Clendenen officiated AAA and USAC oval-track racing for more than 50 years and likely supervised more USAC events than anyone. He primarily oversaw the National Championship Series and the National Sprint Cars.
His introduction to racing came as a mechanic with Phillipsburg driver Everett Saylor, the 1937 Central States Racing Association champion, and he was on his pit crew when Saylor raced in the 1941 Indianapolis 500.
Clendenen worked with AAA Midwest sprint car supervisor Bob Martindale of Dayton. USAC was formed to replace AAA in 1956 and two years later, after Martindale retired, Clendenen took over the sprint car series for 11 seasons. It’s estimated he officiated more than 1,500 events in Silver Crown and sprints before retiring in 1984.
Clendenen died in 2002 at 94.
Joining Clendenen in the class of 2016 were Steve Butler, Jimmy Davies, Willie Davis, Bob Higman, Tommy Hinnershitz, Dick King, Rick Mears, Pat O’Connor, Kevin Olson, Tony Stewart and Bob Tattersall.
Nickell remembered: Middletown native Jennifer Nickell, a pit producer for NBCSN the past 10 years, died July 19 after an illness. She was 56.
Nickell spent four decades in television. Her first job was holding a satellite dish so the equipment could pick up the radio frequency. She worked for ABC, ESPN, NBC and FOX during her career.
Among her duties as pit producer for NBCSN, Nickell kept track of all the pit stops and alerted three pit reporters to the best stories during the race.
Nickell was a four-time Emmy Award winner. She produced three Olympics for NBC and was scheduled to produce weightlifting coverage from the 2016 Rio Olympics.
She graduated from Middletown High School in 1978.
A Celebration of Life service is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Aug. 29 at the First Presbyterian Church in Middletown. A reception will follow for family and friends at Wildwood Golf Club in Middletown.
Dayton's Price passes: Former Dayton resident Jack Price, son of famous candy maker Esther Price, died in Daytona, Fla., on June 6. He was 87.
Price was an avid race fan and mechanic. He also competed in the ARCA stock car racing series.
A celebration of his life will be held at a date to be announced in Florida.
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