Throughout a ceremony wrought with anticipation and emotion, the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame inducted the class of 2006 on Jan. 29 in East Windsor, Conn. Thirteen new members were honored, including three locals.

Windham racer Dick “The Ironman” Wolstenhulme, along with well-known brothers Bob and Phil Libby of Buxton, were among those inducted. The Libbys are the first siblings to receive this honor.

The brothers, along with Wolstenhulme, join the late Homer Drew – the first Maine racer to be tapped for the Hall – along with Scarborough’s Ralph Cusack and Dick McCabe of Kennebunkport, as local drivers who raced at Beech Ridge Speedway in Scarborough, giving testament to the caliber of the racing there throughout the decades.

Windham’s Bruce Elder, the announcer and 1971 track champion, took to the stage to introduce the Libby brothers to the packed convention center. He described the two as “great ambassadors of racing,” yet each was very different on the track.

Bob, known for his cool and calculating style, took hundreds of wins in a career that saw him serve as president of the Maine State Stock Car Association 10 times at the Scarborough oval, as well as at one point serving a concurrent term for the Pine State Stock Car Association at Oxford Plains.

The Buxton racer, who ran for more than 25 years, took his first win in 1951 and is credited for drawing up the present day layout of Oxford Plains Speedway from a former half-mile dirt track.

Long recognized for his public service, Bob Libby is a long-serving selectman for the town of Buxton, a member of the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame class (MMHF) of 2005 and the Beech Ridge Speedway Hall of Fame (BRSHF).

Bob’s brother Phil, Elder noted, had a bit more aggressive and fearless driving style, en route to dozens of wins at Beech Ridge and Oxford Plains. Phil was the track champion in 1960 at Oxford Plains. In one instance he was paid first-place money to leave his racer on the trailer. He is also the 1961 Beech Ridge champion.

Phil took top honors in 1973 at Beech Ridge in Bob Michaud’s “Pure Hell” 1968 Camaro as well. He was the racing association president six times and is a member of the MMHF’s inaugural class in 2004, as well as member of the BRSHF.

Phil Libby was unable to attend the event, undergoing radiation therapy in a Portland hospital. In what was truly a defining moment, Phil’s daughter Gail stepped to the podium to read her father’s acceptance speech, leaving many in tears at her conclusion.

Wolstenhulme, a 10-time champion noted for his color and character, started racing in 1950 and took his first title a decade later. He followed up with three more back to back. Rewriting history books, he won both A and B Class titles in 1966. He took top honors in 1967 and 1971 as well, before repeating his dual title feat once more in 1974 with Supermodified and LMS laurels.

The only driver in the state to have accomplished this feat, Wolstenhulme raced once in England in a championship event, taking the highest finish of any visitor. Along with a select group of Mainers, he is noted with his own chapter in “Profiles of Maine” by author Lynn Franklin.

The well-known Windham resident, winner of more than a half dozen 100 lap events at Beech Ridge and Oxford Plains, is also a member of the MMHF inaugural class and the BRSHF.

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Steve Pellerin a local auto racing historian, writes a vintage column, is a director for the Maine Vintage Race Car Association, helped form the Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame and is the owner of seven antique racecars.