West Coast Stock Car HOF Names Dick Woodland as 2018 Inductee

Woodland to be honored on June 21 in Napa

Among the six members of the 2018 West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame class our own local Richard “Dick” Woodland will be honored when the class of 2018 is enshrined on June 21 at the Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa.
The Hall’s 15th class is comprised of Joe Garone, president, and general manager of 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Champion Furniture Row Racing; Joe Gibbs Racing senior executive J.D. Gibbs; Southern California racing legend Oren Prosser; two-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Champion Greg Pursley, and NASCAR and open-wheel car owner Richard “Dick” Woodland. The late Larry Albedi, a five-decade-long public-address announcer, will be inducted as a member of the media.
“It is getting increasingly difficult to select the honorees because the West Coast, over 75 years, has produced so many eligible candidates – literally hundreds,” said Ken Clapp, Chairman of the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame. “I salute the tenacity of the voting board and the members of the nominating committee on making these difficult selections.”
Woodland, earned his selection with a decorated career that began in the seat of … well, a “jalopy.”
Woodland built his first race car, a jalopy, in 1958 at age 15. During college, he raced NASCAR hardtops at Kearney Bowl in Fresno, Calif. and following military service drove sprint cars at Ascot Park in Los Angeles. With a growing family, Woodland turned owner and hired West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame inductees Frank Secrist and Parnelli Jones, among others.
Woodland entered the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West with NASCAR and West Coast Stock Car Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. in 1991 and continued with his son, Rich Jr. In 55 races, they won once (at Phoenix in 1998) and finished fifth in the 1995 standings. They also entered several NASCAR premier series, Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series events. Residing in Templeton, Calif., Woodland owns an extensive vintage race car museum in nearby Paso Robles.
For additional information on the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame, visit WestCoastStockCarHallofFame.com or contact Owen A. Kearns at 661-342-2983. To obtain details about table sponsorship for the 2018 awards dinner, contact Jennifer Wentzel at 623-463-5400. A limited number of tickets will be make available to the public beginning April 1. Inquiries should be forwarded to jwentzel@ismraceway.com.
About the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame
The West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame was conceived in 2001 as a means of recognizing significant contributors and contributions to the sport of stock car racing. The mission of the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame is founded to preserve history and heritage of the important role west coast stock car competitors have played in the sport’s development and continuation and to recognize, through annual enshrinement, of outstanding individuals and groups within the sport such as, but not limited to, designers, engineers, mechanics, drivers, race track owners, promoters, publicists and members of the motorsports media.