2012 Hall of Fame
Charlie Yingling
Legendary MIR Racer
Charlie Yingling is
known as the "Mayor of
Budds Creek," and with
good reason. He has
raced at Maryland
International Raceway
since the track opened
in 1966 and still races
to this day! This
included one 30 year
stretch from 1973 to
2003, where Charlie did
not miss a single
weekend of racing at
MIR!
Charlie is a 56 year
veteran of drag racing.
He began running at
Aquasco Raceway in 1956,
and ran at Budds Creek
after it opened. Among
Charlie's early
successes came in 1960,
when he won the first
eliminator trophy ever
given out at Aquasco!
And in 1962, he became
one of the few people in
the world who can claim
to have won an event
over fellow legend
Malcolm Durham!
At MIR, Charlie has won
dozens of trophies and a
couple of Iron Men, but
the track championship
has eluded him. He came
close a number of times,
and DID win the Race of
Champions at the Bracket
Finals while filling in
for Gary Facemire.
Charlie also won several
thousand dollars racing
in one of Tod Mack's
famous bracket racing
promotions, this one a
20 thousand dollar team
event. Charlie's team
finished runner up to
fellow MIR Legend Bob
Maxey, but they still
made money. Charlie has
always appreciated the
special events and types
of racing that the MIR
track owners have
provided for the bracket
racers.
Charlie ran a series of
tough American Iron in
his racing career. He
began racing in a Chevy
Del Ray, which came from
the factory with no back
seat! His fellow racers
protested him but he
showed that it actually
came from the factory
that way! Charlie ran in
Special Super Stock and
E/Stock Modified, using
a 348 cubic inch big
block Chevy. He ran the
car in two or three
configurations, running
either a four-barrel or
three 2-barrel carbs.
Charlie ran a 56 Chevy
from 1973 to 1979, using
a column shifter! What a
way to go bracket
racing! He had a Camaro
from 1980 to 1987, and
then came out with the
famous Yingle's Tingle
Chevy Vega. This is the
25th anniversary season
for the Yingle's Tingle,
which he still cranks
down the MIR quarter
mile in the 8.60 to 8.80
second zone!
Charlie was one of the
first racers to get a
handle on racing
electronics, but he says
that everybody else got
good and caught up!
Charlie jokes, "These
days, if you don't run a
double 00 and run about
dead on, you might as
well quit!" But he keeps
on racing with a large
degree of success.
Charlie Yingling has
been a loyal and tough
MIR racer for years. He
has probably been down
the track more than
anyone else has. He says
he has won a bunch of
trophies and a bunch of
money. Charlie even had
to make a deal with his
wife to get rid of some
trophies to make room in
their house!
But the most important
thing Charlie Yingling
has collected at MIR
over the years is
hundreds of friends and
the respect of all who
meet him.
As his permanent parking
spot at MIR reads,
Charlie Yingling is
truly the "Mayor of
Budds Creek." May he
continue to serve in
that capacity for years
to come, as one of our
esteemed Legends of
Budds Creek!
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