DAVE DENSMORE HONORED WITH FOUNDERS AWARD AT HALL OF FAME BANQUET
GAINESVILLE, FL – Last night Dave Densmore one of the most visible and respected public relations specialists in 
motorsports was presented with the Founder’s Award during the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame banquet. Densmore was introduced by long-time friend and business partner Steve Earwood and 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force. For nearly four decades Densmore has been the spokesperson for the top names in drag racing as well as both top series.
“I have been lucky in my career to work with some amazing people. My fellow PR peers are some of the best in the business. I have to thank so many drivers from Kenny Bernstein, Raymond Beadle to John Force plus so many more,” said Densmore.
When Densmore’s publicity career started selling the sport of drag racing to the mainstream media in the 1970’s and ‘80’s was a most difficult challenge. Sports editors of major daily newspapers and sports directors of large market TV and radio stations were dedicated to covering strictly the “ball” sports.
“Dave Densmore has generated more written words and coverage on the subject of drag racing than any one individual. He solely added prestige to the mainstream media and legitimized our sport to the giants of press and publicity. Due to Densy’s prolific writing, and knowing what traditional sports editors were looking for, we had features in advance of every NHRA national event market plus most major markets including Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Houston and San Francisco,” said Steve Earwood.
“This included one of the first color photographs published in the sports section of the New York Times, that of 1978 Top Fuel World Champion Kelly Brown, and a page one story above the fold in The Times sports.”
For over 25 years Densmore was the primary spokesperson for drag racing legend John Force. Densmore worked beside Force as he won sixteen Funny Car championships including ten in a row. Force was profiled in every major newspaper as well as major mainstream publications. Densmore helped navigate Force through the highest of highs winning championships as well as some of the most teams most devastating times including the loss of team member Eric Medlen in a testing accident in 2007 as well as Force’s nearly career ending accident later that year.
“This is the guy that took a no driving nobody and made him into a somebody. He told me that if I couldn’t win races I should just be myself, tell stories and the media would love me. I am lucky to have won some championships and the best part is I had a legend tell my story. Densy is my best friend and it is an honor to be here tonight with him,” said John Force, 16-time Funny Car champion.
His career in motorsport began as a writer for the Amarillo (Tex.) Globe-News where he covered the NHRA Finals in the 1970s. Densmore moved from the newspaper side to the publicity side when he joined NHRA’s Publicity Department and then formed Denswood Sports Marketing in 1982 with good friend Steve Earwood. His clients have been the sport’s top names including Raymond Beadle, Gary Beck, Kenny Bernstein, Candies & Hughes, john Force Racing, Billy Meyer, Reher & Morrison, and Steve Torrence. Densmore received the prestigious Jim Chapman Award for Excellence in Motorsport Public Relations in 2007.
“I can’t think of anyone who deserves this honor more than David Densmore. He is one of a kind and has been an important part of our sport and its history. He has helped promote many of the stars of our sport. He is one of the most talented writers you will ever find and has been a friend of mine for 47 years and a friend of the sport,” said Kenny Bernstein, six-time NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car champion.
Other notable Founders Award winners include Wally and Barbara Parks (2001), Jon Asher (2006), Bill Bader (2007), Bill Doner (2012), and Kenny Youngblood (2014).
