“I attended a Dayton Auto Racing Fan Club meeting in early 2008 when they were featuring ‘Young Guns,’ explained Mike Thompson. “During the Q and A some old guy in the audience asked them if they knew about Dayton Speedway. Some thought that he was referring to Daytona Speedway, and some thought that it was a new track that was going to be built.
“I was shocked since I’d raced at Dayton in the ’60s and did the advertising and PR for the track in 1975-1976,” Thompson added. “I decided to start a website to remind folks that there used to be a nationally known track on Dayton’s west side.”
With more than 300,000 visits, DaytonSpeedwayLives.com has resurrected the history of the half-mile track that operated from 1934 through 1982. The list of drivers who raced there are like a Who’s Who of open-wheel and stock-car racing and, after a year, Thompson determined there should be a Hall of Fame, which also resides in cyberspace.
“This year is our third class for the HOF, and we had about 180 people attend the ceremony,” he said.
The inductees are nominated by the visitors to the website, and each year 10 are inducted, with seven of this year’s class being locals.
“Unfortunately, only two of the inductees are alive, but both Don Wilbur and Don Flory were at the ceremony,” Thompson said.
Among the inductees, presumably the most welL-known was Benny Parsons, the legendary ARCA and NASCAR champion who turned many a lap at Dayton. Parsons later became a very successful NASCAR TV commentator and his sons attended the ceremony where his first “big-time” stock car, a 1968 Ford Torino, was also on display.
Don Wilbur started at Dayton selling sodas and later became a highly successful driver at Dayton Speedway, driving for Bellbrook’s Jack Isaac. Wilbur drove late models, semi-late models, modifieds and sprint cars at the track and in 1966 won 50 races driving for Isaac. Isaac was also inducted to the HOF this year.
Don Flory watched races at Dayton as a kid and later was behind the wheel of cars at the track. When hard times hit the speedway in 1970, Flory vowed to resurrect that track which he did, re-opening it in 1975 and being there until it closed in 1982.
Iggy Katona raced at Dayton from 1951 through 1970, logging more than 10,000 laps at the track and six victories in his 51 races there.
Dick Dunlevy Sr. started at Dayton in 1949, racing the weekly Wednesday night and Sunday afternoon events. He also raced 11 ARCA events at Dayton and is survived by a son, Dick Jr., who is now in his 43rd year of racing locally.
Miamisburg’s Frank Jones built or owned many winning cars at Dayton Speedway while also operating a successful real estate business.
Omar Williams, the “Dean of Dayton Sportscasters,” was also the track announcer at Dayton Speedway for the big events, like the USAC and ARCA races.
Johnny Shackleford was a Daytonian who was a fast sprint car driver, hoping to get to the Indianapolis 500 by way of the high banks. He often had bad luck due to mechanical problems, but in 1948 at Dayton, after setting a fast time, it looked like he might find victory lane. Instead, Shackelford lost control of his car at the start of the feature race and crashed to his death.
Lastly, Nelson Stacy was from Cincinnati, but made his way north to race in Dayton with the ARCA series. Stacy won three ARCA races in a row at Dayton in the ’50s including the prestigious 1958 Dayton 500.
To learn more about the Dayton Speedway, the DS Hall of Fame, and to see photos, go online to www.daytonspeedwaylives.com.
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