contact Dusty Brandel at 818-842-7005, dusty.brandel@gmail.com or Chairman Ken Clapp at 925-552-9887.


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