Rich Farmer – Rich was the Fremont Speedway promoter from 2008 through 2018, the third longest tenure in the history of the track. He founded the Fremont Speedway Hall of Fame and the Fremont Speedway Historical Club. Rich was recognized as the regional promoter of the year in 2013 and 2015 and was the Vintage Auto Racing Promoter of the Year in 2015. A recipient of the Key to the City of Fremont in 2016, he also has 2 dirt truck wins at Fremont Speedway and was the track’s rookie of the year in 2000.
Rich also has owned sprint cars that have accumulated wins with drivers such as Bryan Scott, Mike Linder, Bryan Sebetto, DJ Foos, Matt Foos, Dustin Dinan, John Ivy, Brad Haudenschild, Dan Roepke Jr., Shane Stewart, Rodney Duncan, Rob Chaney and Shelly Farmer. In fact Rich’s cars won two 410 features in the same night with Mike Linder and Brad Haudenschild as the drivers. A successful businessman Rich owns several NAPA Auto Parts Stores and a limousine business.
Chuck Kear – Chuck and his wife Shirley opened Kear’s Speed Shop in downtown Tiffin, Ohio in 1969 and it is still in business today supply parts for race cars. Chuck, who passed away in 1980, tried to race in the late 1960s and found he had trouble finding affordable parts. Shirley said that’s when he opened the speed shop which started with late model parts but later switched to sprint car parts because of the universal design of most parts at the time. The early years of Kear’s Speed Shop saw Shirley run the business during the day, while Chuck maintained a full-time job after which he would come in and keep the store open into the evening to accommodate the racers.
Chuck and Shirley, along with their children, traveled to tracks all over the country, making a national name for themselves. Chuck was an industry pioneer in many ways, spearheading many events including the racers flea market in the Sandusky County Fairgrounds. Chuck joins Shirley in the Fremont Speedway Hall Fame as she was inducted in 2011. Shirley was also inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2016.
Floyd Slatter – A pioneer in auto racing, Floyd was one of the four owners and mechanics on the #100 car that competed at the very first race at Fremont Speedway. Floyd and fellow Fremont Speedway Hall of Fame members Dick Willey, Ken “Red” Root and driver Johnny Auxter, formed the team in 1950 and even journeyed to the beaches of Daytona to compete. That first car, legend has it, had a rock filled pipe that weighed around 500 pounds and rims from old wagon wheels that Auxter was able to find.
Floyd was happiest when he was elbows deep in oil and grease working on an engine and mechanical parts. He was a fixture at fellow hall of fame member Fritz Meyers’ Garage.
Chuck Keegan – Chuck, a truck driver by trade, bought his first race car in 1956 with a lot of the work being done by his brother Ed Burr and cousin Paul Keegan because Chuck was on the road all week. Chuck’s wife, Marilyn would go get the parts the team needed. Paul drove the cars most of the time because as hall of fame member Jim Linder remembered “Chuck would run wide open and scare you.” Chuck loved kids and the Linder boys would hang out at the house in their teen years.
Chuck owned three race cars between 1956 and 1960. When Paul got hurt in another car, Chuck let his car sit idle, eventually giving it to Jim Linder to start his driving career. Chuck was a generous person, often times lending other racers parts off his own passenger car during a night of racing then having to wait to go home until the races were over and the parts could be put back on the passenger car.