| by Tommy Goudge
OHSWEKEN, Ont. (May 30, 2019) – The Ohsweken Speedway Wall of Fame committee is pleased to announce the 2019 class of inductees. John & Wendy Brush, Ryan Hunsinger, Rob Pietz, and Zeger Van Thuyl will be honoured on Wall of Fame Night on Friday, June 14 as Ohsweken Speedway celebrates the past and looks forward to the future during the track’s 24th season of racing.
As the owners of Corr/Pak Merchandising, John and Wendy Brush have been staunch supporters of short track open wheel racing for many years. Corr/Pak’s support was instrumental in the formation of Ohsweken’s weekly 360 Sprint Car racing program which began in 2008 and continues to this day. Corr/Pak has also been the presenting sponsor of the Bill Peer Memorial Best Appearing Car Award at the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals since the event’s inception in 2005.
Ryan Hunsinger has competed and won in almost all of the divisions which have been part of Ohsweken’s weekly racing program since the track opened in 1996. A competitor at Ohsweken since the very beginning, “The Gunslinger” claimed his first track championship in 2014. At the time of his induction, Ryan’s list of Ohsweken feature wins includes 10 in Crate Sprint Cars (second all-time in the division), four in 360 Sprint Cars, two in Sportsman Modifieds, and two in Mod Stocks.
Rob Pietz is among the most decorated racers in the history of Ohsweken Speedway’s Sportsman Modified division. Pietz’s total of 22 Sportsman victories rank the 2002 track champion second all-time on the Ohsweken list at the time of his induction. Pietz has also been competitive in Sprint Car and Late Model events at Ohsweken, and claimed the win in the lone Late Model event held at the track in 2018.
Zeger Van Thuyl has logged thousands of laps around Ohsweken Speedway, but most of them were spent on tractors as he and his crew groomed the track surface. Thanks in no small part to Zeger’s dedication, Ohsweken gained a reputation for having a fast and wide surface capable of producing some of the best racing in the country. “Zeger spent countless hours making the program possible for many years,” said fellow Wall of Fame inductee Ken Pelkie.
About the Ohsweken Speedway Wall of Fame: The Ohsweken Speedway Wall of Fame is dedicated to celebrating the achievements and contributions of those who have helped Ohsweken Speedway to become a premiere racing facility, and inspired generations to come. Selections will be made annually by the Wall of Fame committee, with potential honourees including (but not limited to) drivers, car owners, manufacturers, car builders, mechanics, sponsors, promoters, officials, sanctioning organizations, and media members.
The community is invited to submit nominations for induction to the Wall of Fame, and all nominations are given due consideration. The number of inductees in any given year shall be at the discretion of the Wall of Fame committee. The inductees are announced in spring each year and the official induction ceremony is held at Ohsweken Speedway on a selected race night during the subsequent season.
The 2019 Wall of Fame Night festivities are set for Friday, June 14, two days before the anniversary of Ohsweken’s inaugural race in 1996. Nominations for the 2019 Wall of Fame class were accepted until February 28, 2019. To nominate a candidate for consideration for the 2020 Wall of Fame class, please contact media@ohswekenspeedway.com, or utilize the nomination form on the Ohsweken Speedway website at www.ohswekenspeedway.ca |
