Story By: RON SZCZERBA / NEW YORK STATE STOCK CAR ASSOCIATION – ALBANY, NY – Recently the New York State Stock Car Association (NYSSCA) Hall of Fame committee held a meeting to discuss inductees into their Hall of Fame for the class of 2023.
Inductees named to receive their accolades into the prestigious Hall of Fame were drivers Joe Plazek, Mitch Gibbs, and Dale Planck along with announcers Joe Marotta and Jack Burgess.
Those five individuals will be inducted into the NYSSCA Hall of Fame at a ceremony to be held at the Fonda Speedway Museum on Sunday May 5, 2024.
On a couple of occasions in the past, the organization inducted people into their Hall of Fame during the summer months at the various local area tracks. This past summer at both the Woodhull and Afton Speedways, six individuals were inducted into the NYSSCA Hall of Fame for the class of 2022. Inducted into the prestigious NYSSCA Hall of Fame were Don Lawson Sr., Herbert Wright, Steve Hartman Sr., and Herbie Layfield at Woodhull while Roger Heroux and Gary Smith were inducted at Afton.
This year inductions will take place at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Fonda Speedway, Glen Ridge Motorsports Park, Lebanon Valley Speedway and Utica-Rome Speedway throughout the race season. The list of individuals being inducted during the summer months at local tracks will be announced once they are all contacted by the organization. The people inducted at the local tracks over the summer months are not inducted due to their success at one particular track, moreover, they are inducted for their successes during their entire racing careers at all tracks.
All of the inductees named at the Fonda Speedway Museum and at all tracks during the summer of 2024 will receive a plaque along with a NYSSCA Hall of Fame jacket and a NYSSCA hat.