News : Hogan Memorial celebrates commitment to family, love of racing

For Scott and Jolyne Hogan of Vinton, dirt track racing has always been and will always be about family.

“Scott's parents gave him his start in racing,” said Jolyne. “Without them we would have never made it to the track our first night out.”

This Sunday night, July 14, the annual Hogan Memorial will honor Scott’s parents, the late Dick and Janet Hogan.

Dick Hogan was publisher of the Cedar Valley Daily Times from 1976 until his death on June 24, 1995. He suffered a heart attack while attending stock car races in Independence.

Dick, an Army veteran, began working as a photographer for the newspaper in 1954. Janet was Deputy Benton County Auditor until retiring in 1997. She was one of the Party in the Park Parade Grand Marshals in 2005. She died in 2006.

Jolyne clearly recalls the conversation she had with Dick as he and Scott made plans to begin Scott’s racing career.

“Dick sat me down when he and Scott first decided they would like to get into the sport of racing,” Jolyne recalls. “We were sitting at there kitchen table and he said to me, ‘I would like to get Scott started in racing, but there is one thing: We either do this as a family and I mean everyone or we won't do it at all...so are you in or out?!?’”

From the beginning, says Jolyne, she and the rest of the family were all in.

“I said to him, ‘We, meaning me, our son Drew and my family are IN!,’” recalls Jolyne. “From that point on, Scott's entire family and mine and our race crew -- who we consider family -- have been 100% our support group. Without this family, racing would just be racing, not family -- that's what racing is to us.”

Dick got Scott started, in racing, says Jolyne.

“He was totally involved till he died. Was always there helping with the car, getting sponsors anything Scott needed. They were best friends. There garage was our race shop. Again, it was all about family,” she says.

Scott’s sister, Terry Shafer and brother-in-law John Shafer are also a big part of the team.

“From the beginning Terri has also always been there for Scott and is his Number 1 fan,” says Jolyne. “And her husband John is part of the race team and engine builder, along with their son, Hogan Shafer.”

Event details

The 19th annual Hogan Memorial includes some prizes for the audience as well as more payouts for winning drivers. The winner of the Modified feature will autograph a Frisbee and toss it into the crowd; the person who catches it will receive $100 along with the Frisbee.

The main event of the evening is a 40-lap modified feature with a mandatory pit stop at the halfway point.

Scott Hogan has won the Hogan Memorial four times. He won the first event in 1995, as well as the 2005, 2006 and 2010 features.