Reddick receives Hall of Fame call

Gary Reddick wasn't sure if he would ever be selected to the DIRT Motorsports Hall of Fame. He even considered declining the invitation to be enshrined if it was ever presented to him.

But this month the committee selected Reddick as one of the 2010 Hall of Fame recipients, and he said he was quite "enthused" over being selected.

Reached this week at his home in Calcium, Reddick admitted he had a change of heart.

"For awhile I considered (that) had I been selected I would not accept it," Reddick said. "I guess mainly because Glenn Donnelly (the former owner of DIRT Motorsports) and I didn't get along."

But Reddick said his children had talked to him about it over the years.

"They urged me to accept it if I was ever selected," he said. "They wanted me to receive the award while I was still living."

Born in Canada, Reddick and his family came to the north country when he was a young boy. They first settled in Wellsley Island and later, his father purchased a farm in the Depauville area.

He started out as a race-car mechanic before becoming a driver. His first win was on Sept. 1, 1962. That season he finished seventh in points at the former Watertown Speedway.

He competed both on dirt and asphalt racing surfaces over the years. He won a number of track titles in his 20 years of racing.

The induction ceremonies will be held on May 30 at the Northeast Modified Hall of Fame in Weedsport. Reddick will be joined by Southern Tier standout Lin Hough and popular Pennsylvania former driver Ralph Quarterson. Others receiving recognition include Brian Mulligan, Jeff Brownell and Andrew Phillips.

Mulligan enters the Hall of Fame by earning the Leonard J. Sammons Jr. Award for Outstanding Contributions to auto racing. For 43 years, Mulligan has served as public address announcer for a number of Canadian tracks, including the Cornwall (Ontario) Motor Speedway.

Tana Robinson and Judy Snyderman are co-recipients of the ninth annual Gater Racing Photo News "Outstanding Women in Racing" award. Robinson and Snydermann are involved in public relations at various tracks.

FULLER, MCCREADIE HIT ROAD

Watertown residents Tim Fuller and Tim McCreadie will return to the World of Outlaws late model tour this month with stops in Florida and Texas. They will compete at the Ocala, Fla. Speedway on Friday night and on Saturday night they will are slated for the Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvannia, Ga.

After two sanctioned races by the DIRT Motorsports World of Outlaws late model races McCreadie is fourth in points and Fuller is 18th.

Fuller said late last week that he didn't have a good Florida tour in February.

"We were terrible," Fuller said. "We were under-motored. That has set us behind so far. We've got two new motors ordered, but they haven't arrived yet."

McCreadie said his race team performed fairly well in Florida.

"I think in all the races we were in down there we finished in the top 10, but we didn't win any," he said.

McCreadie said the race team is leaning toward competing a full season on the World of Outlaws late model tour.

"We haven't done that since the year (2006) when we won the points title," he said.

Both drivers expect to compete in some big-block modified races this season.

CAN-AM OPENS APRIL 11

Can-Am Motorsports Park in LaFargeville will hold an open practice in all divisions on April 11 from noon until 4 p.m. The first weekend of racing is scheduled for April 17 -18. The Saturday and Sunday programs will include 358-modifieds, sportsman, street stocks, pro stocks, crate late models, IMCA modified and mod lites.

The big-block modifieds makes their debut on April 23. The thunder cars are scheduled to open their season on April 30.

The World of Outlaws late models 40-lap $10,000 to win feature is scheduled for June 15. The 410 sprint cars are scheduled to make an appearance on July 12. The speedway concludes its season on Oct. 6 with a 358-modified Super DIRT Series race with $4,000 to win along with SUNY Canton sportsman and street stock series races.

Racing is scheduled on Friday nights during the season with some mid-week and Sunday races planned.