Charlie Benedict Sr (Charlie Benedict Sr Charlie Benedict, also known by fans as “Chargin Charlie” had a career that started in 1972 in an asphalt late model built for I-70. Charlie would race asphalt at I-70 until 1979. Then I-70 went to dirt. After three years of not racing, he decided to build an IMCA car and switch to dirt. When I-70 went from asphalt to dirt he had no choice but to go dirt racing. I-70 opened in 1969 and became famous by stalwarts racing there locally that included Dave Wall, Terry Bivens, and Don Conner. As well as nationally renowned competitors Dick Trickle, Mark Martin, and the Wallace brothers to name a few. He raced only two classes of cars in his career late models and modifieds. After several years of running on dirt he decided to return to asphalt at the same time as I-70. He raced at all the tracks in the area including I-70, Lakeside, Riverside, Sedalia, Adrian, Warrensburg, and Grain Valley, Joplin 66, Moberly, Nevada, Lebanon, Linn County, Thunder Hill, Savannah and Batesville, Ark. He spent most of his years in a modified but later went back to late models. He was one of the great stock car and modified racers from the Kansas City area who starred at his beloved I-70 Speedway in Odessa, Missouri, among other venues. Charlie was born in 1943, and after a stint in the US Army in the early 1960’s, returned home to Independence, Missouri, where he would later start his own auto repair shop Charlie B’s in the 1970’s, and Benedict Motorsports in the 1990’s. Benedict was a fierce competitor on the High Banks of I-70, where he was known for his “Grabber Orange” 88 machines, later he was joined by his son Buddy who raced blue cars with the number 86. Starting in 1972, and for decades after Charlie would join the fray, racing on first the pavement, and then the dirt, and then back again on pavement when it later returned to its original surface at I70. Over that span Benedict would race stock cars and modifies, becoming a star in both. Benedict would also race successfully at Riverside in North KC, and Lakeside in KCK. Winning over 100 feature events over the years. Some of Charlie’s favorite moments in racing came when he raced side by side with his son Charlie. Including a victory at Riverside on the dirt. Charlie passed at age 74 in 2017, while leaving a racing career and legacy that gave him a hall of fame caliber career. )

2024 Inductee