Davison's Frank Lamp headed to Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame

FLINT, Michigan — Frank Lamp lost both of his jobs and a close friend in one trip to the racetrack.

The Davison resident installed insulation and hauled two ARCA race cars for George Sparks of Detroit in the early 1950s.

During an ARCA event in Dayton, Ohio, Sparks was killed in an accident in the track's pit area.

"It was very devastating, the loss of him," Lamp, 74, recalled. "George was a very nice man."

As a result of the accident, Lamp moved from Detroit to Davison and started up his own company, State Building Company, in 1955.

Reviving his racing career was not a high priority, but eventually he decided to build his own car.

Lamp competed for 27 years in the super stocks class at Auto City Speedway, Dixie Motor Speedway and Owosso Speedway, winning almost every big race those tracks had.

Because of his accomplishments, Lamp is being inducted into the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony is Nov. 1 at the Comfort Inn in Mount Pleasant.

"It's quite an honor," Lamp said of the hall of fame. "I didn't ever think I would get something like that."

The West Virginia native started racing at Auto City in 1964 and instantly became one the speedway's premier drivers.

He finished in fifth place the following year before moving up to the super stocks where he finished in top three spots from 1966-69.

"He was one of those guys you had to worry about beating when you came to Auto City," former Auto City owner Jack Doering said. "He wasn't afraid of anything, He put the pedal to the medal and drove through the corners wide open."

He competed in the ARCA series from 1974-76, racing at such high-profile tracks as Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Fla., and Rockingham Speedway in Rockingham, N.C.

"There were a lot of hot shooters in the ARCA series," Lamp said. "If there was a NASCAR show, (NASCAR drivers) would race the ARCA shows as well. I was a factor most of the time."

Lamp returned to Auto City in the late 1970s and captured back-to-back track championships in the super stocks in 1977 and '78.

According to Lamp, his victories and accomplishments at Flint-area tracks always meant the most to him.

"Each and every one was great because they were in my backyard," Lamp said. "Everyone knew who I was. It was home."


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