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!