6/16/2026
Redwood Acres Raceway
Redwood Acres Raceway Announces 2026 Hall Of Fame Class
Eureka, CA (June 15, 2026) – Redwood Acres Raceway is proud to announce five new inductees into the raceway’s Hall Of Fame. They are Bob Britt, Bill Schmitt, Mark Baldwin, Rick Harper and Tim Marsh. Sr. The inductees will be honored this Saturday June 20 at the Jim Walker Fair Classic during the Redwood Acres Fair.
The Redwood Acres Raceway Hall Of Fame began in 2021. Angelo Marcelli, Casey Dungan, Jim Walker, Larry Pries and Rich & Linda Olson were in the inaugural class. 2022 saw Clyde “Fergy” Ferguson, Curly Wright, Fred Randall, Gerry Holtz, Jim Wilson, Ken Wallan, Leon Warmuth, Mike Cahill, Randy Olson, Tom Dilling and Vic Blanc inducted.
As noted, the inductees will be honored Saturday evening. The Mid-City Motor World Late Models will run the special Jim Walker Fair Classic race which will feature two 48-lap segments with the winner of each earning $2,000. Legends, Upstate Bombers and mini stocks will also be racing Entry into the Fair is $10 which also includes entry to the races.
2026 Redwood Acres Raceway Hall Of Fame Inductees
Bob Britt – Eureka native, Bob Britt was an innovator and one of the top drivers in Humboldt County in the 60s. One of his claims was that he would put sheets of Suran Wrap on his race car’s windshield with string tethered so he could pull them off when needed.
While the validity of that story can be questioned, one thing that can’t is Britt’s creation of 101 Speedway which operated for a brief period in the late 1960s. The track was situated between Eureka and Arcata, north of the Indianola Cutoff and just off Highway 101. The initial version of 101 Speedway suffered from high winds from Humboldt Bay which made it difficult for drivers to see through the dust and dirt. Bob returned to racing at Redwood Acres Raceway in 1969 and was the super stock champion that season.
Bob Britt passed away on February 7, 2021.
Bill Schmitt – “Big” Bill Schmitt was a fourth-time NASCAR Winston West Series (now ARCA Menards West) champion doing so in 1977, 1979, 1989 and 1990 winning 19 races in the series. He was also regular in the west coast late model scene on dirt and asphalt through the 70s and 80s as he was the winner of the 1975 Nor-Cal 150 and the 1976 Western 150, both at Shasta Speedway and the North Coast Dirt Classic at Redwood Acres Raceway in 1978.
One of Schmitt’s most memorable moments in racing came in an outstanding display of sportsmanship and respect. In night one of a two-night event held during the 1976 Redwood Acres Raceway Fair, Schmitt made contact with Jim Walker in the second turn sending Walker spinning. Schmitt slowed and allowed Walker to catch up and retake the lead position. The two resumed racing with Walker holding off Schmitt to win. The result would be the opposite the following night with Schmitt holding off Walker for the victory.
Schmitt retired from racing at the end of the 1993 season and passed away in November of 2014. The ARCA Menards West Series and Shasta Speedway honored Schmitt by naming their event the Bill Schmitt Memorial 173 in May of this year.
Mark Baldwin – Mark Baldwin was a fixture on the dirt at Redwood Acres Raceway as well as on the asphalt at tracks up and down the west coast during the 1980s. Baldwin took the biggest victory of his racing career in 1982 at All American Speedway when he won the prestigious Rose Classic. Baldwin’s victory came over the top stars in the open competition racing scene at the time including Dick Cobb, Rick Carelli, Bob Philpott, Dan Press and Jim Walker. Baldwin was the last driver to take a track championship on the Redwood Acres Raceway dirt in 1987 as he was the super stock champion.
Baldwin continued racing on the Acres asphalt in the 80s and 90s in the super stocks and later in the mini stocks. When the Thunder Roadster division started at RAR in 2006, Baldwin returned to racing and was again a regular front-runner and winner.
Off the track, Baldwin has been a major contributor to racing at Redwood Acres Raceway. Baldwin served as a tech official through the 90s. Throughout the years, Baldwin helped bring major sponsorship dollars to the raceway, specifically for North State Modified Series events. His strong support of racing at Redwood Acres Raceway continues to this day.
Rick Harper – There are few mechanics in west coast short track racing who have as decorated a career as that of Rick Harper. Harper was the crew chief for 2021 Redwood Acres Raceway Hall Of Fame Inductee, Jim Walker throughout his career spanning six decades.
Harper helped guide Walker to track championships at Redwood Acres Raceway on the dirt in 1970, 1971 and 1972 in the super stock division. Track championships at RAR would happen again in 1988 and 1989. The two would also win the 1992 Late Model Tour Car championship at Ukiah Speedway in 1992.
The victories were even more impressive as the driver/crew chief combo of Walker and Harper would win some of the biggest races in the west. Among those victories in the 70 include 1976 NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Series (now NASCAR O’Rielly Series) Permatex 200 at Riverside International Raceway, the 1976 Nor-Cal 150 at Shasta Speedway and the 1977 NASCAR Winston West Series (now NASCAR ARCA Menards West Seres) Old Milwaukee 100 at Shasta Speedway.
Other major victories include the 1981 Speedweeks race at Evergreen Speedway, the 1981 Silver State Classic at T-Car Speedway, the 1982 Outlaw 100 at Douglas County Speedway, the 1983 Redwood Empire 150 at Redwood Empire Raceway (now Ukiah Speedway), the 1983 Outlaw 100 at Douglas County Speedway, five wins during the 1984 All-Pro West Series season, the 1984 Western 150 at Shasta Speedway and the 1995 Laura Robinson Nor-Cal 100 at Shasta Speedway. This doesn’t include a number of races that unfortunately aren’t statically available to be confirmed either in open competition racing on the dirt or asphalt or several wins in the Nor-Cal Late Model Series and Tri-State Challenge Series.
With so many victories against so many of the top drivers throughout the years, it’s safe to say that Rick Harper truly is one of the most accomplished crew chiefs in west coast stock car racing history.
Tim Marsh, Sr. – Tim Marsh, Sr. grew up racing quarter midgets and would later race sprint cars. Marsh was a president of Redwood Empire’s Quarter Midget Association, a board member of the Six Rivers Racing Association and a lifetime member of Portland’s Quarter Midget Association. Marsh competed on the Redwood Acres Raceway dirt and would win championships in the Limited Modified and then renamed Open Wheel division in 1983 and 1984.
Marsh and his wife Shari owned and operated The Trophy Store in Eureka for 25 years. Through the 80s and 90s, The Trophy Store was a yearly sponsor of racing at Redwood Acres Raceway. In addition, Marsh designed and printed fan apparel for several of the top drivers during the time including Jim Walker, Randy Olson and Rusty Olson.
Marsh passed away on September 16, 2014 but is still remembered for the numerous positive contributions he made to racing at Redwood Acres Raceway both on and off the track.
Submitted By: Matthew Sullivan