SAD NEWS: DIRT NE Hall of Fame ‘Outstanding Contributor’ Jack Veach Passes Away

Weedsport, NY – July 12, 2006 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRT NorthEast PR

The entire DIRT MotorSports™ staff and racing community extends its deepest sympathy to family and friends of auto racing official Jack Veach upon receiving the news of his recent passing. Diagnosed last year with a treatable case of cancer, it spread quickly before Jack finally succumbed to the disease on Tuesday, July 11.

Calling hours at the Fretthold Funeral Parlor, 1241 Oliver St. (Corner of Ward and Oliver), North Tonawanda, N.Y. are Wed. 7-9 & Thurs 2-4 & 7-9. The service will take place on Friday at 12 noon.

Veach was named as a Leonard J. Sammons, Jr. Memorial Award winner in recognition of his outstanding service to motorsports during DIRT NorthEast Hall of Fame induction ceremonies in May of 2000 on the Cayuga County Fairgrounds.

He began as a mechanic among a group of friends fielding a jalopy at the old Civic Stadium in Buffalo, N.Y. in the late 1950s and that experience was the catalyst for his life-long involvement with auto racing in and around the Niagara Frontier. The Tonawanda, N.Y. resident picked up his first track job working the sign-in booth at Lancaster Speedway, then followed up quickly with officiating stints at Merrittville (Ont.) and Ransomville ---where he spent 35 years as an official--- speedways before expanding to work events at the Niagara Falls Convention Center, Holland, Perry, Genesee, Bismark, Humberstone and the New York State Fairgrounds under the DIRT banner.

Jack’s family joined in the weekly pitside party with wife Bonnie occupying the sign-in booth and son John manning the flagstand while daughter Dawn currently orchestrates VIP Tower activity at Ransomville. Despite donning official apparel for the past 40 years, Jack once said it best, "I’m a race fan first and foremost."

Donations can be made in Jack’s name and directed to the Niagara Hospice and sent to the Fretthold funeral home address.