LOU MELIN 2010 INDUCTEE

At the age of fourteen, Lou Melin first stepped behind the wheel of a racecar for a Mechanics race in 1980. His first full season of competition was in 1985 when he drove in Western’s Demo class and came first in two heat races and a main event. The following year saw victories in a trophy dash, a heat race and two main events with 1987 bringing just a heat race win before he scored two heats and three main wins during 1988.

The 1989 season brought Lou his first Demo Season Championship which included two heat races and six main event wins with the following year resulting in a second Championship with four dashes, four heats and seven main event victories as well as being awarded Best Looking Car. Even though he sat out part of the following season, he still captured four dashes, a heat race and two main events with a third Championship coming his way in 1992 with three fast times, three dashes, six heat races and three main events which helped him compile a total of 1545 points over the second place finisher who had 1365. In addition, he also won the Goodwin Trophy.

Lou then moved up to Western’s Thunder Car division where he won that year’s points race, winning five out of twelve main events as well as being awarded both the Rookie of the Year and Driver of the Year awards. There was also a special Friday night one hundred lap event that he also won which was followed the next evening by another one hundred lapper at Saratoga which he came first in for which he won $1000.00. Lou continued to run Thunder Cars for three more seasons which included a fourth and a second place points finish along with a Driver of the Week award. In 2000 he joined the Sportsman Series class.

In all his auto racing involvement from spectator to competitor, Lou’s proudest day was when his son Mike started racing in the Hornet division and eventually won a main event.

Sadly, Lou Melin passed in August of 2009 at the young age of forty-three.