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Dave Tradup

Ken Boeding

Ray McAlister

Mike Blowers

Joe Wurst

Dick Trimble

By Myron Grage

The 2025 Class of Inductees for the Chateau Speedway Hall of Fame will be honored this Friday Night during intermission of the night’s racing action. The Hall of Fame Roll Call, with this fifth class, will increase to 40 members with the addition of the six new members. This year’s class combined for over 130 Feature wins and 10 Track Championships over the course of 62 of those 69 years.

The earliest tenured driver going into the Hall of Fame this year is Joe Wurst, whose stat line shows him running in 1958 and all the way up until his final win in 1980. Racing out of Blooming Prairie, Joe’s Feature wins place him in the top 100 all time and although he never garnered a Track Championship he was around the front often and finished top five in points in 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1968. He finished runner-up in 1968. 

Joe, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 80, will be represented by his family according to his son Randy Wurst, who also raced for several years.

Another driver whose family racing roots at The Track date a ways going back to 1957 is Ray McAllister of Mapleview, who made his mark at The Track from the 70’s into the early 90’s. His brother Don started taking wins at Chateau in 1957 and was an inaugural HOF class inductee in 2019.  Ray was the 1986 Street Stock Track Champion whose Feature win total falls under the category of undetermined.  

Ray, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 63, will be represented by his family according to his Daughter Dina O’Hara.

1994 WISSOTA Super Stock Track Champion at Chateau and Runner-up in the National Points race for the division that year, Dave Tradup of Viola will join the Hall of Fame after a racing career that covered over 20 years at Lansing. Whereas Dave’s first wins at Chateau came in the mid 70’s, his family history at Chateau dates back to 1957 when his Dad Paul started picking up a few wins.  Dave ranks in the top-25 all time in Feature wins at The Track.

Five time Track Champion Mike Blowers of Waseca will be inducted into the HOF after winning titles in two different classes.  Mike was the 2009 Senior Hornet Class Track Champion and then backed that up with WISSOTA Street Stock Championships in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016.  He ranks top-5 all time in Feature wins at Lansing.  Mike unfortunately has prior commitments for the weekend and will not be in attendance, however, he has chosen another former driver, Jesse Baer, to represent him to accept his award.

For the first time a Mini-Sprint Driver will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.  Ken Boeding of New Hampton, who claimed three titles in the division in 2001, 2002, and 2003 ranks in the top 50 in all time feature wins.  The class came and went several times between 1977 and 2003 making it difficult for drivers to put a long history in but Ken took advantage of the time given him at The Track.

A “Legacy” inductee is included in every class to honor someone who contributed to The Track over the years other than as a driver. This year the committee chose to honor Dick Trimble of Trimble’s Cycle Center of Austin. Dick’s long time sponsorship of The Track started back in the 60’s and the family business continues to be one of the sponsors.  Dick passed away at age 84 in 2012 and according to son Jeff Trimble, family will be on hand to represent their dad on Friday Night.

Special Treat for fans on Friday night will be several of Chateau’s historic cars on hand to check out, including the ’61 Chevy Tradup drove to his Super Stock Championship in 1994. Other cars are also being lined up to be on hand for fans to reminisce over. Along with the cars it’s also a special night for fans to get to visit with many past racing friends. Racing action gets underway at 7:45 p.m. and the Induction Ceremony will take place after the heat races. 

With 278 Track Championships having been awarded over the years and close to 750 names on the list of drivers who have won at least one Feature the list of names who are deserving of Hall of Fame recognition is a lengthy one and a daunting task for the HOF committee each year to come up with just five choices and one Legacy Inductee.

Chateau Speedway Hall of Fame History:

2019: “Original Class of 15”: Dave Bjorge, Ole Brua, Verlin Eaker, Mike Guttormson, Don Lowe, Don McAlister, Dave Noble, Greg Pfeifer, LeRoy Scharkey, John “Sonny” VanWilgen, Mert Williams, Gerhard Wollenburg, Don Wytaske. Legacy Inductees:  Original Owners-Builders-Promoters: Art Smith & Howard Smith.

2021: Rex Garr, Bryan Hernandez, Ron Kester, Wendell Kuehn, Mike Sorensen Legacy Inductee: Long Time Flagman: Ron Ross

2022: Louis “Bud” Lomholt, Larry Nelson, Todd Scharkey, Steve Sorensen, Dick Veldman.  Legacy Inductee:  Mechanic: Maynard White

2024: Maynard “Smokey” Campbell, Jimmy Davis, Steve Eischens, Albert Wytaske, Mark Wytaske.  Legacy Inductees: Drivers & Matters Crossflags Souvenirs’: Floyd & Carmen Matter

2025: Mike Blowers, Ken Boeding, Ray McAlister, Dave Tradup, Joe Wurst.  Legacy:  Dick Trimble – Trimble’s Cycle Center: Long Time Track and Car Sponsor