SCCA Announces 2008 Hall of Fame Inductees
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Roger Johnson, Don and Ruth Nixon, Kjell Qvale, Robert Ridges, and Fred Schmucker will join the 20 individuals previously inducted in 2005, 2006 and 2007 during the February 2 enshrinement ceremony that will close the 2008 SCCA National Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
Profiles:
Roger E. Johnson: A multiple Solo Champion, Johnson was the first Solo competitor to bring major commercial attention to the sport through his sponsorship arrangement with BF Goodrich Tires. Johnson interacted with BF Goodrich dealers and his victories were featured in product advertising. This paved the way for major commercial support for the Solo National Championships, first from Yokohama, then from The Tire Rack(r), as well as Valvoline's support of ProSolo in the early 90s. Johnson is known just as much for his personality as his Solo skills. The annual Johnson Spirit of the Sport Award, named in his honor, was the first Solo award named after a participant and he served as a memorable emcee at the National Convention for many years.
Don and Ruth Nixon: The Nixons are the first couple to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and for anyone who knew them, it would be impossible to think of them apart. The pair traveled the country as Timing and Scoring officials, bringing the specialty into the electronic age, from single hand, analog stopwatches, to digital clocks and chronograph timers that allowed a small team of workers to time an entire field of cars. They served in leadership roles at the Regional, Divisional and National level, and both were elected to the Board of Directors, Ruth being the first female to receive the honor. Don also served as the publisher of SportsCar for some time.
Kjell Qvale: Qvale put the "sports car" in Sports Car Club of America. He is known far outside the SCCA for his impact on the United States auto industry, importing European sports cars that fueled the 50s car frenzy. Qvale was the first major importer of MGs before expanding his line to include Jaguar, Bentley and others. He eventually became involved in German cars as well, bringing Volkswagen into the U.S. In addition to providing the cars that made the SCCA go, Qvale was a key organizer of West Coast races at Buchanan Field, Golden Gate Park and Pebble Beach. When racing was forced off the streets, he aided in the creation of Laguna Seca and is credited with the vision that created the famed Corkscrew, one of road racing's most celebrated turns. In addition to fielding numerous cars in SCCA, Qvale was able to put together a successful Indy 500 team as well.
Robert Ridges: Secretary of the Rally board from its inception in 1957 until his death, Ridges was one of those responsible for road rallying in the U.S. as we know it. He played a major role in the creation of the early RoadRally rules and was the continuity that helped steer the early Rally boards. Upon his death in 1965, SportsCar said of him: "Bob was a sportsman in the truest sense of the word. To him, sportsmanship lay in the manner of performance rather than in the winning; though as a competitor he always strived to do his best. His honesty, integrity, sincerity and never failing good humor as well as his dedication to sports car activities has left an indelible mark." His name graces the award given to the SCCA member who exemplifies the highest degree of dedication and sportsmanship to the sport of rally
Fred Schmucker: A member of the SCCA Hall of Fame Selection Committee until his death this past August, Schmucker is remembered as always putting the Club first. Becoming a member in 1961 with the Florida Region, Schmucker's SCCA career is decorated with dozens of committee appointments, awards and stewardships that span several Regions and more than four decades. He served as an F&C Chief for the Florida Region in the 60s, moving to the Northeast Oklahoma Region in 1965 where he became the Region Secretary and later, Assistant Regional Executive. From 1968 to 1995 he was a member of the Dixie Region, climbing all the way to RE and serving as a Solo II Safety Steward and SIT to the National Chief Steward. He was the Southeast Division Executive Steward from 1987 to 1993, was on the SCCA Court of Appeals from 1995 to 1997 and was heavily involved with the South Atlantic Road Racing Championship (SARRC). He became a member of the SCCA Stewards Committee in 2002 and the SEDIV Executive Steward in 2003. Throughout his service he became a role model to many in the Club, setting an example of what a Steward should be. His contributions were recognized with the John C Reuter, Robert W. Clark and Bryan Webb Awards from SEDIV as well as the John McGill and Dave Morrell Awards from SCCA.
The five 2008 inductees will join the three previous classes, including:
2005: Cameron Argetsinger, A. Tracy Bird, John Fitch, Arthur Gervais, Harry Handley, Vern Jaques, Bill Milliken, Sue Roethel, Art Trier and Rob Walker.
2006: John Bornholdt, John Buffum, Mark Donohue, Denise McCluggage and Grant Reynolds.
2007: Marge Binks, Marc Gerstein, Carl A. Haas, General Curtis E. LeMay, Theodore F. Robertson.
The formation of the SCCA Hall of Fame was announced February 7, 2004 at the National Convention. Hall of Fame inductees are selected for having made a significant contribution to the development and/or the preservation of SCCA that had a direct impact on the Club being the organization it is today.
Nominations were submitted to and reviewed by the Hall of Fame Nomination and Selection Committees. Of the nominated individuals, five were selected for the 2008 Class.