DICK BEEBE PROMOTER

THE MEMBERS in the Hall of Fame consist of inductees who have basically devoted their entire lives to the world of auto racing. This year’s contributing class inductee, the late Dick Beebe, fits that role perfectly.

Dick’s involvement in the sport started as a youngster working on his father Paul Sr’s motorcycle racing crew. The young Kalamazoo, Michigan, native also assisted his dad in the construction of several race tracks around the country, including the Galesburg Speedway and the Grand Rapids Speedrome in their home Wolverine State.

At just 12, he began lettering race cars at his home tracks, eventually turning his talents into the long time successful Beebe Sign Company. He also started flagging events, something he continued for many years to come. Aside from his starting duties, he would serve in many other capacities such as pit steward, scorer, promoter, groundskeeper, reporter and as an official for several organizations including NASCAR and USAC.

Dick also spent time participating as a racer himself, piloting motorcycles, karts and snowmobiles, as well as competing in various other forms of motor racing. One of his final outings behind the wheel saw him ride a dirt late model to victory in a celebrity event in Florence, Kentucky, in the early 1970s.

His passion for the sport saw him, along with his wife Pat, establish the weekly MARC Times Racing News back in 1965. For many years, the popular publication was a thriving entity, well known and admired by racing communities everywhere. On a number of occasions, the earnings from the MARC Times would be donated to the families of racers who were injured or killed in competition.

In 1970, he founded the American Racing Congress which laid out safety regulations governing speedways across the United States and Canada. Always a strong proponent for driver safety, Dick helped in the development of window nets for stock cars along with improving firesuits, seatbelts, roll cages and much more.

On the promotional side, Beebe presented his successful Dealer’s Choice events at places like the Hartford and Crystal Speedways in Michigan attended by hundreds of race contestants.

In 1995, he was honored for his many contributions to the sport with induction into the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Beebe passed away in 2009 at age 76 but will be remembered as a jack of all trades and for his lifelong dedication to motorsports.