AUBURN —   The Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame Class of 2012 is made up of three race drivers, a car owner/crew chief, and a man who wrote about the on-track excitement for nearly three decades.

The list of inductees announced Thursday consists of drivers Glenn Andrews, Ray Leach and Bob Turner, car owner/crew chief Conrad Taylor, and motorsports writer Bob Morris.

Andrews, of Harrison, enjoyed a 20-year racing career that began as a 15-year old when Oxford Plains Speedway first opened in 1950. He was always a consistent top finisher who won races on both dirt and asphalt, and was the 1960 track champion at Northeastern Speedway in Waterford, Vermont.
 
Leach, of  Arundel, had a 25-year racing career that began in 1960 at the Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. He won Modified and ‘B’ Class Bomber championships at Beech Ridge, tutored his son Steve and is a member of the Beech Ridge Hall of Fame.

Turner, of Waterboro, began racing at age 16 at the Arundel Speedway and Hudson Raceway in New Hampshire. He raced NASCAR Modifieds with a great deal of success around New England, including winning the pole for the original “Spring Sizzler” in 1972 at the famed Stafford Motor Speedway. Turner raced at Beech Ridge for 20 years.

Taylor, of Farmington, has spent nearly 50 years as a crew member, crew chief and car owner. He won an amazing nine track championships and over 60 races as crew chief and car owner for his son Jeff at Oxford Plains Speedway.

Morris, of Auburn, spent nearly 30 years covering motorsports. He wrote for New England Speedway Scene and the Sun Journal, was Show Director for the Northeast Motorsports Expo in Augusta for 20 years, and co-founded the Maine Vintage Race Car Association.

In addition, two individuals will be honored posthumously for their significant contributions to auto racing in Maine. The families of Clifford Cyr and Roger Shaw will be presented “Special Recognition” awards at the hall of fame ceremonies.

Cyr was involved with auto racing nearly twenty-five years as a car owner, chief mechanic and car builder beginning in the early 1950’s at Oxford Plains Speedway.

Shaw’s racing career was only 15 years in length, yet he was a frequent visitor to victory lane in the 1950’s and 1960’s. He won three track championships – one at Oxford Plains Speedway, and two at the Beech Ridge Motor Speedway.

Presented by the Maine Vintage Race Car Association, the Hall of Fame Class of 2012 dinner and induction ceremonies will be held at the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday, March 31.

The Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame was founded in 2004 and currently has 60 members.The Maine Vintage Race Car Association was formed for the purpose of preserving the state's rich motorsports history, and to honor those who made contributions in racing's formative years.