Williams Grove Speedway is mourning the loss of one of its most prolific winners and true ambassadors throughout history, Lynn Paxton of Dillsburg. He was truly one of the best sprint car acers and truly a fan favorite. Paxton passed away recently at the age of 80. Inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1996, Paxton retired from the sport of sprint car racing after a win in the famed Williams Grove Speedway National Open in 1983, at the age of 39. It was his second win in the prestigious event. Paxton’s first ever win overall anywhere occurred at Williams Grove Speedway in 1965 at the wheel of the Rhee Smith No. 1. Overall in his storied career from 1961 through 1983, Paxton etched 43 sprint car wins and a pair of super modified wins in the Williams Grove Speedway record books. For a number of seasons Paxton’s win mark sat atop the oval’s all-time win list and was thought at one point to be insurmountable. He was the 1979, 1981 and 1982 Williams Grove Speedway sprint car track champion. By the end of his career, Lynn Paxton had recorded more than 220 overall career sprint car and super modified victories plus 14 in a late model stock car and a lone ARDC Midget victory. He scored three KARS Series titles and trumped the World of Outlaws six times. Paxton also scored track titles at Port Royal, Hagerstown and Penn National Speedways during his career. The collection of car owners that clamored for his driving talents included Harold Hank, Shorty Emerich, Al Hamilton, Bob Benchoff, Maynard Boop, Roy Morral and Bob Weikert. Lynn Paxton was a founder, driving force behind and curator of the Eastern Museum of Motor Racing, located just south of Williams Grove Speedway along Rt. 15. Lynn Paxton won the hearts and minds of fans and fellow drivers alike both on and off of the speedway via his efforts to not only make his mark on the sport while behind the wheel but while in his “office” as well, at the EMMR. The factual historical information and data that Lynn Paxton was able to provide through his own personal experiences and his learned knowledge to not only the museum but also to other racing historians and researchers across the state, nation and indeed the world, was immeasurable. No one could tell a story like Lynn Paxton. And he will forever be missed. But his legacy will live on forever. *** Evergreen Raceway’s season ending premier event, the 23rd Annual King of the Green will be held over a two weekend period on October 11-12 and 18-19. Each of those dates will start off with Friday open practice for all divisions from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm (or longer if needed) and the respective main events being held on the following Saturday’s during the afternoon. Practice is $25 per person for the pits. Weekend number one for King of the Green will see the DW Machine & Fabricating Late Models running in a 55 lap feature and paying $2000-to-win. Time trials will set the starting grid for this class. The 602 Crate Modifieds will contest in a 40-lap/$1000-to-win main. Also on the docket will be the Harry’s U-Pull-It Street Stocks racing in a 55-lapper with the winner collecting $1000. The McNulty Funeral Home Novice division will cap off their season with a 20 lap run which awards first place $125. The day will also include a 20 lap feature for the East Coast TQ Midgets and during intermission the JuiceBox Division will take to the track. Saturday pit gates open at 9:00 am with registration taking place until 11:00 am. Warm-ups will run from 11:15 am to 12:30 pm. Qualifying will commence at 1:00 pm. Main grandstands open at 11:00 am. Pit admission is $50 and $20 at the front gate. Moving ahead to the following Saturday, Oct.19, the Tour Type Modifieds will headline the racing card with a 75-lap feature and $3000 to the winner. The Modifieds will run time trials for this event. Also on the ticket will be the Himmer Graphics Four Cylinders battling in a 40-lap showdown that pays $500-to-win. The Rotten-and-Forgotten will be part of the line-up with a 30-lap race. The touring INEX Legends are set for a 40-lap feature with $400 bestowed to the victor. Rounding out the day will be the Bandolero’s going a distance of 20-laps and $100-to-win. Oct. 19 pit gates and registration opens at 9:00 am. Registration will close at 11:00 am. From 11:15 am to 12:30 pm there will be practice for the support classes. The Tour Type Modifieds will then have their practice round from noon to 1:30 pm. Racing will start at 2:00 pm. Pit admission is $50 and $20 at the front gate. And there is more news as Evergreen Raceway’s 2-Seater Ride-along returns for another thrilling day on Saturday, October 5, from noon to 4:00 pm and this time around not only will fans once again get to be high-speed passengers but now if they choose they can actually drive the cars themselves. “This has been part of our intent from the get-go, to not just have the ride-along but also give this unique opportunity to drive an honest to goodness race car at Evergreen,” said track owner/promoter Jason Makarewicz. The Modified drive will be $15 per lap while the Late Model is $10 per lap. All participants will be given in-depth instructions before being cut loose and heading out onto the track. “We’ve gotten a wonderful response from those who already did the Ride-along and I am certain this will now elevate the thrill of fan experience to the next level,” said Makarewicz. For those wishing to do the Ride-along the cost is $50. Fans will then take part in a competitive 12-lap run against other cars. This event is by reservation only. To reserve a time slot or seeking additional information please contact Jason Makarewicz at 570-956-6347 or email [email protected]. *** The line-up of headliners would make this event worth the trip. The museums annual Legends Day event will take place on Sunday,  Nov. 17, at the New England Racing Museum (922 Rt. 106, Loudon, NH). Headlining will be seven road racers who had major success across the New England region. Sam Posey, Skip Barber, Janet Guthrie, Rob Dyson, Chris Dyson, Jocko Maggiacomo Sr and Jocko Maggiacomo Jr will be honored. The event will include an honoree panel discussion, permanent banner unveiling and a buffet lunch. A VIP ticket is available in which you can meet the attending honorees in a small group setting for a photo opportunity, join a private museum tour led by founder Dick Berggren and premier event seating. The event is supported by Lime Rock Park and Thompson Speedway and is a fundraiser for the nonprofit museum. Sam Posey grew up near Lime Rock and started racing there in 1965 with the SCCA. In 1966 he joined the Cam-Am Series racing for Ray Caldwell’s Autodynamics Corp. He captured a Trans-Am victory at Lime Rock in 1969. He finished 5th in the 1972 Indianapolis 500 and competed in ten Le Mans events. He won the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1975. For years Sam was a broadcaster for the Indy 500. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2016. John “Skip” Barber began racing SCCA National races in 1959 and was a winner. In 1969 and 1970 he won consecutive Formula Ford Championships. He won three SCCA National Championships in a row from 1969 to 1971. He started the Skip Barber Racing School which became the largest in the United States and for decades he owned and operated Lime Rock Park until its sale in 2021. Janet Guthrie began racing in 1963 with a Jaguar XK140 and competed across the northeast at tracks such as Thompson, Lime Rock and Bryar. She spent 13 years competing in amateur and professional road racing. During this time Guthrie was a multi time winner in various disciplines. In 1977 she became the first women to compete in the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500. Guthrie is a groundbreaker and an inspiration for female racing drivers. She is a member of eight motor racing Halls of Fame. Rob Dyson began competing at Lime Rock in 1974. He is the 1981 SCCA GT2 National Champion and raced professionally in IMSA GTO and Trans-Am. He formed Dyson Racing, one of America’s premier sports car teams. The team has won 19 championships across various disciplines. Rob has a passion for preservation and is chairman of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. Chris Dyson began his racing career with the SCCA at Lime Rock. For the past 25 years Chris has competed in races around the globe. He is a two time American Le Mans Champion and three time Trans-Am Champion. Chauncey “Jocko” Maggiacomo Sr. is one of few regional drivers to have success with road racing and oval racing. Maggiacomo Sr successfully raced at Lime Rock, national and international road races. He was a three time Champion at Agawam, Massachusetts Riverside Park Speedway. In 1965 he won his final race the Riverside Park 500. When testing at Lime Rock and catching the attention of IMSA founder John Bishop, Jocko Jr made his first IMSA start there in 1974. He won that race which changed the trajectory of his career. In 1976 he won the Trans-Am Championship and then focused on the NASCAR Winston Cup Series making 23 starts. VIP ticket holders will have early private access to the museum starting at 10 a.m. with a private tour starting at 10:30am. All other ticket holders may enter at 11am to view the museums 30+ race cars, motorcycles and artifacts. Buffett lunch and social hour is scheduled for 12:00pm until 1:00pm. Honoree discussion to start at 1:00pm and the event will conclude with an auction and dramatic banner unveiling ceremony. The event is likely to sell out so order soon. Price per ticket is $65 for museum members and $80 for non-members. VIP tickets are $120 each. You may purchase your tickets by calling 603-783-0183 or by visiting NERmuseum.com. Ernie Saxton is an auto racing contributor for MediaNews Group. He co-founded the Eastern Motorsports Press Association, served as public relations director for Grandview Speedway for 47 years, and is in multiple halls of fame for his promotion and journalism related to the sport. He has announced races at more than 100 tracks, and he is the only person to have announced a race at Madison Square Garden. Email him at [email protected].