OFFICIAL EUROPEAN PRESENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL DRAG RACING HALL OF FAME AWARD TO DENNIS PRIDDLE

Back in March 2016 British Drag Racing Hall of Fame member and European drag racing legend Dennis Priddle traveled to Gainesville in Florida to receive his International Drag Racing Hall of Fame Award. He is only the second European to receive this accolade, the other being Sydney Allard. The Andy Willsheer photo shows him at Gainesville in March with 1960s Top Fuel racer Jerry Baltes (left) and Summit Racing’s Rick Green.

The British Drag Racing Hall of Fame, in association with the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, is proud to announce that the official European presentation of this award will take place during the 2016 BDRHoF Annual Gala Awards Dinner being held at the fabulous Sheraton Skyline Hotel Heathrow on November 19th.

Dennis says, “Receiving this award in Gainesville from Don Garlits was one of the proudest moments in my life and I was so honoured to be in the company of many of the great names in world drag racing history. I must thank my friends Phil Pead and Dave Riswick for making it possible. The only regret was that so many of the people who have helped me during my drag racing career were unable to be there. So when the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame said that they would like to re-present it at this year’s Gala Awards Dinner it gave me the opportunity of celebrating the award with more friends and European fans. I’m really looking forward to meeting up with people I have met from the USA and Europe and getting involved in the Bench Racing Session, talking about my days in drag racing and seeing how they compare to stories from the Americans on the panel”.

Donna Garlits, Chief Financial Officer of the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing and very much a prime mover in the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame said,

“I am so pleased that the trophy will be presented again in Europe where Dennis is so revered and respected. The function is such a prestigious affair and I know how hard everyone works to make this occasion special for the award winners and the other guests – be they sponsors, organisers, promoters or fans”.

European drag racing’s glitterati will be joined by American drag racing personalities including Don Schumacher, Paula Murphy, Harry Hibler, Graham Light, Carl Olson, Traci Hrudka, Eileen Daniels and Tony Thacker. With more celebrities yet to be announced it is going to be a very special day.

News about the Gala and other events will be published on the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame website, www.britishdragracinghof.co.uk, and at www.eurodragster.com, the sport’s premier website in Europe. The names of 2016’s inductees into the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame will be announced on these sites during Santa Pod Raceway’s Dragstalgia meeting, 15th-17th July. 2016 marks the 10th anniversary of the Hall of Fame’s founding and the admission of its first members. The Gala Awards Dinner was first presented in 2014.