HEARN NAMED ‘GREATEST AARN FIRST 50 YEARS DRIVER’: KATIE TODOROW IS MS MOTORSPORTS; WALTRIPS AND DILLONS BIG HITS, TOP 2012 WINNERS HONORED AT MOTORSPORTS 2013

something for everyone when it comes to motorsports.
Opening night attracted a record crowd to the Greater Philadelphia 
Expo Center in Oaks, PA. and large crowds flowed through the 250,000 
square feet of everything imaginable in motorsports.
Many vendors, track operators and sanctioning organization officials 
reported brisk traffic at their display areas during the three days of 
the show.
The twenty-eighth edition of the Motorsports Race Car and Trade Show’s 
opening night saw Brett  Hearn named as the ‘Greatest Driver Of Area 
Auto Racing News’ First 50 Years’.  The unprecedented and prestigious 
honor was witnessed by one of the largest Friday night crowds in the 
history of the Len Sammons Motorsports Productions event.  “I am 
grateful to the fans,  the motorsports media, and to Area Auto Racing 
News for this amazing honor,” said Hearn, 56, of Sussex, N.J., winner 
of over 800 feature races and 40 track or circuit championships in his 
career that began in 1975 and has never waned.
NASCAR Sprint Cup team owner and two time Daytona 500 winner Michael 
Waltrip answered questions from attendees and signed autographs for 
his fans Friday night.  “Coming to Motorsports is a great time for 
me.  This region has some of the most knowledgeable race fans in the 
country and it was a pleasure to meet so many of them face to face,” 
Waltrip said.
Hearn’s selection was the culmination of a year long process involving 
members of the media and race fans alike.  The top fifty drivers were 
first named from over 350 nominees; the top ten were identified in mid-
October and a separate vote was then conducted.  Hearn was the winner 
over the late Richie Evans, Billy Pauch, Frankie Schneider,  Kenny 
Brightbill,  Fred Rahmer , the late Dick Tobias, Jimmy Horton,  Jimmy 
Horton, Will Cagle  and Danny Johnson.     Evans and Tobias were 
represented by their widows, Lynn Evans and Mary Tobias.  Frankie 
Schneider, who had planned on attending , was unable to do so at the 
last minute for health reasons and was represented by his daughter 
Diane.     “This competition was one of the all-time highlights in 
Area Auto Racing News’ history,” said AARN publisher Len Sammons.   
“Each of these great champions  are deserving of being named number 
one.”
Fred Kennedy, a long-time behind-the-scenes Motorsports Show staff 
member, was named the recipient of the annual Joe Pratt Memorial Award 
Of Excellence.  Kennedy and Pratt were close friends who worked 
closely with one another for years at the show.
Ms. Katie Todorow, an attractive 24 year old from Quakertown, Pa.,  
was named BPG Racing Ms. Motorsports 2013 Saturday night in a crowd-
pleasing competition.   Ms. Todorow is of a racing family; her father 
Rick is a veteran Grandview Speedway NASCAR Late Model Driver, her 
brother Steve also races and she has competed in Enduro events at 
Grandview in the past two years.
“I was a little nervous at first but once it got started, I was fine,” 
said Katie, a Drexel Univerity graduate.  “I plan on being at as many 
tracks as I can as Ms. Motorsports.”  Katie’s boyfriend Ryan Taylor 
competes in Central Pennsylvania on the 410 Sprint car circuit.
Jackie White was named First Runnerup and  Mckenna Myers was voted as 
Second Runnerup. Annie Costello won the separate Swimsuit competition 
conducted by popular vote of the fans in attendance.
Austin Dillon, 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie Of The Year, and 
Ty Dillon, 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie Of The Year, 
wowed the crowd during a one-on-one question and answer session with 
Motorsports attendees Saturday, then signed autographs for nearly two 
hours; not a single fan seeking a Dillon brothers autograph was turned 
away.
Parnelli Jones, 1963 Indianapolis 500 winner, became the fifth Indy 
500 champion to visit the Motorsports Show during its 28 year run 
(Mario Andretti, Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Rahal and Tom Sneva preceded 
Jones).  Jones met and greeted race fans and signed copies of his 
recently introduced book “As A Matter Of Fact I Am Parnelli Jones”.
The Area Auto Racing News Northeastern Biggest Winners Of 2012 met the 
fans in a two hour autograph session prior to being recognized 
formally prior to the Ms. Motorsports pageant on stage.  Stewart 
Friesen was the biggest winner overall in addition to the biggest dirt 
track Modified winner.
Other class winners acknowledged included John Waters (dirt track Late 
Model), Wayne Helliwell, Jr. (asphalt Late Model), Jimmy Zacharias 
(asphalt Modified),  Pat Cannon and Greg Hodnett (tied for most open 
cockpit wins) and Jessica Miller (Micro Sprint).
Special awards for best in the show were presented to:
Best Appearing Stock Car:  Kyle Weiss No. 21K / Four Star Lettering
Best Open Cockpit Car:  Ryan Greth No. 33 / ARDC Midget
Best Speedway / Club Display:  BD Motorsports (Brett Deyo)
Best Commercial Display:  TEO Pro Fabrications
Best Drag Car: ‘Dyno’ Don Nicholson Mercury Comet
Best Race Car Display:  Reid’s Tannery / Fred Rahmer No. 20S / 410 
Sprint
Best Quarter Midget / Kart Display:  South Jersey Quarter Midget 
Racing Association - Atco Speedway
Best Vintage Stock Car:  Richie Evans No. 61 Vintage Modified
Best Vintage Open Cockpit Car:  Gary Mondschein’s AntiqueTQ Midget
Best Vintage Display:  Garden State Vintage Stock Car Club
In the Metal Fab sponsored Sunday activities the Little Ms. 
Motorsports competition had Kyle Murray, a nine year old from 
Pottstown, PA. as the winner. Second spot went to Samantha Grice, an 
eight year old from Newark, DE while the second runnerup spot was 
earned by nine year old Trianna Stetzel of Phelps, NY.
In the Tiny Mr. Motorsports contest midget and sprint racer Steve 
Buckwalter’s daughter Gracyn Buckwalter, just 5 years old, of 
Douglassville, PA was the winner. Kylie Mae Eisenhard, 4 years old, of 
Pottstown, PA was first runnerup while Kamryn Breault, 4 years old of 
Fairless Hills, PA was second runnerup.
The 2014 edition of the Motorsports Race Car and Trade Show will take 
place January January 17, 18 and 19, 2014.

-End-

Release created by Steve Barrick and Ernie Saxton

MEDIA NOTE: A big thank you for your support from all of us involved with Len Sammons Productions. - Ernie Saxton