Iotorsports announcer Dave Despain
II
~y
SCott Rousseau
t's an idea .that was way overdue,
an epic revelation that seems so
, simple and has met with an incredibly enthusiastic response, and it goes
something like this: An enthusiastic
group of dirt track supporters has
raised a $50,000 purse for the first "Dirt
Track Hall of Fame Race,". to run Labor
Day weekend with the traditional
Springfield Mile. Many details remain
to be worked out, but the plan is to field
15 riders for the la-lap event which will
payout $50,000 - making it the richest
single dirt track race in history, with
ESPN2 television coverage. Proceeds
will be the seed money for the creation
of the Dirt Track Hall of Fame.
But whose idea was it? The race is
the brainchild of ESPN motors ports
announcer and lifelong dirt track enthusiast Dave Despain, who has since
invested himself so fully in the race project that he is wearing about as many
hats as one man can in this type of
endeavor. Despain is acting as co-promoter, the liason between the AMA, the
IMDA and the first 24 Hall of Fame.
inductees. He is heading up communications with the city of Springfield both the mayor's office and the convention bureau. He is actively seeking
sponsorship, lining up media coverage
and dealing with all the nitpicky logistics on race day. And of course, on race
day, you can expect that Despain will
be the one announcing the action for
ESPN2. Bottom line: Despain is the
event's designated cheerleader.
The whole shebang represents an
ambitious plan in which there are many
questions to be answered. Who better,
then, to provide some of the answers
about the event than the guy with the
big idea?"
.
Longtime motorsports announcer Dave
Despain (foreground) is. the initiator of an
ambitious plan to raise funds for the
$50,000 Hall of Fame dirt track race at the
Springfield Mile on Labor Day weekend.
Despain is a longtime dirt track
enthusiast.
