Top Photo: Lincoln
Second Photo: Lincoln
Third Photo: Hotrod
Fourth Photo: John Gallant Jr.
Top Photo: Lincoln
Second Photo: Lincoln
Third Photo: Hotrod
Fourth Photo: Unknown
Lebanon Valley warm-ups were canceled this year but Don was anxious to shake down this new car and motor. We went to the old Route 66 Speedway where Don maneuvered the 97 around the trees that had grown up and we were able to adjust on and answer some of the questions that Don and his engine man 'Dr. Dick' Stewart were concerned.
After winning the 1979 Sportsman championship, Don joined the ranks of the Modified division and had a pretty successful rookie year winning the 1980 Modified Championship. The only driver to ever accomplish this goal.
In August, Don would go on to win the Mr. Dirt Track USA title with this car and came up short to Tom Corellis for the 1981 season.
In January 2007, the
NEW
YORK STATE STOCK CAR ASSOCIATION
Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Don Ackner who has been racing
now for 36 years. Beginning at Lebanon Valley in 1973, Ackner won the
sportsman championship in 1979. The following year he raced in the
modified class and won the title in his rookie year, the only driver to
ever do so at the high banked speedway. Ackner is also the 1979
sportsman and 1991 358 modified champion at Albany-Saratoga where he has
29 career wins and is seventh overall in track wins. Also racing weekly
at Devil’s Bowl, Ackner has a total of four track championships with 48
career wins. That places him second on the all time win list for the
speedway. Ackner continues to race weekly as well as operate his speed
shop business, Ackner Racing Equipment, at the tracks and west of Nassau
in Castleton-on-Hudson New York.
Third Photo:
Donnie Ackner
behind the wheel of the Jerry Paris owned #97 at the October Super Dirt week
show. Many will associate Jerry Paris
with Donnie Corellis, but after a short stint in
which Jerry tried his own hand at racing,
Ackner never made the grid for the for this years moody mile extravaganza, and had to wait until the 1995 edition of Super Dirt week to finally crack the starting field in the Dale Baldwin owned #97, on his way to becoming the first senior citizen to win SDW rookie of the race honors!
Fourth Photo: A pretty
young Donnie Ackner poses next to his always sharp looking #97’s.
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