8/23/08
Just added a few nice photos of some early Ed Canupp race cars on the Dorsey page, a photo of Ace Canupp driving Ed's car at Beltsville on the Beltsville page and a photo to the Photo Gallery page of Rick Schmelyun talking to former Dorsey racer Rick Mendelson. Thanks to racers Ron Rowles and Rick Mendelson for the photos. You can sometimes catch Rick at Eastern Museum of Motor Racing events driving the former Al Hamilton sprinter. He is also a representative for G-Force Racing Gear. 
Just a note, no photos on this website were taken from any other website. It is possible that more than one website may have the same photos.

8/22/08
I have just posted some new photos to the Dorsey, Hagerstown and Marlboro pages. Thanks to Roy Coghill, Jack Harrison and Jim Dockery for the pictures. On the Marlboro page there is a piture of two men in ties and an unnamed driver, on the Dorsey page there are two photos of the Heffner #88 I need the names of those two drivers. I'd aprreciate any help on these.
Jeff Shepherd is improvong dailey and is not in ICU anymore. Last Monday he was ok'd to eat a real meal. Cards can reach him at: Shepherds Service Center-PO Box 830- Finksburg, Md. 21048


8/21/08
Had the pleasure of meeting 1950's driver Roy Coghill this week. Roy was kind enough to loan me his personal scrap book so I could post some photos and other information on the website. I have added the photos to the Marlboro, Hagerstown and Dorsey pages. If you have not had the oppurtunity to talk to these stars of the past you are missing one of the pure pleasures of auto racing. We don't hear the term "bench racing" anymore but it is a wonderful way to relive the past. Many of my friends accuse me of living in the past because of my knowledge of 50's rock and roll (yeah I still listen to Bill Haley, Fats, Little Richard, The Platters and the rest) and the great old days of sportsman-modified racing. Well I happen to be very proud that I got to live during that time and at an age when I could understand what it was all about. Don't ever pass up an oppurtunity to talk to the likes of Roy, Junior Tauber, Bucky Guilfoy, Pee Wee Pobletts, Chuck Talbert, Mike Tauber, Ace Canupp and the list goes on. Their stories are marvelous. And the ingenuity they used to make those FORDS go is incredible.Man di I love it.



8/17/08
In case you have not heard I have the following bad news:  Alan Sagi, Super Late Model driver, from Hagerstown was hurt in an accident at a track in Pennsylvania. Alan received several broken bones. Alan is the son of legendary Hagerstown-Beltsville announcer Frank Sagi and has raced late models for several years. He has won a few Limited Late Model Championships at Hagerstown.
Jeff Shepherd, Super Sprint driver, from Upperco, Md. was injured at the Knoxville Nationals last weekend. Jeff received a severe concussion and was in a hospital in Iowa. Jeff was driving the Zemco Sprinter and was only running the high paying shows this year. He won the Pa. Speedweek race at Hagerstown recently.
We wish both drivers a speedy recovery. I'm sorry for being late with this news but I was away and have just caught up on my racing paper reading. There is a fund set up for Jeff but I have no further details at this time. They were collecting money at Lincoln Speedway last night.

I have posted some photos of models on the Models of Yesterday page. These were built by Jim Brewer of Philadelphia and Harry McCaughey of Hummelstown, Pa. These two fellows build some of the most beautiful stock car models I have ever seen. Please enjoy. It's gratifying to see some out-of-towners build models of some of Maryland's nicest stock cars. The bad part is these models are not for sale. So the photos will have to do.


8/1/08
I have completed the details for the Annual Reunion and End of Season Bullroast. Details are on the Events page. I have managed to keep the cost as low as possible and still have a very nice event. I have also come up with movies from Dorsey Speedway and Hagerstown Speedway.  Tickets will be available on August 16, 2008. After I return from vacation. Last year's event drew drivers who had raced at every track in Maryland from the very early '50's to the present. Many had won track championships over the years. Attendees came from as far away as Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware.



Thanks to Jim Dockery of Glen Burnie I have posted a few new pictures of Reds Kagle at Beltsville, and picture of Ed Canupp at Dorsey. Ron Rowles, former Dorsey driver, has sent some pictures of his race cars and they are on the Dorsey page. I have also listed alot more of the drivers that raced at Potomac. On the inductee page I have added a (D) next to those drivers that have passed away. 


The mission of this Hall of Fame is to preserve the history of stock car racing in the state of Maryland and to maintain the memory of those individuals who excelled in the sport. The Maryland Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization created to provide a history of stock car racing in Maryland. Access to the website is free and plans are to keep it that way. Hopefully the Hall of Fame will bring back many pleasant memories of those days spent at the wonderful speedways that once thrived in the Free State. I hope many of you are still supporting our current speedways: Potomac, Hagerstown and Cumberland.
 
Induction to the Hall of Fame will be determined by the following criteria: a track, state or national championship in the following categories: 1950's Sportsman, Modified, Late Model Sportsman, Sprint Car, Super Late Model and Grand National (Currently Nextel Cup). To simplify things the term Super Late Model will be used for the Late Model class that replaced the Modifieds as the primary class at Hagerstown and Dorsey. Potomac also had a late model class as their primary class. These late models evolved into the Super Late Model class. The Hall of Fame is for drivers, mechanics and car owners who were from Maryland. Drivers from other states that raced in Maryland to win national championships and Maryland speedway championships will also be included. There will be special Hall of Fame categories for promotors, officials and others that contributed to the sport in Maryland.
 
All of the material contained in the website is from my own personal collection which has been acquired over the years. A special thank you is due Mike and Junior Tauber, Danny Woolford, Bucky Guilfoy and Jim Carlsen for loaning me their scrap books and video tapes. Additionally I would like to thank the following: Doug Johnson, Dick and Merrilee Jones, Harold Sears, the Danie Ferguson Family, George Dilks, Jeffrey Slayton, Franklin Taylor and Roddy Langley. Viewers are welcomed to notify me of any errors that may appear. If you possess any photos, stories or other information that you would like to have included on the website please notify me. I am currently looking for info about Potomac Speedway champions and Hagerstown Modified champions for the 50's and early 60's. Also, if you reproduce anything from the website it would be appreciated that you acknowlege us. Contact us at: oldtimers@mdscrhof.org

As information: My Name is Al Torney and I live in Annapolis, Maryland. I attended my first stock car race in 1953 at Westport Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. I have been a fan ever since. More than any thing else I miss the old Sportsman-Modifieds of the '50's and early '60's before they started cutting them down. However,I still love them all.