a main FEATURE CLASS OF 2022 STEVE BOLEY

HISTORICALLY, SOME OF the very best names in dirt late model racing have come out of the state of Iowa. The Hall of Fame can certainly vouch for that. This year joining an already impressive array of Hawkeye State racing legends in the Hall will be West Liberty, Iowa’s Steve Boley, a member of the 2022 Class.

Like many other inductees, Steve spent a number of his early years in the world of speed on the two wheel circuit competing in motorcycle racing. In 1985 he made the move to four wheels, campaigning a dirt modified on eastern Iowa speedways such as Davenport, East Moline, and Bluegrass. In 1986, he defeated many of the country’s finest in taking the IMCA Florida Speedweeks Modified Series title.

In 1987, Boley made the jump to late model racing in his homestate at the nearby West Liberty Speedway and at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids. In the 1990s, he began piling up wins in his region in NASCAR Weekly Racing competition. He left his mark in the history books by earning 11 Winston Racing Series track crowns at eastern Iowa strongholds West Liberty, Farley and Dubuque from 1991 through 2005. He won two NASCAR Weekly Regional titles in 1993 and 1996 and was the All-Iowa points champion in 1998.

In 2000, Steve racked up a series leading ten NASCAR O’Reilly All-

Star victories and captured the tour championship. His 23 wins on the All-Star tour is fourth all-time. Steve is also one of a few to have scored back to back Yankee Dirt Classic victories in 1999 and 2000.

For a time Steve also dabbled in big time asphalt racing, running with ARCA and the NASCAR Busch Grand National circuit under the tutelage of NASCAR Hall of Famer Jack Ingram.

He mentored several Hawkeye State racers such stars as fellow Class Inductee Brian Birkhofer, along with Chad and Chris Simpson, and countless others in classes from the hobbies to the modifieds and the late model division.

Today, retired from race competition, Steve operates his own commercial carpet cleaning business back home but continues to assist a number of dirt racers in his former race shop with the building and set-up of race cars.

Collecting loads of championship hardware and over 300 feature checkereds in his career, Steve Boley now joins the greats of the game as a much welcomed addition to the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame.

YEARS AGO, WHEN Michael Despain hanged the nickname “Real Deal” on Don O’Neal, it may have been for rhyming purposes or just to be catchy. But now, after a 30-plus year career and countless victories, the highlyappropriate moniker will accompany the Martinsville, Indiana, life-long resident and favorite son into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame. His induction is on the grounds of Florence Speedway, a place where he enjoyed success in major events like the North-South 100 and the Ralph Latham Memorial, winning them two and three times, respectively. However, there can be no dispute that Brownstown Speedway was home for O’Neal and his racing accomplishments. With two track championships, four Jackson 100 wins, five Indiana Icebreaker triumphs and