Paris racer honoured for lifetime dedication to motorsports
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Casandra Turnbull
Managing Editor
After more than six decades immersed in motorsports, Paris resident Wayne Turnbull has been honoured with one of the most prestigious recognitions in his racing community. It’s a tribute not just to his accomplishments behind the wheel, but to a lifetime devoted to the sport.
Turnbull received the award on March 7th the Dick Hammond Memorial Dedication to Auto Racing Award at the Foar Score banquet for the TQ Midget Racing Series in New York. The award is presented annually to an individual whose long-term commitment has contributed significantly to the growth and betterment of motorsports.
Next to Hall of Fame inductions and Driver of the Year honours, the Dick Hammond award is considered one of the most respected recognitions presented by Foar Score (Friends of Auto Racing Seeking Cooperation of Racing Enthusiasts), the oldest active auto racing fan club in the United States, founded in 1948.
For Turnbull, the award reflects a racing journey that began more than 60 years ago and continues today, even though his days as a driver have come to an end.
Driven by a dream to be an Indy car mechanic, his own racing career began in 1966 in the hobby class at Flamboro Speedway before he spent more than a decade competing in late model racing at tracks including Flamboro, Delaware and Cayuga between 1969 and 1982.
In 1983, Turnbull purchased his first TQ Midget, a 30-year-old roadster, beginning what would become a long association with the small but fiercely competitive open-wheel racing division. Two years later he built his own midget car, and by 1991 he had designed and built the No. 31 Suzuki-powered machine with friend Ray Ballantyne.
Turnbull’s passion for racing was evident not only in his engineering and mechanical work, but also in his competitive results. He won the Indoor Midget Championship in Niagara Falls in the early 1990s, captured the Can-Am TQ Midget championship in 1989 and later earned back-to-back TQ Midget crowns at Lancaster Speedway in New York in 1998 and 1999. In 2001 he won the Caseys Midget Series championship.
During his racing days, Turnbull also became known for his exuberant post-race celebrations, often punctuating victories with a cartwheel in victory lane, a moment fans came to expect whenever he found his way to the top step of the podium.
His commitment to the sport extended beyond his own success. Turnbull regularly travelled from Paris to race in New York with the Caseys TQ Midget Series, making the lengthy trips so he could remain part of the close-knit racing community.
Those travels also allowed him to share the track with his sons, Kent and Jared, something he considered among the highlights of his racing career.
Over the years, Turnbull also became a trusted mentor within the pits, known as one of the “go-to” person for drivers and crew members looking for advice or technical guidance.
A serious crash at Holland Speedway in 2012 brought his time behind the wheel to an end and also marked the last of the victory lane cartwheels that had become his trademark.
But retirement from driving did not mean stepping away from racing.
After a lengthy rehabilitation, Turnbull returned to the track as crew chief for the John Casey No. 88 team, eventually taking over ownership of the car. He played a key part in the team’s continued success, helping guide a New York driver to multiple titles in the Caseys/NYPA/TQ Midget series while preparing feature-winning cars for several drivers.
That spirit of cooperation and friendship kept Turnbull connected to the sport for decades, evolving from driver to car builder, mentor and team leader.
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