Knoxville, IA – The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the names of its eight inductees for 2025.  Those that will be inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 31, during the 35th induction ceremonies in Knoxville, Iowa, are: 

Drivers

Craig Dollansky – The Minnesota native won 66 times with the World of Outlaws and eleven times with the All Stars. The Knoxville Raceway Hall of Fame inductee won in 38 states, as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand. He won three “Ironman 55” events in a row in Pevely, Missouri, the Don Martin Memorial at Lernerville, the Skagit Nationals, the Eagle Nationals and many other big events in his 25-plus year driving career.

Damion Gardner – Despite not getting into a sprint car until age 22, or a non-wing sprint car until 26, the California native holds no less that six career records with the USAC/CRA series including most titles (10) and 108 wins (including SCRA). Damion also won three Perris Oval Nationals features, 16 USAC National events, and recorded the fastest ever speed (211.588 mph) in a sprint car on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Todd Shaffer – One of the toughest competitors in the Central PA sprint car circuit owned 196 feature wins and 13 track championships in his career. He won five titles at Port Royal, four at Selinsgrove, three at Williams Grove and one at Sharon Speedway in Ohio. Todd won many prestigious events including the Tuscarora 50 (three times) at Port Royal, the Sharon Nationals, The Jack Gunn Memorial (four times), beat the WoO at Selinsgrove and won the Selinsgrove Nationals four times.

Owners-Mechanics-Builders-Manufacturers-Car Builders

Davey Brown Jr. – Davey joins his father in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame. After learning from his father, he broke out on his own at age 20, and won the Williams Grove National Open with Kramer Williamson in 1978, and then won the event twice with Lynn Paxton in 1982 and 1983. A partnership with owner Bob Weikert and Doug Wolfgang between 1984 and 1986 saw 55 wins in 1985 alone, three National Open wins, two Knoxville Nationals titles, and a King’s Royal just to name a few. He went on to win National Open events with Kenny Jacobs (1988) and Don Kreitz Jr. (1993). He won two All Star Championships (1995-96) with Dale Blaney before his untimely passing in 1997

Don Ott – The legendary engine builder from eastern Pennsylvania got into the sport with next door neighbor and friend Fred Rahmer. After being a mechanic for awhile, Bob Weikert hired him as an engine builder, and the rest is history. Hall of Fame drivers Rahmer, Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Terry McCarl, Lance Dewease, Stevie Smith, Jason Johnson, Greg Hodnett and Todd Shaffer are a few to use his power. Hall of Fame owners Weikert and Al Hamilton also relied on Don. Other wins came from Donny Schatz, Jason Meyers, Andy Hillenburg, Jesse Hockett, Jason Sides and many more on a local and national level.

Promoters-Officials-Media Members-Event/Series Sponsors

Carlton Reimers – For over 30 years, Carlton has been the steady and calming voice when doing business with the World of Outlaws. He left his job as a policeman in 1992 to join father-in-law Ted Johnson, and soon became a voice of reason for the series. Carlton’s calming presence has soothed many a driver or promoter through the years. His network and relationships with promoters through the years has kept the World of Outlaws at many of the top tracks across the country in good and bad times. He is a recipient of the North American Sprint Car Poll Thomas J. Schmeh Outstanding Contribution to the Sport.

Steve Sinclair – Steve caught the racing bug from his father, and was a crew member and media member (Sprint Car and Midwest Racing News) before becoming Competition Director and President for the Interstate Racing Association (IRA) in 1994. The IRA has become one of the most respected 410 organizations in the country under Steve’s tenure. Steve was also a part of SLS Promotions from 2002-2006, which promoted 15-20 WoO events a year. Since 2007, in addition to his duties with IRA, he has promoted Wilmot Raceway in Wisconsin. Steve has received the North American Sprint Car Poll Thomas Jr. Schmeh Outstanding Contribution to the Sport (2010) and is a three-time 410 Promoter of the Year in the Poll.

Pre-1970

Kenny Gritz – Kenny accomplished more before the age of 25 than many do in a lifetime of racing. In 1964, he built a car, and became owner and driver. In 1965, he steadily worked up the super-modified ranks and gathered wins along the way over the next few years. In 1969, he was at his peak, using a new Don Edmunds chassis. In June, he took his first win at Knoxville Raceway. In August, he shocked many by taking the prestigious Knoxville Nationals. He went on to win three in a row at Eagle Raceway in his home state before losing his life in a non-cage IMCA race at the fairgrounds in Lincoln. Kenny’s wife, Jeanne, filed a lawsuit that had a large part in roll cages being implemented on sprint cars in 1970. 

According to National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum executive director Bob Baker, “We’d like to acknowledge the hard work put in by our National Induction Committee and we thank them for another fine class of inductees!  We are really looking forward to our 35th induction banquet at the Dyer-Hudson building on the Marion County Fairgrounds in Knoxville, Iowa on Saturday, May 31!”

For more information on the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum and the special events happening here, visit www.SprintCarHoF.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter!