Story By: NYSSCA – ALBANY, NY – After great deliberation, the New York State Stock Car Association’s Hall of Fame committee has narrowed an outstanding field of candidates to three super star drivers and an outstanding mechanic/crew chief for induction to NYSSCA’s Hall of Fame.

The slate is headed by “Magic Shoes” Mike McLaughlin, a man who could truly drive anything and win, with his career taking him from the Weedsport NY bull ring to the superspeedways of NASCAR. McLaughlin is joined by two other notable drivers, central New Yorker John McArdell and Orange County Fairgrounds Speedway star Jeff Heotzler, and ace mechanic Charlie Langenstein, the winning ingredient behind a bevy of star drivers over the years.

The 51st Annual banquet and HOF ceremony will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2020. The formal induction will take place at 11 am at the Saratoga Automobile Museum in Saratoga Springs, NY, site of NYSSCA’s permanent Hall of Fame display, with the banquet to follow at 4 pm at the Polish Community Center on Washington Ave. Ext. in Albany, NY.

Jeff Heotzler is best known for his success at the Orange County Fairgrounds Speedway, where he was the big block champion in 1997, ’03, ’05 and ’07 and the small block titlist in 1980 and ’86. His 53 wins put him third on the OCFS all-time win list. But Heotzler also has 53 wins on the Accord Speedway bullring and was the track champion at the Catskills oval in 1983, ’84, ’85, ’86 and 2015.

Big wins on the DIRT Hall of Fame member’s resume include a 358 Championship score on the Syracuse Mile, the Mr. Dirt Track USA races at Lebanon Valley in 1987 and ’95, the Race Of Kings at Lebanon Valley in 1988 and ‘90 and the 2007 Eastern States 200 at Orange County. Other tracks where “The Jeffer” has visited Victory lane include New York’s Albany-Saratoga and Rolling Wheels Speedways and Florida’s Volusia County Speedway.