FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Long-time national midget competitor Joe Liguori earned the highest honor available at the Rumble in Fort Wayne on Saturday night, receiving the fourth annual David Lesiecki Award for Untiring Dedication and Devotion to Motorsports.
The award was created in 2014 to honor the late Lesiecki, who passed away prior to the Rumble that year and was instrumental in the operation and success of the quarter midget class at the event for many years.
His wife Diana and sons A.J. and Jonathan, who annually race 600cc midgets at the Rumble, have continued to operate the quarter midget program behind the scenes since his passing.
Liguori, who made both features during the 20th edition of the indoor classic to push his career tally to 18 A-Mains, has made the most feature starts in Rumble history without scoring a victory.
However, he and the Randall Williams Racing team have been fixtures at the Rumble for years, having fielded two cars many times – with the second car first being driven by Joe’s wife Lynsey and more recently being piloted by winged 600cc mini sprint standout Cap Henry.
Liguori’s neon-orange No. 8up is traditionally a force near the front of the field and can’t be missed in color or stature, consistently running in the top-five and having speed every time it hits the race track.
This weekend, his driver’s suit was equally as flashy, as Liguori wore a blue and pink tribute suit to honor the late Greg Staab, a long-time USAC car owner and friend of Liguori’s who passed away in March.
Though he hasn’t yet won at the Rumble, Liguori admitted that being honored with the Lesiecki Award “sure felt like a win.”
“I didn’t expect to get this at all,” said Liguori. “I was wondering why they were calling me out (to the frontstretch); I was figuring Larry was going to yell at me or something.”
“I’m actually getting praised for something at the Rumble for once … that’s pretty cool. We put a lot of work into this program every year. Randall Williams and I work our tails off to try and win this thing every year. Even though it hasn’t happened yet, we’re trying as hard as anybody. It’s just a pleasure to keep coming back here.”
The award was presented by David’s widow Diana and his two sons, A.J. and Jonathan.
“We’ve cycled through the ranks over the four years we’ve presented this award,” explained Jonathan Lesiecki, David’s youngest son. “The first year we honored a 600 driver, we’ve been through the quarter midget pits … and this year we knew the time was right to honor a midget driver. Joe really has the spirit that my dad was known for and it’s an honor to recognize him this year.”
“My dad was a fan of all types of racing. This weekend, (older brother) AJ and I have driven six different cars here at the Rumble, so we definitely like to keep things well-rounded. Joe’s a really good sport, we always hear a lot of great things about him from other drivers and he’s raced in all types of cars. He’s the perfect recipient and a great representative of what the Rumble in Fort Wayne is all about.”
“Joe certainly has David’s temperament,” added Rumble owner and promoter Larry Boos. “He never listens to me, just like David never did, but he’s part of a great family that loves racing and we’re proud to have him at the Rumble with us year after year.”
Past recipients of the David Lesiecki Award include John Ivy (2014), Doc Hathaway (2015) and Larry Cleveland (2016).
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network.
Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 23-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
Email Jacob at: [email protected]
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