Glenn Donnelly

Glenn Donnelly

Inducted in 2006

Crank your time machine back to the sixties and say “Hello” to a handsome running back from Baldwinsville High School. “This kid’s GOTTA be a big-time grid material” you’ll say.

Your disappointment will come a year later or so later when Glenn Donnelly’s football career meets with reality and a monster linebacker from Nebraska. It was not a pleasant memory for the South Dakota State halfback.

Okay, now, ratchet the clock ahead and start following Glenn as he shifts gears into a race car mode. In 1970, he bought the old Weedsport Speedway, a bullring track where he ran the concessions, paid attention and learned a little something about dirt car racing. He quit his promising job at General Electric, bought the track, and in 1972 took the job of Director of Racing at the New York State Fair, where he dreamed up the idea of Super Dirt Week, the Super Bowl of the dirt track racing.

Soon, Glenn was networking with other dirt track owners and attracting the attention of sports writers with his Super Dirt Series as well as the imagination of big time sponsors, thirsty for the big TV audience his racing shows were producing. Even the networks got into the act. ESPN, TNN and TBS covered Glenn’s events and his highlights shows. “This Week in DIRT” audiences were topping 100 million mark each week. America’s sports idols included guys like Barefoot Bob McCreadie and Brett Hearn.

Under Donnelly’s guidance for nearly 30 years, DIRT MotorSports grew into the top regional sanctioning body of short-track racing on dirt in the country; including 27 full-member tracks when he departed in 2004, with over 70 speedways raising the DIRT banner for both weekly and special events, as far west as Texas and southernmost in Florida. With the recent acquisition of the World of Outlaws Sprint and WoO Late Model Series, as well as Mid-America Racing Series (MARS) and United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) divisions, today DIRT MotorSports organizes and promotes 16 national and regional racing series and sanctions races at nearly 200 tracks across the United States and Canada

In 1986, his peers, and Racing Promoters Monthly, named Glenn - Short Track Promoter of the Year. Almost single-handedly, Glenn made DIRT one of the largest and most successful motor sports sanctioning governing bodies in the country, and DIRT racing is here to stay. He opened the DIRT Car Museum and Hall of Fame in Weedsport, NY in 1992.

In late 2004, Glenn decided to cash it in and sold his racing empire to Boundless Motor Sports, Inc. He now enjoys life in Weedsport and Florida with his kids, his pets, his museum and those memories of getting hit by that big Cornhusker linebacker.

Glenn Donnelly – the man who cleaned up on DIRT.

Career highlights:

1961: Baldwinsville High School graduate

Received a football scholarship to Memphis State University, Glen redshirts his first season

He then transfers to South Dakota State University.

1970: He rented Weedsport Speedway to conduct snowmobile races

He late bought the track for stock cars racing.

1972: Becomes Racing Director at the NYS Fairgrounds

He created Super Dirt Week at the Syracuse Mile

Adds Rolling Wheels & Canandaigua tracks to the fold for local racing

1974: He founded DIRT Motorsports with two tracks. Today with 28 full-time

sanctioned speedways in the Northeast and Canada. DIRT is one of

America’s short-track racing’s more prominent organizations.

Attracts top drivers from the northeast to Super Dirt Week

Solicits tracks to join ranks and form a single sanctioning body with standardized rules, points funds, schedules and racing procedures (tires, fuel etc)

DIRT circuit grows to 30 tracks with the advent of Super DIRT Series and weekly TV. Full time drivers include Brett Hearn, Alan Johnson, Will Cagle, Bob McCreadie and Jack Johnson.

Sponsorship explodes as top DIRT drivers routinely earn from $300,000 to $500,000 annually

Donnelly creates his own production company and syndicated network. “The Week on Dirt”. Enjoying a 21-year run and reaches nearly 100- million homes coast-to-coast.

Donnelly opens the DIRT Hall of Fame & Classic Car Museum in Weedsport.

2004: Donnelly sells DIRT Motorsports and retires

2004: April 3, 2004 the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, NC inducted

Glenn into the famed speedway’s “Dirt Walk of Fame”

Honored in the racing Walk of Fame at Charlotte Motor Speedway

	Glenn Donnelly Inducted in 2006 Crank your time machine back to the sixties and say “Hello” to a handsome running back from Baldwinsville High School. “This kid’s GOTTA be a big-time grid material” you’ll say. Your disappointment will come a year later or so later when Glenn Donnelly’s football career meets with reality and a monster linebacker from Nebraska. It was not a pleasant memory for the South Dakota State halfback. Okay, now, ratchet the clock ahead and start following Glenn as he shifts gears into a race car mode. In 1970, he bought the old Weedsport Speedway, a bullring track where he ran the concessions, paid attention and learned a little something about dirt car racing. He quit his promising job at General Electric, bought the track, and in 1972 took the job of Director of Racing at the New York State Fair, where he dreamed up the idea of Super Dirt Week, the Super Bowl of the dirt track racing. Soon, Glenn was networking with other dirt track owners and attracting the attention of sports writers with his Super Dirt Series as well as the imagination of big time sponsors, thirsty for the big TV audience his racing shows were producing. Even the networks got into the act. ESPN, TNN and TBS covered Glenn’s events and his highlights shows. “This Week in DIRT” audiences were topping 100 million mark each week. America’s sports idols included guys like Barefoot Bob McCreadie and Brett Hearn. Under Donnelly’s guidance for nearly 30 years, DIRT MotorSports grew into the top regional sanctioning body of short-track racing on dirt in the country; including 27 full-member tracks when he departed in 2004, with over 70 speedways raising the DIRT banner for both weekly and special events, as far west as Texas and southernmost in Florida. With the recent acquisition of the World of Outlaws Sprint and WoO Late Model Series, as well as Mid-America Racing Series (MARS) and United Midwestern Promoters (UMP) divisions, today DIRT MotorSports organizes and promotes 16 national and regional racing series and sanctions races at nearly 200 tracks across the United States and Canada In 1986, his peers, and Racing Promoters Monthly, named Glenn - Short Track Promoter of the Year. Almost single-handedly, Glenn made DIRT one of the largest and most successful motor sports sanctioning governing bodies in the country, and DIRT racing is here to stay. He opened the DIRT Car Museum and Hall of Fame in Weedsport, NY in 1992. In late 2004, Glenn decided to cash it in and sold his racing empire to Boundless Motor Sports, Inc. He now enjoys life in Weedsport and Florida with his kids, his pets, his museum and those memories of getting hit by that big Cornhusker linebacker. Glenn Donnelly – the man who cleaned up on DIRT. Career highlights: 1961: Baldwinsville High School graduate Received a football scholarship to Memphis State University, Glen redshirts his first season He then transfers to South Dakota State University. 1970: He rented Weedsport Speedway to conduct snowmobile races He late bought the track for stock cars racing. 1972: Becomes Racing Director at the NYS Fairgrounds He created Super Dirt Week at the Syracuse Mile Adds Rolling Wheels & Canandaigua tracks to the fold for local racing 1974: He founded DIRT Motorsports with two tracks. Today with 28 full-time sanctioned speedways in the Northeast and Canada. DIRT is one of America’s short-track racing’s more prominent organizations. Attracts top drivers from the northeast to Super Dirt Week Solicits tracks to join ranks and form a single sanctioning body with standardized rules, points funds, schedules and racing procedures (tires, fuel etc) DIRT circuit grows to 30 tracks with the advent of Super DIRT Series and weekly TV. Full time drivers include Brett Hearn, Alan Johnson, Will Cagle, Bob McCreadie and Jack Johnson. Sponsorship explodes as top DIRT drivers routinely earn from $300,000 to $500,000 annually Donnelly creates his own production company and syndicated network. “The Week on Dirt”. Enjoying a 21-year run and reaches nearly 100- million homes coast-to-coast. Donnelly opens the DIRT Hall of Fame & Classic Car Museum in Weedsport. 2004: Donnelly sells DIRT Motorsports and retires 2004: April 3, 2004 the Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, NC inducted Glenn into the famed speedway’s “Dirt Walk of Fame” Honored in the racing Walk of Fame at Charlotte Motor Speedway
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