2014 Hall of Fame
Joe "Plug" Haislipp
Legendary MIR Announcer
“Joe Plug” leaves a
lasting legacy at MIR
that can be described
best by the “two Fs” –
family and fun! Joe was
the Friday night street
series announcer at MIR
for more than 20 years,
and he entertained
thousands of drag racing
fans. Joe laughingly
said he “survived” two
different sets of track
owners, Tod Mack/Larry
Clayton and the Miller
family. Joe always
enjoyed having a great
time with the local
street racers who came
to MIR to race the RIGHT
way. He called his MIR
announcing gig his
“Happy Job,” but he was
involved with cars
during the day time,
too. Joe worked in the
car business his entire
life. This included
stints at G&N Auto
Parts, Speed Unlimited,
and even his own shop
called K&G Speed. Joe
and his loving and
supportive wife Kathy
were together for 40
years!
As an announcer, Joe
loved to get the crowd
involved and riled up. I
still remember his crazy
burnout contests, where
some kid would show up
in a beater 1971 Ford
LTD with bald tires and
face another equivalent
wreck to see who could
burn the tires off
longer! Joe would get
the crowd totally
involved in the voting,
totally based on crowd
noise, which often could
be heard above the
revving engines and
squealing tires! Very
few announcers could get
the crowd into the
program like Joe did!
Joe never raced
consistently at MIR, but
every time he got a new
vehicle, he took it down
the track at least one
time. He loved his
canary yellow 72 Chevy
C-10 truck though, but
mostly took it to car
shows. He earned a lot
of trophies at shows,
including plenty for
that truck. Speaking of
car shows, Joe was also
an announcing fixture at
those events! These
included the Pomonkey
Park show that featured
other announcing
opportunities that Joe
was “forced” into, like
the wet T-shirt
contests! Joe always
made them fun.
Joe “Plug” Haislipp
loved life and he loved
his three kids and five
grandkids -- who still
miss Grandpa Joe every
day. He left us on
October 30, 2013, not
quite a year ago. In
June 2014, to celebrate
Joe’s birthday and
Father’s Day, racer and
friend Willie Hess took
Joe’s ashes for one last
ride down the MIR 1320.
That was a fitting end
to a man who considered
MIR his second home.
Joe “Plug” Haislipp, MIR
Legend!
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