Rick Panfili
Rick is one of those competitors in which the statistics only tell part of the story of why he's being inducted.
He became one of the more popular racers in the field for his friendliness toward the fans and also the fact that he was considered an underdog in the field. He didn't race with a big budget, so anytime he got near the winner's circle, people took notice of him. When he wasn't racing, you could frequently find him helping out at the track or riding with Woody in the push Jeep.
Rick began competing at Antioch Speedway with the NCMA in the 1990s. When the Wingless Spec Sprint division was announced in 1999, he became one of the original drivers in the division. By the time he stopped, he had more Spec Sprint starts than anybody. His support helped give the division the strong start it had in the beginning.
In 2012, he had his first Top 10 season in 7th, and he ranked 9th a year later. In 2014 and 15, he took it even higher with back-to-back third place efforts. The best was still to come.
Following a 4th place season in 2016, Rick finished second in the standings, coming within a few points of winning. After a 5th place season In 2018, he again finished second in 2019. The record will show that his final season as a regular competitor in 2022 had him ranked 10th on a limited schedule.
Rick Panfili was one of those racers who was beloved by his fellow competitors and the racing community. We are proud to induct him into the Hall of Fame.
He became one of the more popular racers in the field for his friendliness toward the fans and also the fact that he was considered an underdog in the field. He didn't race with a big budget, so anytime he got near the winner's circle, people took notice of him. When he wasn't racing, you could frequently find him helping out at the track or riding with Woody in the push Jeep.
Rick began competing at Antioch Speedway with the NCMA in the 1990s. When the Wingless Spec Sprint division was announced in 1999, he became one of the original drivers in the division. By the time he stopped, he had more Spec Sprint starts than anybody. His support helped give the division the strong start it had in the beginning.
In 2012, he had his first Top 10 season in 7th, and he ranked 9th a year later. In 2014 and 15, he took it even higher with back-to-back third place efforts. The best was still to come.
Following a 4th place season in 2016, Rick finished second in the standings, coming within a few points of winning. After a 5th place season In 2018, he again finished second in 2019. The record will show that his final season as a regular competitor in 2022 had him ranked 10th on a limited schedule.
Rick Panfili was one of those racers who was beloved by his fellow competitors and the racing community. We are proud to induct him into the Hall of Fame.