McIntosh returns to Knoxville for NSCHoF&M

KNOXVILLE, IOWA (April 17, 2003) - Veteran Knoxville Raceway fans will be pleased to learn that the 'Thunder Bay Invader', Lyn McIntosh, will be returning to Knoxville on Saturday afternoon, April 26, from 2 until 4 p.m. to sign autographs next to his restored sprint car in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum. McIntosh, who was born in Fort William, Ontario, Canada, raced at Knoxville Raceway as a regular in 1980-82. He will be in Knoxville as part of the track's special Canadian qualifier for the 2003 Kele World Challenge, August 15, and the museum's salute to sprint car racing north-of-the-border, featuring Russ Wanzuk's beautifully-restored sprinters of Canadian champions Lyn McIntosh and Barry Kettering.

McIntosh, who began racing in 1961 and raced modified and supermodifieds prior to sprints, made the long tow from Thunder Bay in northwestern Ontario to the 'Sprint Car Capital of the World' every week in the late 1970's and early '80s. He was the 1978 Midwest Sprint Association (MSA) point champion. At the 1980 Knoxville Nationals, he hit a spinning Ronnie Daniels in the Mystery feature and suffered serious injuries. However, the plucky former Olympic ski team coach recovered and continued racing sprints, and a dirt championship car in United States Auto Club (USAC) competition, throughout the Eighties. Lyn McIntosh now splits his time between homes in Big Bear Lake, California, and Speedway, Indiana.

Lyn's 1978 sprinter, built by National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Gary Stanton, was originally owned by McIntosh, Pat Slivinski, and Murray "Muzz" Robinson. It is currently owned by Russ Wanzuk of Murillo, Ontario, who also owns the 1975 sprinter campaigned by Barry Kettering. Sadly, Barry was killed in 1976 at the Fairmont, Minnesota, dirt track. Kettering captured the 1973-75 MSA championships. Bob Hop also won three overall MSA titles, with Bill Dollansky winning the final championship in 1980.

The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum will be open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday, April 25-26. Lyn McIntosh will be greeting fans on Saturday from 2 until 4 p.m. in the museum. The O'Reilly Auto Parts World of Outlaws (WoO) Series will be competing at Knoxville Raceway on both nights. For more information on this special Canadian-themed weekend at the 'Sprint Car Capital of the World', contact the museum at 641-842-6176, and the race track at 641-842-5431.

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