OWENSBORO, Ky. – Three members of one of the ARCA stock car racing series most prolific winning families, one of the NASCAR Xfinity Series most successful car owners and a drag racing world champion headline the 2017 class of the Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame.
The tenth class will be enshrined during a ceremony Saturday November 4th at the Speedzeum, inside the Owensboro Science and History Museum. A pre-induction social and tours of the museum begin at 11:30 with Induction ceremonies to begin at 2:30 PM CST.
This year’s honorees include the Kimmel family of Portland and Louisville, Clarence Brewer of Central City, Noel Davis of Burnside, Dave Huber of Shively, Calhoun native Bob Kamp and Spivey Williams of Bowling Green.
The Kimmel family, led by patriarch Bill Kimmel Sr., his sons Bill Kimmel Jr., and Frank Kimmel have made a lasting impact on motorsports, shining brightest in the spotlight of the Automobile Racing Club of America. Bill Sr., raced to more than 500 feature wins and 12 track championships across Kentucky, the Midwest and eastern U.S., including three victories on the touring ARCA circuit. Bill Jr., began as a mechanic working on his father’s cars but slid behind the wheel to win four
consecutive Late Model championships at Louisville Motor Speedway from 1995 through 1998. He retired to become crew chief for his brother Frank and that’s when the winning really began. Frank Kimmel captured 10 ARCA touring series championships between 1998 and 2013,
including a remarkable 8 in a row from 2000 to 2007. Along the way he amassed 80 victories – the most in series history – and 43 pole positions.
Inductee Clarence Brewer never turned a lap in a NASCAR race but cars he fielded through his Brewco Motorsports gained 10 series victories, 11 poles and 161 top-ten finishes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Many prominent drivers filled the seats of Brewer’s cars, with wins earned by former series champion David Green of Owensboro, premier series regulars Greg Biffle and Jamie McMurray.
Another prime addition to this year’s class is Noel Davis, a long-time drag racer, 1995 International Hot Rod Association Super Stock world champion and winner of five IHRA national events in Alabama, Indiana, Ohio and Bristol, Tennessee. Davis also previously promoted U.S. 60 Dragway in Hardinsburg.
The balance of the 2017 class includes:
Dave Huber, a long-time drag racer, car builder, street rodder and event official. Huber drag raced in the 1970s, fielding powerful dragsters to wins and record performances at major events across the U.S. He became active in the growing street rod hobby and headed the National Street Rod Association’s Kentucky safety team. He remained an inspector until retiring in 2013. He still shows his fully restored classic dragsters which have earned national attention. He is actively involved in the Hall of Fame.
Bob Kamp, is a retired drag racer who turned his affinity for speed into one of the most successful high-performance parts businesses in motorsports. Kamp’s success behind the wheel of a series of sportsman class race cars translated into K-Motion Racing, which he formed in 1972. K-Motion is the industry leader in engine valve springs – a vital component to make horsepower – and the choice of performance engine builders.
Spivey Williams, is currently best known as a talk show host at Event Radio Live, covering racing and motorsports events across the state. It’s a familiar topic for Williams, who formerly ran Race World, a racing-themed entertainment business, fielded a series of Funny Cars on the IHRA and NHRA circuits.
This year’s ceremony will present its second Visionary Award to Bob Davis and P.O. Brown of Hardinsburg, who founded the Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame to recognize the contributions of Kentuckians in all forms of motorsports.
The Pioneer Award will go to Don Roberts of Owensboro, a noted racer in his era and the founder and builder of Kentucky Motor Speedway. The quarter-mile paved Whitesville oval was established in 1960 and continues operating to this day. It was here that former NASCAR champion Darrell Waltrip began his career.
The Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame is a not-for- profit, volunteer organization dedicated to preserving the history of racers and racing in the Bluegrass state and recognizing Kentuckians who have made vast and varied contributions to all forms of racing and motorsports. Past inductees include three- time NASCAR champion Darrell Waltrip of Owensboro, Indy 500 winner Danny Sullivan of Louisville,
three-time NHRA drag racing champion Darrell Alderman of Morehead and national tractor pulling
champion Allen Gaines of Georgetown.
The Kentucky Motorsports Hall of Fame accepts nominees through its website at
KentuckyMotorsportsHallofFame.com. The museum is open during usual hours of the Owensboro Museum of Science and History.
