Turk Burket
Turk Burket. Lester Ray “Turk” Burket of Queen was part of the second generation of Bedford County drivers that formed the new Late Model class in 1964 at the former South Penn Speedway in Everett, Pa., where he became the all-time Late Model feature winner.
At the Bedford Fairgrounds Speedway, Burket was the 1965, 1977, 1978 track champion, winning the first Late Model race held when weekly racing started in 1965. He was the 1968, 1969, 1975 track champion at the Jennerstown Speedway.
Burket started to receive widespread attention when he won 5 features in 6 consecutive races at Maryland’s Hagerstown Raceway in 1970.
Burket’s greatest success came when he was named the driver of the Bobby and Benny Weyandt # 88 Chevrolets in 1973. He won the first pony car late model race at the Williams Grove Speedway in 1976 in a new Gary Martz built Camaro.
That same year, Martz was hired as team driver to Burket, and the pair became one of the first super teams on the regional Late Model circuit. Burket helped Martz with chassis fabrication and development and later drove the Martz Chassis house car in the early 1980’s. Burket’s last of his 141 wins came at Bedford in August of 1980, driving for Imler’s Barry Hoenstine.
He also won at Hesston, Port Royal, Motordrome, Marion Center and Clearfield speedways.
His last full year driving was 1985, driving for Hoenstine, at Bedford, Port Royal and Hagerstown.
He was inducted in both the Bedford and Jennerstown Hall of Fames and will go down as one of the most colorful and popular drivers of all time.
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At the Bedford Fairgrounds Speedway, Burket was the 1965, 1977, 1978 track champion, winning the first Late Model race held when weekly racing started in 1965. He was the 1968, 1969, 1975 track champion at the Jennerstown Speedway.
Burket started to receive widespread attention when he won 5 features in 6 consecutive races at Maryland’s Hagerstown Raceway in 1970.
Burket’s greatest success came when he was named the driver of the Bobby and Benny Weyandt # 88 Chevrolets in 1973. He won the first pony car late model race at the Williams Grove Speedway in 1976 in a new Gary Martz built Camaro.
That same year, Martz was hired as team driver to Burket, and the pair became one of the first super teams on the regional Late Model circuit. Burket helped Martz with chassis fabrication and development and later drove the Martz Chassis house car in the early 1980’s. Burket’s last of his 141 wins came at Bedford in August of 1980, driving for Imler’s Barry Hoenstine.
He also won at Hesston, Port Royal, Motordrome, Marion Center and Clearfield speedways.
His last full year driving was 1985, driving for Hoenstine, at Bedford, Port Royal and Hagerstown.
He was inducted in both the Bedford and Jennerstown Hall of Fames and will go down as one of the most colorful and popular drivers of all time.
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Bedford County Sports
Hall of Fame
Class of 2022
Bedford County Sports
Hall of Fame
Class of 2022
Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County, Pennsylvania