Today’s inductee is very humble, I have asked twice to get an interview and once in person when he attended the races at I-35 Speedway (it was great to see him at a racetrack). His statement to me is there are more deserving individuals. One of the things about creating the Racingkc.com Hall of Fame is I can disagree, kind of like some of our technical conversations with today’s inductee at I-70 Speedway in the 1990s. I explained to him life is short, we all have witnessed it, Bob Libbey comes to mind for me, none of us are promised our next breath. There are so many who have put in the time and work and pushed the sport forward over the years that need to be recognized, today’s inductee is one of those people.
Our next inductee into the Racingkc.com Hall of Fame is a second-generation driver. His father is one of the original 15 inductees into the Central Auto Racing Boosters Hall of Fame on March 6, 2004. His father was driven to ensure his children received their education, an education which served him well in discussions with Tech Officials at the racetrack. You see this driver was also an innovator, he took his engineering ability and tested the rules, I mean bent the rules, I mean he worked in the grey area of the rules to the best of his ability. Many conversations were had between tech officials over this driver’s modified racecar.
This driver has a rich history of competing at I-70 Speedway, particularly excelling on its asphalt high banks. He has also raced on the famed high banks of Bristol, Tennessee. While his experience spans both dirt and asphalt tracks, his greatest success, including a championship, came on asphalt. From 1995 to 2005, he secured 19 wins in the Modified class at I-70 Speedway, showcasing his skill and precision in race driving shoes. He earned the title of Rookie of the Year in the Modified class in 1995, with his first victory following on July 6, 1996. His 1997 season saw him in the winner’s circle five times, and in 1998, he turned seven wins into the NASCAR I-70 Speedway Modified Championship. In 2000, he was recognized as the Most Improved Driver in the Late Model Division. His contributions to the sport were further honored in 2002 when he received the Central Auto Racing Boosters Distinguished Service Award. Additionally, he played a key role as an original member of the committee that established the Central Auto Racing Boosters Hall of Fame.
Like his father, he too was a father to a racecar driver as he coached his son in racing starting in 2004. His son finished 5th in Modifieds and 8th in Late Model points during his first season at I-70 Speedway. This family is a huge part of the I-70 Speedway History.
During the 1970s the #48 of Hall of Famer Bill Crane’s crash in turn 2 was replayed weekly during advertising for the track. Fast forward to the decade of the 1990s, it was Bill’s son Kent Crane’s turn to put the Crane name at the top of the history charts. Today, we induct Kent Crane into the Racingkc.com Hall of Fame, a highly active racer in the Kansas City Racing Community who has pushed the sport forward! Congratulations Kent!
Hall of Fame Inductee Kent Crane
