TOPEKA, Kan. — The  Sports Car Club of America has announced the four individuals and one couple who will be enshrined in the SCCA Hall of Fame class of 2008.
Roger Johnson, Don and Ruth Nixon, Kjell Qvale, Robert Ridges and Fred Schmucker will join the 20 individuals previously inducted since 2005 during the Feb. 2 enshrinement ceremony that will close the 2008 SCCA National Convention in San Antonio, Texas.
Johnson was a multiple Solo champion and the first Solo competitor to bring major commercial attention to the sport through his sponsorship arrangement with BF Goodrich Tires. The annual Johnson Spirit of the Sport Award, named in his honor, was the first Solo award named after a participant, and he served as a memorable emcee at the National Convention for many years.
The Nixons are the first couple to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and for anyone who knew them, it would be impossible to think of them apart. The pair traveled the country as timing and scoring officials, bringing the specialty into the electronic age, from single hand, analog stopwatches, to digital clocks and chronograph timers that allowed a small team of workers to time an entire field of cars. They served in leadership roles at the regional, divisional and national levels, and both were elected to the board of directors, Ruth being the first female to receive the honor. Don also served as the publisher of SportsCar.
Qvale put the “sports car” in Sports Car Club of America. He is known far outside the SCCA for his impact on the United States auto industry, importing European sports cars that fueled the ’50s car frenzy. Qvale was the first major importer of MGs before expanding his line to include Jaguar, Bentley and others. He eventually became involved in German cars as well, bringing Volkswagen into the U.S. In addition to providing the cars that made the SCCA go, Qvale was a key organizer of West Coast races at Buchanan Field, Golden Gate Park and Pebble Beach. When racing was forced off the streets, he aided in the creation of Laguna Seca and is credited with the vision that created the famed Corkscrew, one of road racing’s most celebrated turns.
Ridges served as Secretary of the Rally board from its inception in 1957 until his death. Ridges was one of those responsible for road rallying in the U.S. as we know it. He played a major role in the creation of the early Road Rally rules and was the continuity that helped steer the early Rally boards.
Schmucker served as a member of the SCCA Hall of Fame Selection Committee until his death. He is remembered as always putting the club first. Becoming a member in 1961 with the Florida Region, Schmucker’s SCCA career is decorated with dozens of committee appointments, awards and stewardships that span several regions and more than four decades.