2009 Living Legend Award
Living Legends are those that will forever be held in high respect by those that enjoyed their excellence. Think of our some of our past recipients…Buddy Cochran, Ralph Quarterson, Ed Schaffer, Mike Kristyak, Skinny Hall, and Andy Lutz and I’m sure the memories they gave us all will immediately encompass your thoughts.
These people stand above the rest for their accomplishments, abilities, and the images they portray the moment you hear their names.
Tonight’s recipient is no different and his name alone automatically conjures up fond memories of the glory days of Mercer Raceway Park.
He started his racing career in 1963 when Ralph Quarterson, Sr. gave him and his good friend Lee Aiken a race car; and he was obviously good right out of the box as that would be the last ride he would ever finance on his own.
When you get to drive sprint cars for the likes of Nick Lupe, Frank Benic, Jim Zeigler, and Jack Lewis you know your good…but when your asked to go out on the road and become a wheelman for the great Al Hamilton, after winning a feature in the fabled car owner’s back-up car beating the great Jan Opperman, your better than good!
It is estimated that he won between 75 and 100 feature car events throughout the region with many of them coming at his home track, Mercer. In fact, one season he competed each and every night in four out of the track’s five divisions.
He has craved his name in western Pennsylvania Sprint Car history, while battling with the greats such as Ungar, Blaney, Quarterson, Wise, Gorichky, and Linder.
His legacy continues today with two more generations of sprint car drivers. His sons Mike and Doug have made their mark throughout the area picking up where their dad left off, and now his grandson Adam begins his quest to fill his grandfather’s shoes.
Just before we were leaving to come here our recipient’s daughter, who wished she could be here, e-mailed and we would like to share some of her thoughts with you tonight:
“My father is an incredible man. He is hard-working, honest, respectable, reliable, and the most loving, caring man I have ever known. He has been an awesome husband to my mother, and the kind of father every child would be lucky to have. He taught us how to work hard, to have integrity, the importance of family, and how to be a true friend.”
“He is my hero, and thank you for honoring him tonight, as I honor him in my heart every day of my life.”
Ladies and Gentlemen, they call him Putzy, but we can assure you that when he strapped himself into the seat of a race car hew was anything but and we too are honored to present to you our 2009 Living Legend…Putzy Kekich