Purvis Honored:Jeff Purvis, along with 14 other drivers, will be honored Saturday night at Florence Speedway in Kentucky, becoming the Hall’s first inductees and recognizing a group of racing pioneers who placed late model racing onto a larger stage. Saturday night’s ceremony in Florence will honor five current drivers, five retired drivers and five contributors to the sport, which continues to grow at dirt tracks across the country. Each honoree will receive a plaque, a trophy and a jacket and will have memorabilia of their respective dirt track careers placed on display at the Hall of Fame, which may be built in Florence due to its central location between Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. “Back when I started racing, I was really enjoying what I was doing and never thought about getting into the Hall of Fame,” Purvis said. “But looking back, to know that someone actually noticed what you were doing is a really good feeling. But knowing that I am actually old enough to be in the Hall of Fame kind of makes this kind of a double-edged sword.” Purvis’ dirt track career began at age 15 when he began driving at Clarksville Speedway. He went on to claim three World 100 championships — a title which is determined only after a driver has worked his way through a 250-car field and into the featured race of the night. “The odds of winning are about as great as winning the Powerball (lottery),” Holder said. “And for Jeff to win three times is a great accomplishment. But he always came with an immaculately-prepared car and he always came ready to race.” Purvis is only one of a few drivers to carry their dirt-track careers over to NASCAR as most drivers begin in the open-wheel circuit — a route taken by Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart.(Leaf Chronicle)(8-23-2001)
