Ferree, Aadsen to join local auto racing Hall of Fame

The Daily Inter Lake

The Northwest Montana Stock Car Racing Association (NWMSCRA) will induct two new members into its Hall of Fame tonight at Montana Raceway Park.

The inductees are Chuck Ferree and Don Aadsen. They will be the 12th and 13th members to join the Hall of Fame, which began in 1996. Lum Owens was the first inductee.

The ceremony will take place prior to tonight's main event, the Limited Sportsman 100.

Also in action are the Bombers, Compacts, Hobby Stocks, Thunder Roadsters and Hornets.

Time trials are at 6 p.m. with racing at 7.

Ferree started racing in 1976 after helping Rich Reidinger get his car ready for the first race of the season. Reidinger traded Ferree a 1960 Mercury for his help and they had the Mercury race-ready by the second week.

Ferree won on his third weekend of racing, but his excitement was temporarily extinguished on his way home when a drunk driver totaled his race car and pickup. Ferree was back on the track three weeks later, this time with a 1956 Desoto.

Ferree enjoyed a successful career as a driver. In 1980 he was named Rookie of the Year in the Street Stock class, was voted Claimer Class Sportsman of the Year by his peers in 1985 and was named the NWMSCRA Sportsman of the Year in 1986.

He collected Claimer Class season championships in 1978-79 and 1984-86 and had fast times for the season in 1984-85. He continued to race until 2004.

Ferree served as NWMSCRA president, was a technical advisor and served on the board of directors for many years.

Ferree was well known for his unselfish approach to stock car racing. He freely shared information to all who asked and loved nothing more than helping a newcomer out. He used to tell them: "When you beat me, you're on your own."

Ferree was also known for another saying: "There isn't anything so worn out, or broke, that it can't be fixed."

Ferree passed away in May.

Aadsen acquired an Edsel dealership in Kalispell in 1957 and started a Ford dealership in Ronan in the 1960s, which continues to this day. His love of racing, however, can be traced back to the old Jackson's Machine Shop in Kalispell, which turned out many talented engine builders before it closed its doors several years ago. Owens, Bert Seymour, another NWMSCRA Hall of Famer, and Aadsen served apprenticeships there in the 1950s.

Aadsen was a regular fixture in the pits on race day, fine tuning the engine or suspension of his race car.

Aadsen passed away in 1986, but his influence is still evident at the racetrack today. He made it possible for Ford to compete with powerhouse Chevy on the local level and gave many drivers, including NWMSCRA Hall of Famer and 1992 Montana 200 winner Bob Schweigert and 1994 Montana 200 winner Cory Wolfe, the chance to drive a winning race car.

NWMSCRA

Hall of Fame

1996 Lum Owens

1997 Harold little

1998 Bert Seymour

1999 Clem Wisher

2004 Wilbur Rohrbach

2005 Bob Eacker

Gary Gudmundson

2006 Vance McMillan

Bob Schweigert

2007 Don Aadsen

Chuck Ferree