INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Two Floridians, four-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville and longtime East Bay Raceway Park owner Al Varnadore, were honored Friday evening by the national tour as recipients of the Mike Swims Award of Excellence.

Pearson and Varnadore received the honors during the Lucas Oil Series banquet at Lucas Oil Stadium in conjunction with the weekend’s Performance Racing Industry Trade Show at the nearby Indiana Convention Center.

The award, honoring the Hall of Fame promoter of the Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Racing Series and Lucas Oil tour supporter Mike Swims, is presented annually by the series to those who've gone above and beyond the call of duty in the racing industry to make a lasting impact on the lives of racers, crews and fans. Swims died in 2007 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

The 52-year-old Pearson, who in 2024 ended his 19-year full-time run on the national circuit with four titles and 40 victories, also captured many of the sport’s biggest events, including the World 100 and Dirt Million during a 25-year sponsorship with Lucas Oil Products.

The 65-year-old Varnadore, who saw his first stock car race at the Tampa-area East Bay oval as a boy, later spent 22 years as co-owner, promoter and then sole owner of the third-mile track that closed at the conclusion of the 2024 season. The famed Clay by the Bay hosted 119 Lucas Oil Series events as a fixture among Florida Speedweeks tracks since its founding in 1977.