Brad Doty inducted into hall of fame

Apple Creek,OH - "It was quite a shock when Tom Schmeh called me," explained a shocked and surprised Brad Doty upon getting the news from National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Director Thomas Schmeh that the famed ex-World of Outlaws Sprint Car driver and current The National Network (TNN) broadcaster had been inducted with eleven other prominent inductees. "He called me about ten o'clock at night to tell me about it and it definitely caught me off guard. It might be wearing out an old adage, I guess, but it truly is an honor and a privilege. It is an honor to just be nominated let alone inducted with all the great people who are already there! I don't know really what to say. Just to start out at Lakeville Speedway and end up in the Sprint Car Hall of Fame is a dream come true!"

Doty joins an all-star cast of inductees in the Class of 2001 at the internationally prominent National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, located in Knoxville, IA at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum. Doty, inducted as a driver and media member, joins former Sprint Car drivers Emmett "Buzz" Barton, Bob Hogle, Eddie Leavitt, Don Mack, Dick Sutcliffe and Albert "Buddy" Taylor. Also being inducted are Gary Stanton in the Car Owner/Builder/Mechanic category, Davey Brown, Sr., in the Mechanic/Builder category, Bob Estes in the Mechanic category Jack Miller in the Media category and Don Martin in the Promoter category. Taylor and Martin are being honored posthumously. The new inductees will be formally enshrined on Saturday June 2, 2001, in Knoxville, IA, as part of the 12th Annual National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Induction Weekend that runs from June 1-3, 2001. For Doty, being inducted was never a personal consideration, which makes the honor even more astonishing and humbling to the former World of Outlaw frontrunner. "I can't stress enough how honored I am. And how thrilled. This is definitely a highlight for me and I can't tell you how anxious I am for that weekend in June to come. First, I would like to thank the fans and all the wonderful people involved in this sport. And I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Tom Schmeh and the members of the National Induction Committee. I am truly grateful to them all for this honor." While Doty has obvious pride in, and respect for, his fellow inductees, two of them hold special memories and connections to the TNN broadcaster. "When Tom called me that night he mentioned I would be going in with Gary Stanton, but he didn't mention Don Martin," explained Doty. "Gary called me about a half hour later that night and we congratulated each other and that's a pretty good feeling to go in with Gary Stanton. We have a lot of history. I drove for him in 1984 and was driving for him again when I got hurt. So there is a special connection there. Then Gary told me about Don Martin going in, too!" Prior to driving for Stanton, Doty had made Don Martin's Lernerville Speedway in Pennsylvania his home, winning the 1980 Lernerville Speedway Sprint Car championship. Doty has long extolled the kindness and foresight that Don Martin exhibited. Doty feels going into the NSCHoF with two friends who he has high respect for makes the experience even more extraordinary. "To find out that Don Martin is going in as well, on the same weekend that TNN will be televising their first race from Lernerville Speedway, is incredible!" exclaimed Doty. "Don Martin always wanted a television race from Lernerville so I know everybody at Lernerville is excited about it. And to be able to work on a TNN televised race from Lernerville on the same weekend that Don is getting inducted is just awesome. And it will be a great show, I'm sure." " I'm not blowing smoke, Lernerville is a special place to me as many people know. But I have never seen a bad race there. Every show that I have ever been to there has had just phenomenal racing all the way through." Doty also feels the induction ceremony will carry extra impact with good friend Gary Stanton at his side as a fellow inductee. "Gary Stanton is multi-talented!" declared Doty. "He built chassis for years and was one of the first to basically do a production type race car. He was one of the first to jig everything so everything would fit. He really took the chassis business and made it into a big business." "As a car owner, Gary has had some of the best drivers in sprint car racing. Doug Wolfgang, Sammy Swindell, Steve Kinser and Ron Shuman, just to name a few. Even Jeff Gordon, and Al Unser,Jr. had seat time in Gary's cars. He's built chassis and now, especially with the Mopar deal, he's proven he can build race winning engines. So there's no doubt he deserves to be there." "Gary, like Don Martin, have contributed to this sport in a big way. As have the other inductees. I sincerely feel this is a dream come true!" Doty is anxious for the induction ceremony but he will find himself an extremely busy person that weekend. "It will be busy!" understated Doty. "We'll do the TV show at Lernerville on Friday night and the very next morning I fly to Des Moines to be inducted! It's very significant for me, the whole weekend. Number one, to be going to Lernerville with TNN, where I won a championship, and to be able to come back and televise a race there, which was also a wish of Don's, is just terrific! And then to be inducted the very next day into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, it will be a special weekend to say the least!"