Legendary promoter Emick dies at 84
Legendary dirt racing promoter Bert Emick, a National Sprint Car Hall of Famer who also promoted Late Model tours with the Midwest Outlaw Super Series and All-Star Circuit of Champions, died today at Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Fla., after a brief illness. He was 84.
Emick’s Midwest Outlaw and ASCoC tours promoted both sprint car and Dirt Late Model competition with his MOSS events paying $2,000-to-win its inaugural 1980 season and $10,000 to first champion Jim Dunn.
He revived his All-Star Circuit of Champions in 1981 for Late Models and sprints, focusing on the sprints solely after turning over day-to-day Late Model operations to Bill Moore in 1982. The Late Model circuit was disbanded in 1993.
Bert often credited wife Brigitte, always at his side, for tirelessly handling financials, statistics and the souvenir trailer.
He was voted the inaugural recipient of the National Sprint Car Poll’s Outstanding Contribution to the Sport Award in 1985 and was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2000.
“I have to make a living like everybody else, but I don’t have the kind of money a lot of other people make,” Emick once said. “But when I walk in the grandstands and people say ‘Great show, Bert,’ that is worth more money than any promoter could pay.”
Survivors include his wife and a daughter, Kristi. A memorial will be held at a date to be announced. — Brian Liskai
