Kenneth "Kenny" Shoemaker (September 7, 1929 - March 22, 2001) was an American dirt modified racing driver. Known as "The Shoe", he was a hired gun who piloted 78 different cars to over 150 wins, usually at venues within driving distance of his home because of his full time job.[2][3]
| Kenny Shoemaker | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kenneth N. D. Shoemaker September 7, 1929 Schaghticoke, New York |
| Died | March 22, 2001 (aged 71) |
| Motorsport career | |
| Debut season | 1949 |
| Wins | 150+ |
| Finished last season | 1978 |
| Championship titles | |
| 1958 NASCAR NY Sportsman Champion[1] | |
Racing career
editKenny Shoemaker chipped in with boyhood pal Pete Corey in 1949 to buy a 1934 coupe and make it into a stock car. They numbered the black racer number 35 to represent the purchase price and began racing at Burden Lake Speedway NY.[4] During his career he competed successfully at the renowned tracks of the northeast, including Albany-Saratoga Speedway NY, Fonda Speedway NY, Langhorne Speedway NY, Monroe County Fairgrounds NY, the Syracuse Mile NY, Utica-Rome Speedway NY, and Victoria Speedway, NY.[1][2][5][6]
Kenny Shoemaker was inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified and the New York State Stock Car Association Halls of Fame.[1][4]
References
edit- ^ a b c Boggie, Tom (April 2, 1993). "Shoemaker enters Dirt Hall of Fame". The Daily Gazette. p. D6. Retrieved December 19, 2023 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "Ken Shoemaker Career Results". The Third Turn. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
- ^ Boyd, Lew; Shoemaker, Kenny (2000). They Called Me the Shoe. Coastal 181. ISBN 097098541X.
- ^ a b "Three drivers and promoter elected to NYSSCA Hall of Fame". The Amsterdam Recorder. June 9, 2016. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
- ^ "Shoemaker wins feature at Victoria". The Record (Troy). August 23, 1965. p. 15. Retrieved December 19, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.
- ^ "Kenny Shoemaker grabs feature Albany Saratoga". The Post-Star. July 16, 1966. p. 8. Retrieved December 19, 2023 – via NewspaperArchive.