MAINE VINTAGE RACE CAR ASSOCIATION/MAINE MOTORSPORTS HALL OF FAME
March 4, 2015
BERGGREN – BLOOD – JOHNSON – JONES – MACKINNON – NELSON – MAINE MOTORSPORTS HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2015
Augusta, Maine – Six individuals who had a major influence on motorsports in the State of Maine will be inducted into the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2015. Five of the future inductees are race winning drivers and the sixth member of the Class of 2015 is a multi-time championship car owner.
Bruce Elder, co-chairman of the Hall of Fame Selection Committee, a Hall of Fame member and MVRCA vice-president, announced the names of the six individuals to make up the Class of 2015 recently.
The inductees of the Class of 2015 are: Dick Berggren, Steve Blood, Mike Johnson, Mark Jones, Sandy MacKinnon and Steve Nelson.
Presented by the Maine Vintage Race Car Association, the Hall of Fame Class of 2015 dinner and induction ceremonies will be held at the Augusta (Maine) Civic Center on Saturday, April 4, 2015. The Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame was founded in 2004 and presently has 79 members.
The six members of the Class of 2015, with a brief summary of their contributions to motorsports in Maine, are:
DICK BERGGREN – raced at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in the mid-1970s (Supermodifieds) into the 1980s (Modifieds); put Maine motorsports on the national stage as editor of Stock Car Racing Magazine and his own Dick Berggren’s Speedway Illustrated with stories about Beech Ridge, the OXFORD 250 and Maine racing personalities.
STEVE BLOOD – 25-plus racing career beginning in 1969; raced primarily at Oxford Plains Speedway; all-time winningest driver in the Charger division with 44, won Charger track championship 1971; won two Late Model Sportsman races.
MIKE JOHNSON – 20-plus year racing career primarily at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway; eight-time track champion – Daredevils 1974, Limiteds 1975-‘77, Late Model Sportsman 1989,1992, 1994-‘95.
MARK JONES – racing career spanned from 1972-1995 at Spud Speedway; recorded 83 career victories and seven track championships; won 11 of 13 feature races and the championship in 1979; very popular driver with the race fans.
SANDY MacKINNON – car owner/builder ‘60s-‘70s-‘80s; owned famed “M3” cars in Beech Ridge Speedway Late Model and Modified divisions Jim McClure drove to championships; Joey Kourafus and Dick McCabe drove for him on NASCAR North Tour and NASCAR Busch North Series; 1987 Busch North champion car owner (Joey Kourafas).
STEVE NELSON – 20-plus year racing career beginning in 1971; greatest success at Unity Raceway, winning 10 track championships; also raced and won races at Wiscasset Speedway and Speedway 95; associated with the #4x Fords.