|
2008 IHRS Awards Recipient - Johnny Booth Each year the Idaho Historical Racing Society presents an “Achievement Award” to an individual who has made a significant contribution to oval track racing. Past recipients of the award are Glen Naylor, Dan Breach, Dan Crow, Kenny Hamilton and the late Roger Cornell. Tonight we honor an individual whose racing career has traveled through six decades. In the early 1950’s, the racecars of choice were the 1932 or 1934 Fords. It was in this era that Johnny Booth first entered into oval track competition. In 1953, he drove his first race at the Nyssa Oregon Rodeo grounds and then at Wilkins Speedway near Caldwell. From 1954 to 1956 he raced at Meridian on the dirt in a 34 Ford Jalopy and then moved into the Modified - Open wheeled Class. His best season as a driver was 1962 when he won the A - Class Modified Championship. After 1965, Johnny satisfied his racing urge as a car owner. Notable drivers such as Bud Hoezel, Brent Nyborg, Kenny Hamilton, the late Johnny Anduiza and Walt Laughlin, piloted Johnny’s super modifieds throughout the Northwest. In the mid 70’s, Johnny turned to the Indy cars. He first pitted for Gary Bettenhausen, at the Ontario 500’s and at the Phoenix races. Johnny’s first trip to Indianapolis for the 500 was in 1977 where he again pitted for Gary Bettenhousen who was driving for car owner and fabricator Grant King. From 1991 through the year 2000 he pitted for Hemelgarn Racing and was on the Buddy Lazier team in 1996 when Buddy won the Indy 500. Johnny received a nice “Indy Ring” for that win. Johnny was with Davey Hamilton when Davey took his Indy Rookie tests in 1991 and has been with Davey in a majority of his seven runs at the 500. After Daveys accident in June of 2001, Johnny spent many hours in support of Davey encouraging him through his twenty plus surgeries. Johnny Booth has gone from the dirt Jalopies of the 1950’s to Victory Lane at the Indianapolis 500. He still enjoys being on a team, and a man of his caliper is a real asset to racing. On behalf of the Idaho Historical Racing Society I’m pleased to award the 2008, Humanitarian Achievement Award to Johnny Booth of Nampa Idaho. 11-01-08 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
