A tribute to Frank Sagi

Coming up this Saturday night, Hagerstown Speedway will present the Frank Sagi Tribute in honor of the man who was long known and remembered for being “The Voice of the Hagerstown Speedway”.

Sagi, whose name was synonymous with the speedway, began announcing at the track in 1957 when the previous announcer quit and handed him the microphone. Sagi continued to announce the races for an additional 39 years after having the job thrust upon him.

Sagi passed away at age 78 in 2012, and had been retired from announcing for several years, but he was still a regular sight at Hagerstown as he continued follow the racing career of his son Alan Sagi.  Many racers and fans to this day will say that there was no better announcer than Frank Sagi.

Sagi was best known for a few catch phrases that became part of his trademark style.

In the time between hot lap warmups and heat races, Sagi would say: “The long chutes and wide-sweeping turns of this fabulous clay oval will allow the drivers ample room to live life in the fast lane as they battle for the checkered flag. And now before we present the cars and stars of the oval world, we ask you to please rise as we proudly present our National Anthem”.

And just as the main feature event of the evening was getting ready get started, Sagi would always shout over the speakers and ask “Who’s got the hot shoe tonight?” Then he’d name off a few driver’s names to get a reaction from the crowd.

Even at the conclusion of a night of racing before signing off, Sagi always said “Be careful driving home and always remember that speed is for the speedways, and not for the highways.”

That’s just really a tidbit of greatness that came from Frank Sagi. The excitement that came from Sagi’s voice when announcing a race was genuine. He really loved auto racing.

As of now, many former retired drivers and car owners are expected to be on hand to celebrate the memories of Sagi. Just about everyone that will be there on Saturday night had the privilege to be interviewed by Sagi after winning a race.

Leading the list of names of racers attending the Frank Sagi Tribute are former track champions Denny Bonebrake, Buddy Armel, Jeff Robinson, Sam Nalley, Nathan Durboraw, Tom Peck, Dave Wilt, Dan Sullivan, Marvin Lescalleet, Wayne Walls, Jr., and nearly sixty more legends and car owners that have raced at Hagerstown Speedway while Sagi worked at the track.