Curt Van Pelt

Last updated
Curt Van Pelt
BornJames Curtis Van Pelt II
(1957-12-31) December 31, 1957 (age 67)
Westfield, Pennsylvania
Retired2018
Debut season1977
Modified racing career
Years active1982-2018
Car number11jr ,12T
Championships4
Wins90+
Previous series
1977-1981
Championships
Late models
4
Championship titles
1987 Mr. Dirt 358 Modified Champion

Curt Van Pelt (December 31, 1957) is a retired American Dirt Modified racing driver credited with 135 career wins throughout the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. [1] [2]

Contents

Racing career

Curt Van Pelt started in the Late Models at New York's Woodhull Raceway in 1977 and was soon winning races and track titles by the handful. By 1982, he and his car owner, father Jim Van Pelt, decided to advance to the modifieds, immediately winning the division championship at the Circle K Speedway in Whitesville, New York.

In 1987 Van Pelt was hired to drive the Sherwood #11JR, winning the Woodhull track championship and the regional 358 modified MR. DIRT title. [3] He went on to drive for several car owners, eventually claiming eight track titles, including one at Dundee Speedway in New York and a second modified championship at Woodhull. [1] [4]

Van Pelt also worked as race director at McKean County Raceway in Smethport, Pennsylvania. [5] He was inducted into the New York State Stock Car Association Hall of Fame with the class of 2018. [1] [6]

Personal life

Curt Van Pelt is part of a racing family. Patriarch Jim drove for many years before campaigning a car for sons Billy and Tony, as well as Curt. [5] [7] Cousin Jason Burdett progressed from crewing for the Van Pelts to serving as NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson's crew chief in the Daytona 500, while nephew Dillon Groover began winning races at age 14. [8] [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Labonte</span> American racing driver (born 1964)

Robert Allen Labonte is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver and current analyst for NASCAR on Fox. He also currently competes part-time in the SMART Modified Tour, driving the No. 18L for Hermie Sadler and Bill Stanley. Labonte is the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion. He and his older brother, Terry Labonte, are one of only two pairs of brothers to have both won the Cup championships. He is also the uncle of former Xfinity Series race winner Justin Labonte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nazareth Speedway</span> Motorsport track in the United States

Nazareth Speedway is a defunct auto racing facility in Lower Nazareth Township in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, which operated from 1910 to 2004. The racing facility operated in two distinct course configurations. In its early years, it was a dirt twin oval layout. In 1987, it was reopened as a paved tri-oval that measured just slightly under 1 mile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richie Evans</span> American racing driver (1941–1985)

Richard Ernest Evans, was an American racing driver who won nine NASCAR National Modified Championships, including eight in a row from 1978 to 1985. The International Motorsports Hall of Fame lists this achievement as "one of the supreme accomplishments in motorsports". Evans won virtually every major race for asphalt modifieds, most of them more than once, including winning the Race of Champions three times. Evans was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame on June 14, 2011. As one of the Class of 2012, Evans was one of the Hall's first 15 inductees, and was the first Hall of Famer from outside the now NASCAR Cup Series.

Ralph Lee Earnhardt was an American stock car racer and patriarch of the Earnhardt racing family. He was the father of seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt, grandfather of Kerry Earnhardt, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, and Dale Earnhardt Jr..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour</span> American auto racing series

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) is a modified stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR in the Modified Division. The Modified Division is NASCAR's oldest division, and is the only open-wheeled division that NASCAR sanctions. NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events are mainly held in the northeastern United States, but the 2007 and 2008 tours expanded to the Midwest with the addition of a race in Mansfield, Ohio. The tour races primarily on short oval paved tracks, but the NWMT also has made appearances at larger ovals and road courses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oswego Speedway</span> Asphalt race track in Oswego, New York

The Oswego Speedway is a 0.625 mi (1.006 km) race track in Oswego, New York. It was built in 1951 and was paved with asphalt since the 1952. The track has held dates on several national tours - the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, ASA National Tour, and USAC Silver Crown Series. It was temporarily covered with dirt in 2016 when it held a one-off Super DIRTcar Series race. The track is the Labor Day Weekend home of the 200-lap, non-wing, big-block supermodified Budweiser Classic and Race of Champions. Oswego is known as the "Steel Palace" due to its use of boilerplate steel for its retaining walls.

New Smyrna Speedway is a 0.480 mi (0.772 km) asphalt oval racetrack located near New Smyrna Beach, Florida, that races the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series every Saturday night. It also has a smaller track, known as "Little New Smyrna Speedway" in the infield. This track races quarter midgets on Friday nights.


Donald "Dutch" Hoag was an American racing driver who won the Langhorne National Open five times when it was the most prestigious event for Modified and Sportsman racers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-Am Racing Series</span> Stock car racing series

The Mid-Am Racing Series, formerly Mid American Stock Car Series, is an elite sportsman traveling stock car racing series in the Midwestern United States. The cars are based on a 108" metric stock frame, less costly suspension parts and a maximum of 358 cubic inch engine. The car's roll cage and chassis were made of a design very similar to the same chassis a previous design of NASCAR cup chassis, but have also included more modern safety features such as plated door bars and the "Earnhardt bar" which runs from the roof to the dash. The series runs primarily on paved racetracks but also appears on dirt and road courses. The series is the highest form of racing available to sportsman-style, GM metric chassis stock cars.

James "Jimmy" Horton III is a businessman who owns a radiator and chassis shop after a Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame career racing dirt modifieds. He raced in 48 NASCAR Winston Cup races in eight seasons. He was a regular on the ARCA circuit in the 1980s and 1990s. Horton has won many of the most noted races for dirt track modifieds in the Northeastern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Modified racing</span> Racing events with modified factory autos

Modified stock car racing, also known as modified racing and modified, is a type of auto racing that involves purpose-built cars simultaneously racing against each other on oval tracks. First established in the United States after World War II, this type of racing was early-on characterized by its participants' modification of passenger cars in pursuit of higher speeds, hence the name.

The Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds is a North American big block modified touring series currently promoted by World Racing Group. The series primarily races on dirt ovals in the Northeastern United States and Canada along with select dates in Florida and North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syracuse Mile</span> Horse and auto racetrack

The Syracuse Mile was a 1-mile (1.6 km) dirt oval raceway located at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, New York. Originally built for harness racing in 1826, the first auto race was run in 1903, making it the second oldest auto racing facility in United States history. The racetrack was also nicknamed "The Moody Mile" after driver Wes Moody turned a 100-mile-per-hour lap in 1970. The track and grandstands were torn down in 2016 by state government officials with the plan to modernize facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheldon Creed</span> American racing driver (born 1997)

Sheldon Michael Creed is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 00 Ford Mustang for Haas Factory Team.

Kenny Brightbill, nicknamed the "Shillington Slingshot" and "Mr. Excitement" is a former NASCAR and professional dirt modified driver from Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania. He has won 441 career professional races and is also the all time wins leader of Reading Fairground Speedway with 135 career wins. Brightbill has won many of the most noted races for dirt track modifieds in the Northeastern United States, most notably 1988 Syracuse Miller High Life 300.

Devon Rouse is an American professional dirt track and stock car racing driver who primarily competes in sprint cars at local tracks in Iowa. He also competed part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 43 Chevrolet Silverado for Reaume Brothers Racing.

Utica-Rome Speedway is a half-mile dirt oval raceway in Vernon, New York. It is known as the “Home of Heroes” and has been the home track of several NASCAR national champions.

Linwood "Lin" Hough is a retired driver and promoter of Dirt Modified stock car racing. He was recognized for his driving talent and respected for his innovations in advancing the sport.

Dale Planck was an American Dirt Modified racing driver, credited with over 200 career wins at tracks in the Mid-Atlantic.

William "Billy" Van Pelt is a retired American Dirt Modified racing driver credited with 243 career wins at 9 tracks in the Twin Tiers regions of Pennsylvania and New York.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hedger, Ron (December 17, 2018). "Pat Ward, Curt Van Pelt, Gary Iulg & Jerry Rose Latest To Be Inducted Into NYSSCA Hall Of Fame". Race Pro Weekly. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  2. "Speedway holding final program" (PDF). The Glengarry News. Alexandria ON. September 21, 1988. p. 14. Retrieved December 31, 2024 via Glengarry County Archives.
  3. Hill, John (October 26, 1987). "Hoffman scores Schaefer 200 win; Johnson has points lead". The Post-Standard . Syracuse NY. p. C8. Retrieved December 31, 2024 via NewspaperArchive.
  4. Naylor, Mike (August 10, 1994). "Dan Fultz wins SS, Curt Van Pelt stays favorite". Dundee Observer . NY. p. 21. Retrieved December 31, 2024 via The NYS Historic Newspapers.
  5. 1 2 Leet, Ken (July 11, 2007). "Special night at the races". Olean Times Herald . NY. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  6. Bettig, Ed and Betty. "This & That - Holiday Season". Dirt Track Digest. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  7. Adaskaveg, Mike (November 18, 2022). "Billy Van Pelt Retires on Top". Outside Groove. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
  8. "Layfield among winners at McKean raceway". The Evening Tribune . Hornell NY. August 29, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  9. Potter, Chris (February 14, 2024). "Burdett's NASCAR journey leads from Steuben County to Daytona 500". The Evening Tribune . Hornell NY. Retrieved December 31, 2024.