One of the recent traditions at Orlando Speedworld, the Joslin Memorial Race, will return again in 2006, it was announced by Speedworld officials this week.
The race was originally started in 1993 to honor the late racer/track promoter Dick Joslin. Joslin died of a heart attack in 1972 after a storied career on the Central Florida short tracks as well as in NASCAR.
Joslin ran many of the early NASCAR events on the beach race course in Daytona, winning a Modified event there in 1954. Joslin campaigned with NASCAR full-time only once, racing the Convertible Division in 1956 in his popular Lil' Pogo car.
Joslin retired after the 1962 race season and eventually turned to race promoting where he ran the Orlando Raceway for several years. Joslin's son Jerry began the tribute to his late father at Speedworld in 1993, including an "Old Timer's Night" as part of the festivities each year. The race was for Super Late Models the first two years and both were won by Dick Anderson. For 1995, the Modifieds, Dick Joslin's first love, became the headliner for the event with drivers like Jerry Symons, Doug Moff, Ross Eldridge, Jeremy Fitch and Teddy Jernigan taking wins.
Unfortunately during it's run, the Dick Joslin Memorial simply became the Joslin Memorial when Jerry Joslin passed suddenly from a massive heart attack, the very same thing that claimed his dad's life. The race fell by the wayside after the last attempt to run it was called due to weather, but Speedworld has decided to revive the event this year with a 50 lap race for the Modifieds on July 7th.
An old timers gathering is also planned with all Central Florida racing veterans invited to RSVP and attend for free.
