CenDiv Awards
This was created to recognize those individuals who have helped to shape Central Division SCCA, including those from 2006 and prior when Areas 4 and 5 were combined as one division. The inductees are selected by the Hall of Fame Committee.
The CenDiv Hall of Fame trophy and the CenDiv Director’s trophy are both located at the Paddock Shop at Road America. They sit next to the Governor’s Cup.
| 2024 | Bev Heilicher | Chicago | Bev joined SCCA in 1978. She had originally been active with the club prior to becoming a member in SCCA’s TSD Rally and Solo programs. One evening at her Corvette Club meeting, a representative from SCCA came to solicit workers to help with Chicago Region’s June Sprints event. She decided to help out and put together a group of volunteer workers to caravan to Elkhart Lake and worked at the event. Since then, for her, she has never stopped volunteering. Bev believes in SCCA mantra of “you come for the cars, but you stay for the people.” |
| Bev originally started out in Land O’Lakes Region(LOL) and obtained her National licenses in Registration, Tech, Timing & Scoring, Race Administration and Pits/Grid. She was a 9 year Board member of LOL having been an Asst. RE, Secretary, and Treasurer. She also was the Regional Administrator of Race Admin for the region. She always worked with the volunteers as a “team” effort. Bev also was the division’s Scheduling Representative for 9 years when the division was the original Central Division (which was Central and Great Lakes Divisions together). One day she was approached by Norm Esau and Dick Kantrud (both National Stewards) to become a Steward. Bev took on the Steward-In-Training (SIT) program, even creating the first SIT Training Guidelines for the current SITs and future SITs and works as a Mentor to new SITSs in the program across the country. She has worked her way up the ranks and is currently a National Steward. Bev currently serves as Chair of the Stewards Training & Development Committee, the Chair of the Runoffs Stewards Training Program, and is a member of the Court of Appeals (COA), when not being a past Chief Steward of the June Sprints and is currently the Race Director for the Cat Majors. Bev has also served 29 years as the Co-Chief of Competitors Services (previously known as Protest Central) at the Runoffs. In 2018 Bev was awarded Steward Worker of the Year and in 2022 she was the recipient of the Dave Morrell Award which honors a National Steward who has exhibited outstanding performance and dedication to the sport and the highest principles. The winner is selected by the Chairman of the Stewards Program and the Executive Stewards. | |||
| 2024 | Jack Kolpack | Blackhawk Valley | Jack Kolpack joined SCCA on September 1, 1971, transferring to Blackhawk Valley Region in 1974 from San Francisco Region. He is currently the Central Division’s points keeper taking on that responsibility in 2006 and he received the SCCA Area 5 Director’s Award in October 2021 for his many years of dedicated service in this capacity. Jack Kolpack became the Chief of Timing & Scoring in the early 1980’s and at that time developed a timing and scoring system for use at sports car races. He created a computer software program called “TS Manager” that was simple and easy to learn and produced GCR compliant results. It ran on an 8086 IBM computer. He adapted the program to work with an early electronic timer, the Chronomix 731, which could accept input from an infrared timing light to assist the T&S personnel. Results could be produced in a VERY timely manner. As the computer environment went from a DOS operating system to Windows, Jack updated the program. With the early adoption of TRANSPONDERS, Jack again changed his software to able to take the raw transponder information and produce results. Jack created a business called RJK systems to market the system and with his wife, Ruth, used his computer timing software for numerous other events including all City of Beloit, Wisconsin Triathlons, Beloit Street Go Kart races, and several Eagle River 24-hour snowmobile events. When the American Speed Association began to broadcast on TNN television, he became their Timing and Scoring chief integrating his timing software into the live TV broadcast. He also used his software for Blackhawk Farms Raceway’s airplanes and cars Vintage events. Over the years, he enjoyed the club’s road rallies and social events, and he was active on the Board. |
| Year | Inductees | Region | Recongnition |
| 2023 | Tracey Gauper | Milwaukee | Tracey has been a Milwaukee member since 8/29/1996. Currently she is on the Central Division Board of Directors and is Treasurer from 2011 to present. In the Milwaukee Region, she has held the following offices: Board of Director 2008/2009 – 2013/2014, Region Secretary 2008/2009 – 2010/2011, Co-Chair – Competition Committee 2001/2002 – current. She is the Recipient of: the Susie Bonneau Memorial Work of the Year 2007 & 2019, Wuesthoff Award recipient in 2013 (this award is Milwaukee Region’s highest award given annually to a member for long time meritorious service to the Region), Uihlein Award in 2001 (this award is a sportsmanship awards given for going above and beyond the call of duty). Tracey is a multi-tasker. While being the CenDiv Treasurer she makes sure all the appropriate paperwork is compliant and on-time with the National Office. She has filled in as division webmaster keeping the site current. She’s the Drivers School Administrator, making sure all student’s data/novice permits are in order. She reviews the Supplemental Regulations, Schedule, and Entry form to comply with the GCR. She posts the event on Motorsportsreg.com. and handles the track contract and vendors billings for the event and schedules the appropriate medical personnel. Tracey has also worked with the Spring Training Committee and has served on its committee to make sure the various areas are covered let alone within the budget. Tracey works at several events in the Division as a Registrar for Chicago & Milw/BVR events and is the Event Chair for the Cat Majors. She fills in wherever help is needed. While multi-tasking, she still manages to be on the grid when Greg (her husband) is on track for his sessions and handles pit communications while racing. She manages to work with other racing sanction groups making sure their customers are happy and want to return. In 2019 Tracey never missed a beat doing what was needed to be done when she was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer and then followed up with a broken foot during the same timeframe. Tracey Gauper is a hard worker for her region and the division. She makes sure she does “checks & balances” in everything she does for both the region and the division. |
| 2023 | Robert "Bob" Stone | Chicago | Bob was a member of CenDiv’s Chicago Region since 1973 after transferring here from Ohio. He was active as a member of the Chicago Region Competition Committee, and the Regions Board of Directors from 2010 to 2015 and from 2017 until his death in 2021. He was awarded the Chicago Region Founders Award in 2015. He served on the CenDiv Hall of Fame committee from 2013 until his death and provided valuable insight into potential candidates’ history and value to CenDiv and SCCA. Bob led the way in promoting events and securing financial and product support for CenDiv racers. Ever mindful of the Volunteers, he developed the IndyCar worker rides, CenDiv Runoffs sweatshirts and WeatherTech giveaways. Bob was truly an asset to his region and the division. |
| Year | Inductee | Region | Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Andy McDermid | Detroit | Andy started out autocrossing in 1987 at the Super National in Canfield, OH. Andy had never done an autocross before. He won with the best time in the class. He continued to autocross in 1987-1988 with a E Street Prepared car - a 1979 Mustang. Andy joined Western Michigan region in June of 1987. In 1988 Andy drove a driving School and Regionals with Fred Hetherwick's Sports Renault. He and Fred took turns racing the Renault. Andy began racing national in 1989. He attended his first Runoff in 1990. In 1995 A-Sedan became a national class. Andy turned his SSGT car into an A-Sedan car. For the 1990-1991 seasons Andy drove SCCA Sport Truck races with a Ford Ranger. This was a Pro Series which was a support race for Trans Am Series. Andy also participated in the SCCA World Challenge races with a Cobra R Mustang. Andy won the 2000 SCCA Runoffs and continued collecting wins in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2015,2016. Besides racing, Andy has serves as a Category Representative for the CRB. Andy has always been willing to help out a fellow competitor or prep shop with his knowledge of the Mustang. Andy has been an avid supporter of SCCA whether it be solo, road racing or pro racing. He has contributed to SCCA National , his region and to the division. |
| 2022 | William (Bill) Porter | Milwaukee | Bill became a member of Milwaukee Region in 1968. Bill was an S2000 driver and also drove some production cars. Bill was a very active member and was on the Board of the region from 1977 - 19778, then again 1984- 1985. He was a Regional Executive from 1983 - 1984; a Competition Chair in 1978 -1979 and again in 1984 - 1985. In 1989 Bill was awarded a Special Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the Milwaukee Region. Bill like racing but his primary interest was in restoring the vintage cars. Bill also became a steward. If another driver approach Bill about a fellow driver being a moving road black, Bill would listen and took it under advisement. Then Bill would walk over to the driver and have a quite discussion and explained the issues at hand. Being an attorney by profession, in the SOM hearing he would discuss the pros and cons of the incident as discussing it to a jury including the citations of the GCR. In the early 2000's Bill worked with the division leadership to Incorporate the division. He made sure the future of the Division would have proper legal authority should there something come up. Bill was taken from the region/division to soon in 2006 at the age of 69 from cancer. Bill was a dedicated car enthusiast, motor sport historian, race car driver, and teach. There is also a book written about Bill by author Bob Birmingham. |
No awards presented due to COVID-19
| Year | Inductee | Region | Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Jeff Miller | Milwaukee | Jeff became active with SCCA in 1968. Jeff, a retired pilot with the Kohler Company, earned his National/Full Competition license in 1969 and co-founded Wynnfurst Racing driving a B-Production Corvette. Wynnfurst Racing has a long and rich history going back to the 1970’s. Jeff has six SCCA National Championship in D Sports Racer and C Sports Racer classes, as well as thirteen June Sprints victories. Being a corporate pilot, he travel many times to the Kohler engine plant in Toronto. At the time, Kohler engines were being used for military drones. However, Jeff thought that the engine could also be adapted to be a racecar engine. With Kohler phasing out of the engine sector, Kohler gifted one engine to Jeff. Jeff then worked with Carl Haas to build a chassis specifically for the Kohler engine. Now more than thirty years later, Wynnfurst is still fielding Lola chassis with Kohler engines. Jeff is currently associated with Kohler and Road America. |
| 2020 | William (Bill) Pedersen | Chicago | Bill joined SCCA early in 1970’s. Bill served as one of the region’s tech scrutineers. Bill was on the originators of tech training. He wanted to make sure his fellow scrutineers were up to date on the latest tech changes in the General Competition Rules (GCR) and started to hosted tech training sessions while at the events. Bill also was a Regional Executive for Chicago Region. However his passion was for training new crew/old members regarding various tasks that scrutineers are required to perform at the events. Bill eventually got his son Bill Jr. to get involved in SCCA and Bill Jr. became a driver for both the club side of racing as well as the TransAm series. |
| Year | Inductee | Region | Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Scott Sanda | Chicago | Scott became involved with SCCA in 1993. He currently holds a Full Competition license and always encourages younger drivers to get involved. Scott’s oldest son Connor also races with dad. He and Dad both race SRF3 as well as Scott campaigns a GT2 -TransAm Cadillac car. Scott has also served on the region’s Competition Committee and was Regional Executive. Scott also has worked Emergency Services for the division races. Scott is a big promotor of the CenDiv Champ Series and is one of the series sponsors. |
| 2019 | George Laws | Chicago | George began his venture with SCCA in 1972 in Flagging & Communications. He has been a Chicago RE, and currently holds the thankless and arduous job as the CenDiv Scheduling Rep. George also developed the Region’s PDX/Track Day program well before Track Night in America. George has also served on the Region’s Competition Committee and currently is the Office Manager for Chicago Region. At the track, you will find George behind the wheel as one of the region’s pace car drivers. George was the recipient of the SCCA Member of Excellence Award for 2021. |
| Year | Inductee | Region | Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Dee Duncan | Neohio | Dee has been a member of SCCA since joining the club in 1971 – 47 years in May. She joined SCCA when she purchased her first car, an MG Midget. Seems she bought it because it was cute, a nice little convertible with wire wheels in the sweetest shade of yellow called “pale primrose.” What young girl wouldn’t love driving a car like that…especially one that grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania. Apparently, the snow belt didn’t figure into Dee’s equation in June at the time of her purchase. Luckily there was an SCCA competitor (Norm Borzon) in the dealership (ostensibly trying to convince the dealer to sponsor his bugeye sprite) when she went to pick up the car. She was surprised to find the car had THREE pedals! Who knew? and you had to move this gear shift thingy in order to make it go. At the dealer’s suggestion her new friend Norm took her out and taught her how to drive the car and she was able to get it home. Norm suggested that now that she had a “sportscar” she should join the Sports Car Club of America and get involved, and thus began her odyssey in the club. Her first region was Misery Bay Region in Erie. The membership was planning their first Regional Race and wanted the membership to all be adept at one of the specialties. Dee tried Timing & Scoring first but found that math not being her strongest skill wasn’t exactly her cup of tea. Flagging and Communications came next and she worked up to a National License with the Lake Erie Communications Group and met her husband Don while working at Nelson Ledges. The two were married in September of 1975 (after of course consulting the race schedule) to plan the wedding. She moved to Ohio and joined the NeOhio Region with her new husband. And she found her real niche in Registration and decided that was indeed the place for her. She also served as Race Chairman, NE Ohio Board member and as the Cen-Div Scheduling Rep for several years. As Scheduling Rep for the “old” CenDiv there were many scheduling meetings at the Roundtable that used to last way into the night, only to resume the next morning. There were also times where only two region representatives were allowed into the room for scheduling. Armed with her Operations Manual, GCR, Calendar and her lists of racetrack owner’s phone numbers, she managed to finalize a schedule so that Regions, volunteers and competitors new what the racing season dates were so that they could start planning their own schedules and travels. In 1980 she was asked to chief the first 24- hour race at Nelson called the Longest Day and came up with a system for four or five different drivers sharing the same car. The auto manufacturers watched this event with great interest and it wasn’t too many years later that the Playboy Series was born. Soon after, the Longest Day became part of the Pro Racing Calendar. Partway through the first full season of endurance racing Dee was “asked” (after suggesting to the people at Pro Racing they were doing registration all wrong) to come and fix the system. She worked with Robyn Jones and Patc Henry as a field staff member for several years and was named the Chief Registrar for Pro Racing in 1991 and was responsible for the Liquid Tide Trans Am Tour, the Escort Endurance Series and the Shellzone Truck Series among others. She became a full-time SCCA employee during the Mitch Wright era at SCCA and handled Series Administrator duties for the Trans Am. When Trans Am was sold to the Panoz Sanchez Group and next to Paul Gentilozzi she was asked to continue with the series as TA Manager. As TA fields began to decline in the early 2000s manufacturer interest shifted towards the World Challenge and SCCA needed a registrar for the World Challenge, and Dee was asked to step in again. Pro Racing President Bob WIldberger hired Dee again as an SCCA Pro Racing employee and she has remained there ever since. She handles sanction agreements and schedules with tracks for all SCCA Pro Series, requests insurance and trains registrars and works with Pro Racing special projects like the international Formula E series. She has served as the TV coordinator in the booth with the announcers and in the TV truck with directors and producers for both Pro Racing events and for the SCCA Runoffs. She has also been a coordinating producer for the Dodge Viper Series. According to Dee, she is planning on “retiring” from Pro Racing at the end of 2018. She is a contributing editor for SportsCar Magazine and has worked with many drivers as their PR representative over the years with her part time PR company Motion Promotions. |
| 2018 | Karen Mattacotti | Milwaukee | Karen joined SCCA in 1966 with the Milwaukee Region. Karen was the first female to hold the position of Regional Executive in the country. She was very active in the regions activities. She held a National license in Registration, Flagging & Communications, Timing & Scoring and Race Administration. She also worked on the region’s Competition Committee. Karen also served as the region’s Treasurer for over 20+ years. Karen was also instrumental in working on the Spring Training meeting and the Roundtable for the Central Division. |
| Year | Inductee | Region | Recognition | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Aaron "Butch" Deer | Chicago | Aaron Deer, better known to his racing friends as “Butch” was a Formula Vee driver. Butch was a school teacher in Chicago public school system. He started DRE with Ron Ruttenberg which provided Formula Vee parts, supplies, tires, advice, and car preparation. He eventually went on to purchase WREP Industries and added safety equipment to the business. Butch and Ron were part of the organizers of the Formula Vee Birthday parties, currently hosting its 20th anniversary. Butch was on the Board of Directors for the Pro Vee Promotions. Each year there was a series of Formula Vee Pro races at various tracks around the country. Butch is current a full competition license holder as well as a tech scrutineer at the road racing events. | |
| 2017 | Harvey West | Land O'Lakes | Harvey’s lifelong passion was auto racing. Harvey joined Land O’Lakes (LOL) region in 1961. He started to drive in 1977. Harvey competed in over 350 races, racing in categories SSGT, SSA, SSB, SSC, and A-Sedan. Harvey raced 30 consecutive years in CenDiv qualifying him to receive 17 invites to the SCCA Championship Runoffs. Harvey was also active in the region as a driving instructor mentoring new students. Harvey also lent his car to “racing want-to-be enthusiasts” who didn’t have the means to be able to do a drivers school. Harvey also encouraged soloist to try racing, many of which did become fellow racers. Harvey was also the Editor for LOL along with serving on the region’s Board. At the auto shows you would always see Harvey talking racing with new car racing enthusiasts while discussing the various cars on display. To Harvey, life couldn’t get much better than racing. Part of Harvey’s vision was to make sure every person he met understood SCCA racing, his passion for it, and the satisfaction and life long experiences it gives you. |
| Year | Inductee | Region | Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Bob Lybarger | Blackhawk Valley | Bob raced vees from the very beginning of the class and his work as a VW dealer parts manager gave him incredible insight to the class and preparing fantastic vees. A longtime friend of Bill Noble, he was an innovative transmission builder and teacher to many racers. He coached many national champions and his advice was sought by many. As a driver. he won the June Sprints twice, besting fields in excess of 50 cars. In addition to Vees he drove Atlantic’s and Super Vees. After hanging up the helmet, he became a steward, served on the CRB for 9 years and the BOD for 6. Bob raced for 38 years with SCCA. Bob was also CEO of Lybarger Racing Enterprises for 25 years. |
| 2016 | Jim Dentici | Milwaukee | Jim is an amateur and Vintage racer. He was the CenDiv Chief Instructor for the division’s drivers school. Jim became an SCCA member in 1980 and is still currently driving. He has been Competition Chair for Milwaukee Region and also mentor to several up and coming young drivers. Jim also was Chief of the New Runoffs Driver’s Training program instructing drivers who never had run the Runoffs before. Jim is a six time National Runoffs Champion driving in GT-Lites. Jim has also worked with Road America in the organization to make the old Elkhart Road Circuit a Historic landmark. |
| Year | Inductee | Region | Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Fred Cummings | Milwaukee | Fred Cummings is a National licensed Steward. He has been a SCCA member since 1966. He has been an Executive Steward, on the Court of Appeals (COA) and a trainer in CenDiv. In 1993 He received the Dave Morrell award for a Steward who has exhibited outstanding performance and dedication to the sport and the highest principles and in 2009 he received the John McGill Award which is presented to the individual for significant contributions to the Club Racing program. Fred is still active in the division with the Stewards program. |
| 2015 | KC Van Niman | Cincinnati | A member of SCCA Cincinnati Region since 1960. K.C. was elected to the SCCA Board of Directors in 1984 and served as Chairman from 1988 – 1990. He later joined the staff in the Englewood Colorado office serving as President and CEO of SCCA Pro Racing. K.C was a longtime Steward known for being a fair but firm official who listened but was not afraid to make difficult decision. K.C. was active in the Cincinnati Region serving in various region offices. |
| 2015 | Tom Cronin | Chicago | Dr. Cronin was an amateur road racer. The law Tom worked against would, if passed, put a major Sound Control issue into law effectively banning motorsports from operating in Illinois. He mounted a massive successful campaign to assure that motorsports would be treated equally with other sporting and recreational events pertaining to sound ordinances. Blackhawk Farms, Autobahn, Chicagoland Speedway, route 66, and all the small Saturday night dirt tracks owe their existence to Tom’s efforts. |
| Year | Inductee | Region | Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | John McGee | Indianapolis | John was the recipient of the Dave Morrell Award in 1983 for his continuing efforts to train individuals in becoming the best Stewards. John taught the values of the General Competition Rules (GCR), and the need to find ways to make things happen for participants rather than keeping them from enjoying the sport they loved. He was an Executive Steward in Central Division. He was the first of the Division Stewards to operate at the Runoffs when they were at Road Atlanta. He was the Chief Steward for the Indianapolis Region events for many years. His favorite thing to do was to call a driver into the pit lane and say, “what happened out there”. He would learn many things by not being specific in his questions. John created the first stewards training at the Central Division Roundtable. |
| 2014 | Burdette "Birdie" Martin | Chicago | “Berdie” as his nickname, began racing in 1946, In 1950 he became a Chicago Region member and in 1964 entered his first SCCA regional race driving a MGTC at Wilmot after service with the U. S. Marine Corp. Berdie competed in road racing for nine years including the first race at Road America in 1955. He grew active as an official with the SCCA and, in 1965 became the organization’s Chief Steward. Later, he was elected head of Chicago Region and earned SCCA highest honor, the Woolf Barnato Award. In the early 70’s, Berdie served as Chief Steward for Trans Am, Can-Am, Super Vee and North American F1 races. By 1974 he as assistant director of SCCA Road Racing, and later headed that department. Berdie served SCCA as Director of Pro Racing. Berdie became a board member of the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States (ACCUS) during the 70’s which governs U. S. racing as part of the Federation Internationale de I’Automboile (FIA). By 1963, Berdie had been appointed head of ACCUS and later served as Vice President of the FIA. Berdie retired in 2004 from his position with ACCUS and returned to his motorsports roots in the Chicago area. |
| 2014 | George Bovis | Chicago | George, who joined Sports Car Club of America® in 1964, served as Board of Directors Chairman from 1997 to 2000. He was also a long-standing member of Road America’s Board of Directors where he was highly active in both strategic and tactical planning. Born in Chicago and raised in the Western Suburbs, George earned his undergraduate degree at Illinois Institute of Technology, later receiving an MBA from University of Chicago. He raced with SCCA for only a few years before focusing on volunteering and the organizational side of motorsports. He started as a corner worker, became a starter of some note and in 1989 received Worker of the Year honors. Additionally, George spent the last several years as a safety car driver. George was Region Executive for Chicago Region before joining SCCA’s Board of Directors. He served two terms in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, followed by a second stretch from 1995 to 2000 during which he also served as Board of Directors Chairman. |
| Year | Inductee | Region | Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Carl Mueller | Milwaukee | Carl Mueller is generally considered to have fathered the Milwaukee Region of the Sports Car Club of America in the mid-forties. Founding members were Brooks Stevens, Dave Uihlein, Jim Floria and Bob Fiend. Mueller served as Regional Executive from 1947 through 1950. Soon after, Mueller and Floria provided assistance to Fred Wacker, Bud Seaverns, D. Cameron Peck, Larry Whiting, and Dave Garroway with the organization of the Chicago Region of the Sports Car Club of America. He owned and raced several pre-war Bentleys, served as National President of the Bentley Owners Club, served the Milwaukee Region as a Race Steward. |
| 2013 | Cliff Tufte | Road America | Cliff was the founder of Road America. After the demise of the street races, he gathered a group of prominent local business men together and proposed the building of a permanent track. Cliff organized the group which handled the financing, etc. Cliff assembled the contiguous farms and proceeded to lay out the track. He surveyed corners in the surrounding country side and incorporated those he liked into his design. Cliff visualized the track, laid it out, and had it built. He opened the track in September 1955, for races sanctioned by the Chicago region of the Sports Car Club of America and later by other racing organizations. He built Road America's program around three weekends in June, July, and September. His June Sprints, with more than 500 entries, formed the pre-eminent amateur racing program in this country. Under his leadership Road America prospered. SCCA recognized Tufte with it highest award, the Woolf Barnato Trophy, in the 1970s. |
| 2013 | Fred Wacker | Chicago | Fred Wacker: Fred was a pioneer of the SCCA, one of the early leaders and head of the club. He drove locally in the early 1950s and was a fixture in his red "eight ball" Allard. Fred was also hugely instrumental in the rise of the SCCA. He founded the Chicago region of the SCCA in 1948 and was a pioneer behind Elkhart Lake being a successful track. He became President of the SCCA in 1952, and remained in that role until the end of 1953, and right up until his death was a hugely influential figure and supporter of the US sportscar scene. He drove in three World Championship Grand Prixs in addition to his sports car racing both here and abroad. Fred was also the first National President of SCCA, He was the main person in getting the races in Elkhart Lake (on the roads) and then getting Cliff Tufte to build Road America. |
| 2013 | Brooks Stevens | Milwaukee | Brooks Stevens: Internationally famed industrial designer who designed everything from streamlined passenger locomotives and trains to toasters. Car makers such as Willys, Studebaker, and Kaiser enlisted his aid in the design of their cars. Long time SCCA member who designed the Excalibur race cars of the 1950s. His two Excalibur J cars were constant class winners in the early 1950s, while the Excalibur SJ won the 1958 SCCA Class BM National Championship, driven by Hal Ullrich. Continued as an entrant over the years, running such varied cars as class HP Duetsch-Bonnets and Formula Atlantic Marches and Lolas. Designed many show cars such as the Valkyrie, the Scimitar, and the Gaylord. Later he manufactured the Excalibur road cars, originally Studebaker based and styled to recall the classic Mercedes-Benz cars of the 1930s. Most importantly he was one of the founders of Milwaukee Region. |
| 2013 | Dave Morell | Chicago | Dave served as a Chicago Region RE and was also a SCCA Board of Director. Dave served as Chairman many years. He eventually took over as CEO of SCCA when the position was vacated by a resignation. He received SCCA’s highest award in 1978 – the Woolf Barnato Award. The Woolf Barnato Award If presented to the member who has made the most outstanding long-term contribution. Winners are nominated by the last three recipients and approved by the Board of Directors. He created the Dave Morrell Award which is presented to encourage continued participation in the Steward’s Program by recognition of an action National Chief Steward who has exhibited outstanding performance and dedication to the sport and the highest principles. |
| 2013 | Jerry Dunbar | Blackhawk Valley | Jerry’s first SCCA road race was in June 1956 and his last in 1999 at Road America. Because of his job as a morning drive time radio announcer, Cliff Tufte contacted Jerry in the 1955 about doing promotional work for Road America. He continued to do promotional work for the track, all gratis, working with Cliff Tufte, Jim Johnson, Dwight Pelkin, Roger Jaynes and others for many years, decades in fact. To this day, Jerry is a “Road America Ambassador”. Jerry did radio commercials and performed print interviews, as well as performing other promotional work for Road America. He also performed similar promotional tasks for other Central Division and SCCA racetracks, including Brainerd International Raceway, Mid-Ohio Raceway, Blackhawk Farms Raceway, Mid America, Road Atlanta, Meadowdale Raceway and others. Because of his comfort doing live radio interviews and print interviews, he would often be contacted prior to and after race weekends by local Central Division track television stations, radio stations, and newspapers for promotional assistance, interviews, and comments. |
| 2013 | Lloyd Loring | South Bend | Lloyd was an active member since 1954. Originally a Detroit region member he found is home with the South Bend region. The region relied on Lloyd to keep them grounded with a constant link to the past history of South Bend Region, SCCA. Lloyd became the “voice of Solo” in the region and in the division. Lloyd has held every office in the region except for secretary. He was also the editor of the “Pit Board” which was the region’s newsletter. In the 60’s, Lloyd was the Central Division Rally Driver Champion. One of Lloyd's proudest ccomplishments was founding the Central Division Round Table. The first meeting of the Central Division Round Table was in Ft. Wayne. He was the moderator for the annual meeting of this round table for 10 or 11 years. As a result of Lloyd's success with the Central Division Round Table, he was invited to moderate a round table for a SCCA region in Texas. The Central Division Round Table eventually became the Great Lakes Round Table. |
| 2013 | William & Susan Cooper | Milwaukee | Bill started racing in the 1950s, while still in the Air Force. In the early days he regularly raced a Cooper-Porsche T-39, but became a regular customer of Luigi Chinetti's Ferrari agency in the 1960s. Cooper raced, in turn, a 2.0 Ferrari 500 Testa Rossa, the 1964 Le Mans winning Ferrari 275-P, the special Drogo bodied Ferrari 365-P2, and the Can Am Ferrari 350-P4. While Cooper admittedly was not a top flight driver, he did have a lot of fun racing, and among his accomplishments was the overall win in the 1969 SCCA Regional Oktober Rennen, and a third overall and first in class at the 1972 Road America June Sprints. Away from the cockpit Cooper served for decades as an SCCA official and steward, and was on the Board of Directors of Road America. Susan Cooper was a registrar for many years both for the region as well as for Road America. If Bill was there, so was Sue. |
| 2013 | Corky & Naomi Swanson | Great River | Corky Sr. – started working corners in 1958. In 1966 he was one of the founding members of the Great River Region. It was Corky Sr and Naomi became a team that worked as Chief of F & C for four different regions. Corky instituted the Captain-in-Training (CIT) program which provided experienced workers with the chance to become corner captains. In the early 80’s, not only was he CenDiv’s Divisional Administrator of F & C he was also appointed National Administrator for what was then called Race Control. In this capacity he wrote a booklet setting guidelines for F & C, Pits and Grid. This booklet later became the basis of the F & C manual that is used today. When Corky was not working the races, he competed in regional and divisional road rallies and autocrosses. He also served as Great River Region as Regional Executive, Treasurer and Secretary. Naomi – became an SCCA member in 1964 with the Iowa Region. She too was a founding member of the Great River Region and was a corner worker. She was the first female RE in CenDiv. She also served as a Secretary, Treasurer, Editor, Membership Chairman and Competition Chairman. In the early 80’s she became CenDiv’s National Pointskeeper. Like Corky, Naomi also competed in rallies and autocrosses. |
| 2013 | 1999 CenDiv Championship Committee | CenDiv | Without them there would be no CENDIV Regional Championship Series. They wrote the first rule set and handled the advertising, promotions, pointskeeping, and created a series finale to determine the CenDiv Champions. The series lead to CENDIV having a very strong regional race program and in the later years created an east west challenge with Great Lakes Division. Members of the committee were: Ken Patterson, Ed & Cindy Pomeroy, Bill Pedersen, Joyce Zorn and Hank Jaffe, Paxton Middelson, and Andy Cotys. |
Central Division Hall of Fame Committee
The following individuals have been leading the search for members to recognize. If you have a nomination for the Hall of Fame, please contact one of the committee members.
| Co-chairman: | Bev Heilicher | bheilicher@bmhpropertyservice.com |
| George Laws | cluboffice@scca-chicago.com | |
| Members: | Hank and Joyce Jaffee | |
| Sherri Kulawinski | ||
| Tony Machi | ||
| Sharon West |
Mission Statement:
The Central Division, SCCA Hall of Fame (CENDIV) mission is to preserve, protect, recognize and record Central Division’s accomplishments and history through recognizing and honoring dedicated members who have made significant contributions, to the development progress, and success of a Region, Central Division and of Sports Car Club of America.