The Heart O’Texas Speedway held its 13th annual Wall of Fame inductions last weekend, preserving five of its racing legends for posterity.
The 2022 induction class consisted of Glen Wilson, Morris Wood, Vernon Holder, Billy Webb and Les Jacobs.
Wilson was a Waco firefighter by trade but a dirt track racer and car builder by heart. He got started at the tender age of 11 when he helped Bob Marshall work on his car. In 1971, Wilson got his chance behind the wheel, and ended up winning races at tracks all over Texas. He also helped build and maintain race cars for dozens of drivers, including national champion Henry Witt Jr., among others. One of Wilson’s cars is on display at the Talladega Sports Hall of Fame.
Wood was influenced to get into racing by a couple of his schoolmates, Gene Adamcik and Richard Rogers. Together they built a 1955 Ford, but Wood wrecked the car a short time later. That prompted Wood to realize he might be a better mechanic than driver. He was a tech man from 1981-92, and has spent most of the past two decades working on cars for his stepson and son-in-law.
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Holder’s roots at the HOT Speedway go back to the beginning, as he helped build the original track. He also raced his own car along with his brother Bobby, and also had stints as a flagman, wrecker driver and maintenance man. He even lived at the track for a number of years. Holder’s total involvement with the Speedway spanned more than 50 years.
Webb started his racing career in 1954 at the old Suicide Bowl, and spent more than 35 years behind the wheel of dirt-track cars. Webb and his friend Bud Jarosek teamed up and comprised a successful duo, winning numerous races. Their resplendent orange-and-white No. 33 car, a modified 1933 Chevrolet sedan, remains one of the more memorable cars to hit the dirt. Webb also had a long career as a flagman at the Speedway. He died in 1990.
Jacobs devoted more than 20 years to the Speedway as a driver, car owner, car builder and track official. He first got started when he teamed up with three friends to build a race car. Longtime HOT Speedway employee Tommy Armstrong called him “one of the most respected tech men the track ever had because of his fairness and impartiality.” He was known for building top-of-the-line cars. Jacobs died in 2013, the day after watching his son Preston win the main event.
The HOT Speedway started its Wall of Fame in 2010 with an inaugural class of 10 racing legends. Including the 2022 class, it now consists of 90 individuals who have made a significant impact to the track’s history over the years.