U.M.P. FOUNDER BOB MEMMER PASSES AWAY, SPORT LOSES LONG-TIME SUPPORTER
by Terry Young; contributions by Michelle Petroff
The world of dirt racing lost a long-time supporter this morning when United Midwestern Promoters’ founder Bob Memmer, 69, of Evansville, Indiana, passed away after an extended hospitalization.
Robert Lee Memmer was born near Evansville in Gibson County, IN, on October 4, 1934. Memmer, the only child of Clarence and Alma Memmer, had a humble upbringing on his family’s farm but it was his father who introduced him to dirt racing as a young child. Dirt racing became the sport Memmer not only loved but revolutionized with the creation of United Midwestern Promoters.
Memmer started the United Midwestern Promoters series in 1984 with a vision of uniting racetracks to provide structure and sensible rules for dirt late model racing to help local short track competitors grow the sport. Memmer, known as the “friend of the little guy”, maintained true to his founding mission for U.M.P. and applied those same grassroots principles for the last twenty years to help keep the sport healthy throughout his career.
In 1983, late model racing had gotten a bit out of hand with radically aerodynamic wedge-shaped bodies and rules that varied at every local track. Memmer assembled a group of tracks to work together and have the same rules and basically work together. Memmer's life long mission was to work hard toward keeping uniform rules and aiding the "little guy" who supported weekly racing. Memmer always credited Robert Smawley with a lot of his success as Smawley initiated a set of rules for his traveling series and Memmer adopted the same rules for his weekly sanctioned tracks, allowing local drivers to compete in NDRA special events with the same car they ran on a weekly basis at their local tracks. Bringing organization to short-track racing was no small achievement for Memmer and was a job that he dealt with, dedicating his entire life to achieve.
The U.M.P. group, with Memmer at the helm began with a half dozen tracks and today sanctions over 100 tracks, with both late model and modified sanctions. In 2002, the series was highlighted by the champions in both late model and modified divisions earning $100,000.00 for their efforts as well as the Summer National series champion earning $100,000.00 for his month long effort. In 2003, Memmer, acknowledging his failing health, passed the organization on to a group which included Nextel veteran Ken Schrader, as well as solid, veteran promoters Bob Sargent, Robert Lawton and Howard Commander, to carry on the torch and further the efforts that were the core of U.M.P. that had been set in motion by Memmer.
It seems fitting that Memmer would pass on as his brainchild, known as the U.M.P. Summernationals, is being contested at tracks across the Midwest. The Summernationals, one of U.M.P.’s four crown jewels which also includes two of the biggest races in our sport - THE DREAM and THE WORLD 100, was among Memmer’s pride and joy.
Rest in peace and God-speed Bob Memmer – Visionary, U.M.P. Founder and “Friend of the Little Guy”.
b. October 4, 1934 d. July 8, 2004
Funeral arrangements are pending.
by Terry Young; contributions by Michelle Petroff
The world of dirt racing lost a long-time supporter this morning when United Midwestern Promoters’ founder Bob Memmer, 69, of Evansville, Indiana, passed away after an extended hospitalization.
Robert Lee Memmer was born near Evansville in Gibson County, IN, on October 4, 1934. Memmer, the only child of Clarence and Alma Memmer, had a humble upbringing on his family’s farm but it was his father who introduced him to dirt racing as a young child. Dirt racing became the sport Memmer not only loved but revolutionized with the creation of United Midwestern Promoters.
Memmer started the United Midwestern Promoters series in 1984 with a vision of uniting racetracks to provide structure and sensible rules for dirt late model racing to help local short track competitors grow the sport. Memmer, known as the “friend of the little guy”, maintained true to his founding mission for U.M.P. and applied those same grassroots principles for the last twenty years to help keep the sport healthy throughout his career.
In 1983, late model racing had gotten a bit out of hand with radically aerodynamic wedge-shaped bodies and rules that varied at every local track. Memmer assembled a group of tracks to work together and have the same rules and basically work together. Memmer's life long mission was to work hard toward keeping uniform rules and aiding the "little guy" who supported weekly racing. Memmer always credited Robert Smawley with a lot of his success as Smawley initiated a set of rules for his traveling series and Memmer adopted the same rules for his weekly sanctioned tracks, allowing local drivers to compete in NDRA special events with the same car they ran on a weekly basis at their local tracks. Bringing organization to short-track racing was no small achievement for Memmer and was a job that he dealt with, dedicating his entire life to achieve.
The U.M.P. group, with Memmer at the helm began with a half dozen tracks and today sanctions over 100 tracks, with both late model and modified sanctions. In 2002, the series was highlighted by the champions in both late model and modified divisions earning $100,000.00 for their efforts as well as the Summer National series champion earning $100,000.00 for his month long effort. In 2003, Memmer, acknowledging his failing health, passed the organization on to a group which included Nextel veteran Ken Schrader, as well as solid, veteran promoters Bob Sargent, Robert Lawton and Howard Commander, to carry on the torch and further the efforts that were the core of U.M.P. that had been set in motion by Memmer.
It seems fitting that Memmer would pass on as his brainchild, known as the U.M.P. Summernationals, is being contested at tracks across the Midwest. The Summernationals, one of U.M.P.’s four crown jewels which also includes two of the biggest races in our sport - THE DREAM and THE WORLD 100, was among Memmer’s pride and joy.
Rest in peace and God-speed Bob Memmer – Visionary, U.M.P. Founder and “Friend of the Little Guy”.
b. October 4, 1934 d. July 8, 2004
Funeral arrangements are pending.
