January 17, 2024 | By Ray Cunningham

High Banks Hall of Fame to induct 6 in 2024

BELLEVILLE, Kansas — Six new inductees will be enshrined in the High Banks Hall of Fame in Belleville, Kansas on Saturday, August 3, 2024. This will be the 24th class for the Hall, which held its first induction in 1999.


The 2024 inductees are:
    
John Allen – This Chanute, Kansas driver won nine career features at the High Banks, the most all time in the modified ranks. Allen scored more than 250 feature wins and was a three-time NCRA Modified champion.
    
Renn Allsman – Belleville native became one of the fastest Late Model racers in the history of the High Banks in the 1970s. Allsman set and reset track records at a pace not seen before or since.
     
Mearl Holbrook – Mearl was an early member of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb Association and was active in their PR work. Holbrook wore many hats as an official with the Big Car Racing Association beginning in 1963. He was also involved with the National Championship Racing Association and covered racing for National Speed Sport News.
    
Junior Parkinson - Junior grew up in Wichita Falls, Texas and learned to race under the wing of his Hall of Fame father, Ralph Sr. Junior won with IMCA, Knoxville, I 70 Speedway and finished second to Jan Opperman in the 1973 All Star Series.  Junior and his father, Ralph are the only father/son combo to win features in Big Car Racing Association.
    
Rick Salem – Following a stellar supermodified, sprint and midget racing career, Salem founded the United Rebel Sprint Series in 2005. The URSS has been sanctioning races at Belleville since 2010 and has been the sanctioning body for the Belleville 305 Sprint Nationals since its beginning in 2018.
    
Pat Sullivan – Sullivan has earned so many accolades in his career it is hard to keep track of  them all. A six-time Media Member of the year, Sullivan is the voice of the USAC Silver Crown Series and has announced and written about nearly every form of racing, from Indy Cars to Three Quarter midgets.
    
    
The induction ceremony will be held at the Belleville High School Auditorium, at 11:00am. Admission is free to the public and a goodwill donation is requested.