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!