Hall of Famer Hobbs dies at 87
National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Don Hobbs, the first driver of the C.J. Rayburn house car for his fellow Hall of famer and chassis builder who racked up 54 victories in the car from 1979-80, died Wednesday at his Bloomington, Ind., home. The Anthony, Kan., native was 87.
His death was reported to former Brownstown (Ind.) Speedway announcer James Essex by his nephew Dennis Hobbs, who said his uncle had entered hospice care a week earlier and had suffered from dementia.
Hobbs, whose racing career began as a 16-year-old in 1953 and spanned 43 seasons with more than 800 multidivision victories overall, was among the Hoosier State's top dirt racers in the 1970s and '80s and was the first driver of the MasterSbilt Race Cars Indiana1 house car, an early driver for Bullitt Chassis and the driver of the Dave Dayton Enterprises No. 87.
Inducted into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in 2012, he joined Brownstown's track Hall of Fame in 2007 for the quarter-mile oval where he won 26 feature races and the 1969 track championship.
Among his major victories were the Southeastern Winternationals at Volusia County (Fla.) Speedway in '80; the '80 NDRA 100 at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; the '85 and '86 Kentucky Klassic at Barren County Speedway and a two-day sweep of All-Star Circuit of Champions action in '81 at Lincoln Park Speedway in Greencastle, Ind. Hobbs was a five-time World 100 starter with a best finish of fourth in 1982 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
Among other car owners, Hobbs drove for Sonny Arthur, Don Harris, Gene Dalton, Bob Franks and finally Bud Johnson, ending his career in the mid-1990s.
Donald D. Hobbs served four years in the U.S. Army and spent most of his career operating Hobbs Garage and Wrecker Service. Survivors include two sons, Tommy Dale Hobbs and Dale Hobbs; two daughters, Ina Sue Leonard and Gigi Hobbs; a brother Paul (Peggy) Hobbs; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Visitation is 9 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, at Allen Funeral Home in Bloomington following by a celebration of life service at noon. Burial will follow at Clover Hill Cemetery in Harrodsburg, Ind.
