Eddy, Senneker Honored With Lifetime Achievement Awards at ASA Racer's Reunion

While Saturday's 57th Annual Greg Hubler Automotive Group Redbud 400 at Anderson Saturday was a marquee event in its own right for the ASA STARS National Tour, it was also a chance to reflect and honor some of the all-time greats in the American Speed Association. A pair of those greats were honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards during the 50th Anniversary ASA Racer's Reunion prior to Saturday's race.

Mike Eddy and Bob Senneker were presented with Lifetime Achievement Awards from the ASA STARS National Tour to conclude the ASA Racer's Reunion, a fitting conclusion to an hour-long interview session that featured several past ASA National Tour competitors who attended the reunion.

“This is really cool,” said Senneker after being presented with a plaque to represent the award. “I’m glad I showed up and I’m really glad you showed up.”

“I really appreciate this," said Eddy. "We forget how much Rex and Becky [Robbins, co-founders of ASA] did for all of us. It’s better late than never to say I’m really proud to represent what they’ve brought and gave us a place to play all this time.”

Senneker and Eddy were the winningest drivers in the history of the original ASA National Tour between its foundation in 1973 and 2004. Senneker won 85 races and the 1990 championship, while Eddy was a seven-time series champion with 58 victories.

The two had plenty of on-track battles against each other while competing for those wins and championships, and shared some of those stories during the Racer's Reunion discussion panel.

“[Eddy] was a heck of a racer," said Senneker. "If you could win or even run with him without him squeezing you too hard, you were doing awful good.”

“I grew up watching Bob race," added Eddy. "It sounds like he’s a lot older than me, but I sat in the stands at Tri-City Raceway and watched him. I always wanted to be like him.”

They even recalled one particularly intense battle, when Senneker took the upper hand over Eddy during an event at Race City Speedway.

“I remember one in Canada," said Senneker. "I got you with a lap or two to go. I think you tried to take me out in the next corner, but you missed.”

“I tried. I tried as hard as I could to hit you into three but I missed you by that much," admitted Eddy. "I about drove right into the fence. Luckily I didn’t hit the fence and I finished second. I was trying to get him.”

Other racers also shared their stories about Senneker and Eddy during the discussion.

“It was a full-time job all year long to race 20 races," said Mike Miller, who won 16 ASA races. "We raced really, really hard on the race track. I’d occasionally spin Mike Eddy, and he’d occasionally spin me out. Mike would invite me over for a fish fry. For all practical purposes, it always stayed on the race track. It never affected our relationship.”

“Seeing Mike [Eddy] and Bob [Senneker] and Mike Miller, [Gary] St. Amant, it goes on and on here," said Scott Hansen, who sits third behind Eddy and Senneker on the ASA wins list with 26 victories. "To me, this era, the 80s and 90s, was the era for me. The best of the best were there.”

Cole Butcher added his name to the ASA record books during the Redbud 400 later that evening, becoming the second Canadian winner of the historic event and the first Canadian to win an ASA event since John Cadman in 1992.

-Photo credit: Koty Geyer/ASA STARS National Tour