We are proud to announce that for the 2005 season,
Team Besecker will launch a fund raising program
benefiting the National Sprint Car Hall Of Fame And
Museum. We have titled this project "A Summer To
Remember", as in 2005 we will remember and honor
those racers who have made these laps before us by
supporting The National Sprint Car Hall Of Fame and
Museum.
Why Is Team Besecker Launching A Fund Raising
Effort For The National Sprint Car Hall Of Fame And
Museum?
Besides 2005 being The Besecker family's 50th year in
racing, and the fact that The National Sprint Car Hall Of
Fame is a 100% non-profit organization, funded solely
by folks like us, there were several other circumstances
that inspired Kevin to want to "do something" for The
National Sprint Car Hall Of Fame.
One of those circumstances came mid-summer in 2004
at Bloomington Speedway. Kevin was fortunate
enough to be pitted right beside Chuck Amati, who had
come out of "a retirement" to pilot his grandson,
Shawn Wade's, sprint car. Chuck had just returned
from his induction into the Hall Of Fame and had
decided to "go racing" on his way back home. This was
an honor, in and of itself, to be able to spend an evening
with "The One Armed Bandit", but there was a bigger
inspiration for Kevin to want to contribute to The Hall Of
Fame.
Chuck's smile was as big as the sun and his eye's
twinkled so bright as he vividly described his Hall Of
Fame Induction to Kevin., "They treated me like a
KING!", he said. He was so jubilant and was seemingly
so surprised at how well he was treated on his special
weekend. Kevin was almost taken back, because his
reaction was that Chuck WAS a king and deserved to
be treated so! That got Kevin thinking that if these "old
timers" are surprised at how well they are treated when
they are inducted into THE HALL OF FAME, this sport is
doing something wrong. Kevin was quite sure that
other sport's athletes, like Magic Johnson or Johnny
Bench, probably weren't SURPRISED to be treated well
during their inductions to their Halls. If Chuck was
surprised, then to Kevin it meant that THIS
GENERATION of racers and race fans have not done
enough to make these heroes feel worthy. This made
Kevin want to act NOW, as one of this generation's
racers, to show these "old timers" that they are indeed
important and valuable, instead of waiting until he is an
"old timer" himself. This experience also inspired Kevin
to want to try to help make sure that The Hall Of Fame
would continue to have funds to put smiles on the faces
of racers such as Chuck Amati, who spent many years
putting smiles on the faces of race fans and race drivers
alike.
The largest motivator came during this year's PRI show
in Indianapolis, Indiana. Every year The Sprint Car Hall
Of Fame hosts an awards reception for winners of their
Poll Awards. Immediately following the ceremony, they
host one of only a very few Hall Of Fame Reunions.
Kevin had attended the awards reception to support his
fellow racers who were receiving awards. It was after
that awards reception, that Kevin became very alarmed.
After the awards for current drivers were handed out,
the entire room cleared, leaving only a small hand full of
people to stay for The HOF Reunion. Racers, industry
types and fans, left before the Hall Of Fame drivers took
the stage for their reunion. This bothered Kevin so
much ,as he couldn't possibly understand what anyone
had to do that was so important that they couldn't
spend 30 more minutes honoring those heroes. He felt
that many of his generation's racers and racing people
turned their back on the very people who made this
sport for them. This action made Kevin want to get
involved and, in turn, get other's involved in honoring
racing's past. Best said, it is Kevin's hope that with a
program like this, it will bring education and awareness
of The Hall Of Fame, it's mission and it's heritage and
therefore, in the future, will encourage more people to
support it's efforts.
We sincerely hope that you will consider joining us in
our efforts to support The National Sprint Car Hall Of
Fame. The Hall Of Fame has given our heroes a place
to be immortalized and has housed the resources to
keep future generations informed of Sprint Car Racing's
fine heritage. Our efforts today will help to ensure that
The National Sprint Car Hall Of Fame can remain a
fitting tribute to Sprint Car racing's past and a valuable
historical archive for all of those in Sprint Car racing's
future.
Questions?: Email Us!
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