Saturday night at Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway will be a night of hugs, handshakes, memories and probably some tears as the track honors the late Charlie High, one of short-track racing’s most successful engine-builders.
Mr. High built engines for upwards of a dozen Late Model drivers during his 40-year career. When he died last fall, it was generally accepted that he’d powered at least eight track champions to 28 track and NASCAR Regional championships, with upwards of 350 feature victories to his credit.
His engines won not only at Langley, but at such noted racing venues as Southside Speedway in Richmond, South Boston Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Southampton Motor Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and Myrtle Beach Speedway.
Langley will honor that legacy with special ceremonies during its eight-race, 235-lap program of Modified, Virginia Racers, Grand Stock, UCAR, Legend, and Bandolero racing. The night will be a reunion of sorts for some of Langley’s all-time greatest drivers as the track on North Armistead Avenue in Hampton dedicates its technical inspection station in the infield as the “CHARLIE HIGH TECH SHED.”
Former seven-time Late Model champion Phil Warren and six-time champion Greg Edwards will be joined by former three-time champions Charlie Doyle and Elton Sawyer to honor Mr. High. A two-time Xfinity Series winner and one-time Cup driver, Sawyer is currently NASCAR’s Senior Vice-President of Competition.
Former track champions Roger Sawyer and Bubba Adams also have been invited to attend. Other invited drivers who used High engines include Ashton Lewis Jr., Wayne Hanbury, and Mike Buffkin.
Chuck Hall, the track’s Vice President, said it was appropriate to honor Mr. High after his legendary career as a NASCAR engine-builder. He chose this weekend since the NASCAR Cup Series is off for the next two weekends, allowing Sawyer to be able to attend.
“Charlie was among the men and women who helped Langley become one of NASCAR’s best weekly tracks, so it’s fitting that we honor him,” Hall said. “His engines from his shops in Chesapeake and, later, Moyock, North Carolina helped some of our local racers become respected and well-known, and that notoriety led to greater roles in our industry.
“Elton Sawyer will tell you in a heartbeat that Charlie High Engines helped him win races and local and NASCAR Regional championships. That success here and at other tracks led to Xfinity and Cup rides, which led to his position as a senior vice-president at NASCAR. That in itself is great credit to Charlie.
“It will be a special Saturday night for fans and competitors – and especially former track champions – to honor Charlie High for all he did for racing in general and Langley Speedway in particular.”
