December 27, 2004

STOCK CAR HALL OF FAME DISPLAY TO BE UNVEILED

Saratoga Springs, NY The New York State Stock Car Association Hall of Fame will soon have a permanent home in the Racing Across New York gallery of the Saratoga Automobile Museum.

An unveiling ceremony, set for 2 pm on Saturday, January 29th, will give Hall of Fame members, their families and auto racing fans and participants their first look at the three panels that will comprise the exhibit.

"The three backlit displays are each 42 inches wide by 55 inches high" said NYSSCA Hall of Fame chairman Ron Hedger, who is also a museum trustee. "One will have description of NYSSCA and the Hall of Fame along with a listing, by year, of those elected to the Hall of Fame since its inception in 1984. The other two panels will contain vintage photos of the various members, many with their cars.

"We found some great pictures and it'll be a challenge for visitors to identify everyone, as some of the drivers are shown in interesting photos with cars that were not their most familiar ride. Our thanks go out to racing photographer John Grady, historian Ed Biittig, Champlain Valley Racing Association founder CJ Richards, NYSSCA's Brian Bedell and the various family members who spent countless hours digging for photos."

The unveiling will come a week after the 2004 Hall of Fame class, comprised of drivers Brian Ross, Donnie Wetmore and Buck Holiday and photographer John Grady, is inducted at the association's annual awards banquet in nearby Albany, NY.

"Until now, the new Hall of Fame members were honored at the banquet but there was no place fans and family members could go to see the names and photos that trigger the great memories associated with the nearly 100 Hall of Fame members" said Hedger. "We'll also have a 'meet and greet' session at the unveiling where museum visitors can chat with their favorites and have memorabilia autographed."

Additional memorabilia will be on display in an adjacent showcase that will hold historic NYSSCA and Sports Car Club of America Mo-Hud Region items on a rotating basis. The Saratoga Automobile Museum also houses the Mo-Hud Region's prestigious Lewis Trophy, which displays the name of outstanding contributors to the region from 1957 to the present.

All members of the Hall of Fame and/or their family members are invited to attend the ceremony. Four passes to the museum will be provided to the family of each Hall of Fame member and can be picked up at the museum's admission desk on January 29th. The normal adult admission charge is $7, with seniors $5, but all NYSSCA members will be admitted for $4 if they present their membership card.

The Saratoga Automobile Museum is located on the Avenue of the Pines in the Saratoga Spa State Park. Through the winter, the museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm with the main Golub Gallery featuring "The Cars of Carroll Shelby, The Ford Connection" exhibit through March.