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Neil Upchurch, Texas racing icon, announces his retirement after 53 years in the sport

With the completion of the 35th consecutive Texas Pro Sedans racing season, I am hereby notifying all concerned of my full retirement from racing and working in behalf of TPS.

For 53 years, I’ve been involved at all levels of auto racing. I tried to retire after the 1997 season, but returned to TPS when I felt it was essential to assure the continuance of TPS. I announced at the 2009 TPS Awards Dinner that I was stepping down from the position of TPS Race & Administrative Director, but would continue during the 2010 season as the TPS Administrative Director in the interest of organizational continuity, which I did throughout the 2010 racing season.

I have worked tirelessly to solicit sponsors to supplement and increase TPS race purses. Frequently sponsor searches proved fruitless. I worked hard to promote, arrange and pay to repair lacking TPS purses due to reduced pit gate payments to TPS during past seasons.

To insure my fiduciary responsibility and the legal management of the TPS Treasury, I have refunded all 2011 member dues, but will continue my TPS work until the 2010 TPS IRS return is completed after-which, I will not do future Texas Pro Sedans work.

I understand that CCS owner Dan Monroe and TPS Race Director David Mackey have negotiated a schedule in principle for several race dates and that David has sent a contract to Dan Monroe and that TPS racing at CCS depends upon prompt contract signing by Dan. TPS car owners have been advised they should wait for David’s notification of the signing before spending money on their cars. Approval of a 2011 TPS race schedule at CCS rests with Dan Monroe and is TPS’s only chance for a 2011 racing season solely at CCS. I won’t see any of the races, but I support TPS Driver’s and CCS’s joint arrangement next season.

I sincerely hope, but seriously doubt that local area racing can recover and exist as it once did. It distresses me to see car owners and drivers having to pay more, travel more to race at tracks and then compete for small purses usually made only from a percentage of their own pit pass purchases or worse, no percentage at all. Racing veterans can remember a time when tracks actually promoted and advertised the sale of admission tickets and compensated racers for providing the show and attraction from part of track ticket and concession sales. I do understand that tracks face economic problems, but so do the car owners, drivers and crews. Perhaps the public is no longer a willing customer to buy admission tickets to fund local track operations. It has become easier for some tracks to exist by simply selling expensive pit passes than by working, promoting and advertising to increase their spectator sales base. Today’s racing reminds me of buying an amusement ticket on a carnival ride. The only difference is that racers bring their amusement ride (their own cars) to the carnival.

When TIDA-LM ceased operations thirteen years ago, I wrote “We have witnessed the gradual degradation of our sport, at the local level. We have seen local tracks closing or losing their fan base, car counts and profit potential. Minor league local racing simply cannot compete with Saturday night FREE televised NASCAR races. It’s not even a fair fight. Most local tracks just go dark on NASCAR race nights. Some tracks even naively pay 10% of their purses to NASCAR for affiliation membership sanction fees and to purchase higher priced NASCAR insurance. The big dog continues to eat more of its own puppies”.

The proudest thing I’ve done in sports has been to dedicate 53 years of my life to our sport of auto racing. I very much appreciate all of the fine people who either worked with or for me. They all know who they are. I’m thankful for the support of the loyal members of Texas and TIDA Pro Sedans, the TIDA Late Model Series and Texas World Speedway’s Texas Race of Champions and Texas Grand Prix participants and all of our generous, but hard to acquire sponsors. I sincerely thank all of the fine people from my driving days. I thank all of my co-owners, co-drivers, crew people and sponsors who helped me own and drive many great race cars for more than 20 years.

As I have been doing for the past eleven years, I plan to continue working in San Antonio high school football as the PA Announcer at Heroes Stadium and the Alamodome.

My racing career is over. It has been quite a ride. I have enjoyed almost every mile of it. I won’t be seeing you around the tracks in the future. If you have time in your race through life, please stay in touch with me, say hello and remember this “old racer”, who I sincerely believe, worked hard for the good of our sport of Texas auto racing.

Thanks to all of you.

Signed Neil Upchurch
Founder, Driver, Race Director, Administrative Director - Texas Pro Sedans, TIDA Pro Sedans, TIDA-LM’s and TWS

By Neil Upchurch
Photo by Tory Christopher

Racing Champions recognized at Thunderhill Raceway banquet

The Thunderhill Raceway and Texas Super Racing Series (TSRS) 2009 Awards Banquet was held on Saturday, January 16, 2010. Over 300 drivers, racing teams, staff, officials, media and fans attended this annual event that was held at the Manchaca Firehall and Community Center in Manchaca, TX.

The evening began with a social hour, followed by an all-you-can-eat catfish dinner. During the pre-awards activities, guests were treated to video presentations that highlighted some track action, along with video clips from “life in the pits” during the 2009 racing season.

The awards ceremony began with the two emcees, Bobby Chaffee and Rodney Rodriguez, introducing the THR/TSRS Owner and Promoter, Mary Ann Naumann. Naumann welcomed everyone to the banquet and introduced the special guests – including Neil Upchurch from the Texas Pro Sedans, Arden Vikre from the Dwarf Car Racing Series of Texas, Mike Steinman from NasKarts, Nick Holt from Lone Star Speedzone and Bruce Mabrito (Motorsports writer).

Certificates of appreciation were presented to the staff, officials and safety crews. Kathy Tiemann, Director of Scoring, presented a trophy to Debbie Williams, Media & Public Relations Director, for her help with the training on the electronic scoring system. Naumann announced a few staff changes for the 2010 racing season as follows: Terry Barden as the Race Director for TSRS and traveling classes, Gary Smith as the THR Marketing Manger and Cameron Moore, Sr., as the Track Chaplain.

Neil Upchurch was next on the agenda and announced his retirement from the on-track activities for the Texas Pro Sedans. He presented awards to two Texas Pro Sedan drivers – the 2009 championship award to Mike Merrell and the Rookie of the Year award to Tory Christopher. Upchurch ended his presentation with an inspiring speech about the state of stock-car racing and introduced David Mackey as the new Race Director for the Texas Pro Sedans.

The Thunderhill Raceway awards were presented next, and the following drivers received the top awards:

Mini Stocks
Champion: #46 Mason Yousling
Grand Stocks Champion & Rookie of the Year: #58 Layton Carroll
To the Rear Award: #07 Richard Fitch

Thunder Stocks
Champion: #16 Mason Teague
Rookie of the Year: #58 Patrick Burow

ASA A-Line Super Stocks
Champion: #3 Clint LaFont
Rookie of the Year: #99 Chase Stapp

SportMods
Champion: #10D Don Painter

Pro Modifieds
Champion: #5 Michael Umscheid

Pro Trucks
Champion: #42 Jason Marshall

Following a nomination process by THR staff and drivers, the Special Awards winners were announced, as follows:
Thunderhill Raceway Extra Lap Award - David Lewien, driver of the #3 Pro Truck
Thunderhill Raceway Hard Luck Award - Dwayne Toyne, driver of the #48 ASA A-Line Super Stock
Thunderhill Raceway Best Appearing Crew Award -Allen Alexander, driver of the #80 ASA A-Line Super Stock, and his AAA House Leveling Team
Thunderhill Raceway “Kevin Suberg” Sportsman of the Year Award - Terry Tschoerner, Mini Stocks

Certificates of appreciation were presented to the THR and TSRS sponsors.

Tory Christopher invited all drivers to attend a Driver Image Workshop that will be held at THR on Saturday, February 6, from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

The TSRS awards were presented next, and the following drivers received top honors:

TSRS Allison Legacys
Champion: #07 Rusty Mirth
Rookie of the Year: #19 Cole Runco

TSRS Late Models
Champion: #14 Jake Kruger
Super Pack Champion: #17 Robert Barker
Rookie of the Year: #72 Kendall Bumbera

A drawing was held for a certificate for a $900 Five-Star Late Model body. To qualify for the drawing, the TSRS Late Model driver(s) must have competed in a stock appearing, template-style body, competed in at least 75% of the scheduled events, displayed the Five-Star decal and must have been present at the awards ceremony. Dillon Spreen, driver of the #81 TSRS Late Model, was the lucky winner.

The emcees then announced the following winners of the TSRS special awards:

TSRS Mentor Team Award - Jake Wright, driver of the #96 TSRS Allison Legacy, and Jake Kruger, Driver of the #14 TSRS Late Model
TSRS Hard Luck Award - Levi Krauss, driver of the #4 TSRS Late Model
TSRS Best Appearing Crew Award - Kendall Bumbera, driver of the #72 TSRS Late Model, and her Next Generation Racing Team
TSRS Sportsman of the Year Award - Bobby Teer, Jr., driver of the #72 TSRS Late Model

David Mackey was presented with the Official of the Year trophy by Mary Ann Naumann.

The event was closed out with an expression of thanks to the Janette Huff and her family for the banquet decorations, Manchaca Firehall for the facility and food, the photographers and videographers (Jeff Garvin, Tory Christopher, Thad Yousling and Duke O’Connor) for banquet pictures and videos, Dave New with All American Trophy & Awards for the trophies and plaques and Insty-Prints for the banquet printing.

The night ended with DJ music by David Vogel.

Story by Debbie Williams, THR Media & Public Relations Director
Photos by Jeff Garvin

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