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Bernstein and Hall Inducted into Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame
FORT WORTH, Texas (April 5, 2006) Drag racing legend Kenny Bernstein and open-wheel car designer and former team owner Jim Hall were the newest inductees into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame in a Gala held Wednesday night at The Speedway Club at Texas Motor Speedway. Bernstein and Hall join previous Hall inductees Johnny Rutherford, A.J. Foyt, Terry Labonte, and Lee Shepherd.
Kenny Bernstein may be best known for being one of only two drivers (Gary Scelzi) in National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) history to win a championship in both nitro categories. But he has also left his mark on the sport as a team owner. He retired as a driver at the end of the 2002 season. He has also owned teams in NASCAR and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). Bernstein won six championships as a driver (1985-88 Funny Car; 1996, 2001 Top Fuel) as well as 69 national events. He was the first driver in NHRA history to record a run over 300 mph, a feat he accomplished at Gainesville, Fla. For a period of time, Bernstein based his race teams in the Fort Worth-Dallas area and now has race shops in Newport Beach, Calif., and Indianapolis, Ind.
Jim Hall's driving career included driving for the Sterling Moss Formula 1 team in 1963, (finishing 12th in Drivers World Championship). He won the U. S. Road Racing Championship in 1964. In 1965 he again dominated the USRRC with 10 wins, and in addition, won the Sebring 12 hour, the Road America 500, and the Canadian Grand Prix. In 1966 Hall won the pole or set fasted lap at every CanAm race he entered. Hall founded Chaparral Cars in Midland, Texas in 1962 to design and construct latest state of the art racing cars.
Chaparral pioneered the use of composite structures, automatic transmissions, aerodynamic downforce, and "ground effects in racing. In 1964, Jim realized that if he applied an aerodynamic downforce to an automobile, it dramatically increased traction, allowing it to corner at higher speed, stop quicker, and accelerate faster. This one concept totally changed the future of racing cars. Chaparral Cars competed in national and international championship road racing events through 1970, winnin races at Laguna Seca, at the famed Nurburgring in Germany in 1966 and at Brands Hatch in England in 1967.
With Hall as team manager, the Hall/Haas racing team won International Formula 5000 Championships in 1974, 75, 76, with driver Brian Redman, and won International Can-Am Championships in 1977, 78. Hall was team manager of the 1978 and 1980 Indianapolis 500 winning Chaparral Racing Team. With Al Unser in 1978, they became the only team to win "Auto-racing's Triple Crown (Indianapolis, Pocono, and Ontario 500 mile races in single season). With Johnny Rutherford in 1980, in addition to Indy, they won both the USAC, and CART Indycar National Championships. Jim lives with his wife Sandy in Midland, Texas, and recently opened an exhibit there of his cars at the Chaparral Gallery of the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum.
In addition to the Hall inductions, three other annual awards were presented during the event.
Raymond Beadle was honored with the Bruton Smith Legends Award. Beadle is a long-time competitor and team owner in the NHRA. His NHRA team won three consecutive Funny Car titles from 1979-81. In addition, he also owned the Cup Series car that Rusty Wallace drove to the championship in 1989.
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup owner Jack Roush received the Texas Motor Speedway Racer of the Year Award. Roush swept both NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway last season, with Greg Biffle winning the Samsung/RadioShack 500 in April and Carl Edwards capturing the inaugural Dickies 500 last November. Roush Racing drivers have won five of the 10 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup events at Texas Motor Speedway.
David Starr received the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame Sportsmanship Award. The personable Starr also has enjoyed his share of success at Texas Motor Speedway, with eight top-10 finishes in 15 career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts.
Proceeds from the banquet benefit the children Happy Hill Farm Academy/Home in Granbury, Texas.
FORT WORTH, Texas (April 5, 2006) Drag racing legend Kenny Bernstein and open-wheel car designer and former team owner Jim Hall were the newest inductees into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame in a Gala held Wednesday night at The Speedway Club at Texas Motor Speedway. Bernstein and Hall join previous Hall inductees Johnny Rutherford, A.J. Foyt, Terry Labonte, and Lee Shepherd.
Kenny Bernstein may be best known for being one of only two drivers (Gary Scelzi) in National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) history to win a championship in both nitro categories. But he has also left his mark on the sport as a team owner. He retired as a driver at the end of the 2002 season. He has also owned teams in NASCAR and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). Bernstein won six championships as a driver (1985-88 Funny Car; 1996, 2001 Top Fuel) as well as 69 national events. He was the first driver in NHRA history to record a run over 300 mph, a feat he accomplished at Gainesville, Fla. For a period of time, Bernstein based his race teams in the Fort Worth-Dallas area and now has race shops in Newport Beach, Calif., and Indianapolis, Ind.
Jim Hall's driving career included driving for the Sterling Moss Formula 1 team in 1963, (finishing 12th in Drivers World Championship). He won the U. S. Road Racing Championship in 1964. In 1965 he again dominated the USRRC with 10 wins, and in addition, won the Sebring 12 hour, the Road America 500, and the Canadian Grand Prix. In 1966 Hall won the pole or set fasted lap at every CanAm race he entered. Hall founded Chaparral Cars in Midland, Texas in 1962 to design and construct latest state of the art racing cars.
Chaparral pioneered the use of composite structures, automatic transmissions, aerodynamic downforce, and "ground effects in racing. In 1964, Jim realized that if he applied an aerodynamic downforce to an automobile, it dramatically increased traction, allowing it to corner at higher speed, stop quicker, and accelerate faster. This one concept totally changed the future of racing cars. Chaparral Cars competed in national and international championship road racing events through 1970, winnin races at Laguna Seca, at the famed Nurburgring in Germany in 1966 and at Brands Hatch in England in 1967.
With Hall as team manager, the Hall/Haas racing team won International Formula 5000 Championships in 1974, 75, 76, with driver Brian Redman, and won International Can-Am Championships in 1977, 78. Hall was team manager of the 1978 and 1980 Indianapolis 500 winning Chaparral Racing Team. With Al Unser in 1978, they became the only team to win "Auto-racing's Triple Crown (Indianapolis, Pocono, and Ontario 500 mile races in single season). With Johnny Rutherford in 1980, in addition to Indy, they won both the USAC, and CART Indycar National Championships. Jim lives with his wife Sandy in Midland, Texas, and recently opened an exhibit there of his cars at the Chaparral Gallery of the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum.
In addition to the Hall inductions, three other annual awards were presented during the event.
Raymond Beadle was honored with the Bruton Smith Legends Award. Beadle is a long-time competitor and team owner in the NHRA. His NHRA team won three consecutive Funny Car titles from 1979-81. In addition, he also owned the Cup Series car that Rusty Wallace drove to the championship in 1989.
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup owner Jack Roush received the Texas Motor Speedway Racer of the Year Award. Roush swept both NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Texas Motor Speedway last season, with Greg Biffle winning the Samsung/RadioShack 500 in April and Carl Edwards capturing the inaugural Dickies 500 last November. Roush Racing drivers have won five of the 10 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup events at Texas Motor Speedway.
David Starr received the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame Sportsmanship Award. The personable Starr also has enjoyed his share of success at Texas Motor Speedway, with eight top-10 finishes in 15 career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts.
Proceeds from the banquet benefit the children Happy Hill Farm Academy/Home in Granbury, Texas.
