NYSSCA - Hall of Fame Ceremony May 5,2024

Описание: JACK BURGESS INDUCTED BY JOE MAROTTA
“Jack Burgess was known as the voice of Super DIRT Week, he held down the fort at the Moody Mile for many years,” Martin said. “He also left memories at many speedways, all across New York State. He was a regular at the Albany Saratoga Speedway during the NASCAR era on the pavement that many people talk about how special of a time that was. To think about what Jack Burgess brought to our sport, at our level, is really amazing and certainly deserving of entering the NYSSCA Hall of Fame.”
Jack Burgess always used to say you’ve gotta have a favorite out there.”
JOE MAROTTA INDUCTED BY DOUG ELKINS
Doug Elkins inducted Joe Marotta telling the crowd that Joe grew up in Solvay which was next to the New York State Fairgrounds off of turn two. At the age of six, Joe would hear the racecars on the mile at the fairgrounds and from that point on he was hooked on racing. In 1996 he was hired by Bob Benway at Fulton to do press releases. Marotta then met Glenn Donnelly and moved on to the Weedsport Speedway. He announced at the first Super DIRT Week along with other tracks including Orange County, Canandaigua, and Rolling Wheels, and still announces at the Oswego Speedway today.
“I will forever remember the final sign off at the Moody Mile after the final race,” Marotta said. “It was like going to a funeral. What an honor this is to be inducted into this Hall of Fame; you all do a great job with the NYSSCA organization. I remember Jack Burgess and Chris Economaki and I always tried to imitate them.”
“I always wanted to be an announcer, and when I saw a sign posted at the Weedsport Speedway that an announcer was needed at the Fulton Speedway, I applied for the job and went for an interview. I started working there for $25 a night and $5 extra to do a race story. Then an opportunity came up at the New York State Fairgrounds. I was there and remember when Wes Moody turned the first 100 MPH lap at the track, and we gave the track the name the Moody Mile.”
“Richie Evans was an asphalt racer, we all know him,” Marotta continued. “Now I’m gonna tell you how he ended up with the car #61.
THE NATURAL DALE PLANCK INDUCTED BY STEVE WILLIAMS
Dale Planck was next to be inducted by longtime friend Steve Williams who said that he met Dale’s father Denny in 1975 and then Dale himself when Dale was five years old.
Planck was also enrolled in the Richard Petty Driving School setting the fastest time in his class and raced a Late Model at Spencer during his career, but in 1997 backed away from the sport after a very diverse and successful career. Known as the “coach,” Dale continues that role to this day as he and his son Brandon own DIG Shocks, traveling to local tracks in order to help other drivers.
He was known as the “Natural” throughout his racing career and when he took to the podium to accept his award he said that his favorite moments in racing included his first Victoria 200 win and his NASCAR Championship.
Shane Andrews inducted Canada Joe Plazek into the NYSSCA Hall of Fame as only the second ever inductee from Canada joining Pete Bicknell.
During Joe Plazek’s racing career spanning from 1977 through 1999, he was fast on both sides of the border, but was proudest about his success at the Syracuse Mile. “Canada” Joe Plazek, as he was fondly referred to by many, had a total of 68 DIRT Car big block victories, including three straight New York State Fair Labor Day Championships in 1995-1997.
Plazek sat on the front row at Syracuse for the Super DIRT Week October Classic four times, in 1993 he was on the pole for the race while in 1994, 1996, & 1997 he qualified on the outside pole. He currently sits 17th in All-Time laps led in a big block on the Syracuse Mile and won races and championship up and down the Northeast corridor, including championships at Weedsport (1995), Canandaigua (1996 & 1997), and Ransomville (co-champion with Danny Johnson in 1996).
Andrews introduced Plazek to get a few words saying, “you were big time before big time was big time.”
In 1979 at 16 years of age, a friend of Mitch’s owned a street stock that was never raced so he finished the car at they took it to Brookfield. After a debate about who was gonna drive it, Mitch got in the car he ran a few laps and blew a tire. That was the last time that car was ever raced. In 1980, Mitch took over the seat in his father’s Late Model, which was a proven winner, but he ended up destroying it. It was a learning curve and Mitch was pretty aggressive when he first started.
Mitch’s car #2G came from the yellow and blue #2 Wrangler car that Dale Earnhardt drove, but the first time that he took it to the track with the #2, there was another car with the same number, so he had to add a letter to it, and he added the “G”. Mitch started racing a Modified in 1983, buying a Troyer Mud Bus from Jack Johnson who helped Gibbs set the car up at his shop in Duanesburg on Saturday mornings in order to race at Fonda.