Ted Musgrave (Ronda Greer Photo)

Wisconsin Motorsports Charities, Inc. today announced its WMCI Mid-Winter Banquet will be held at the Country Springs Hotel Grand Ballroom in Waukesha, WI on Friday, January 19, 2007.

The event will mark the 16th year Wisconsin Motorsports Charities, Inc. has staged the racing gala. Since 1992, the organization has raised $425,000 for charity with The Ranch Community Services, an adult rehabilitation center located in Menomonee Falls, WI, as it's primary recipient. This year, the WMCI event will also benefit Interfaith, a Milwaukee area outreach program for Senior Citizens.

In a related announcement, the charity also indicated 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Ted Musgrave will serve as its 2007 Honorary Chairperson.

Musgrave honed his racing skills on the tough Wisconsin pavement short tracks in the mid-1980s against the likes of Dick Trickle, Joe Shear, Alan Kulwicki, Rich Bickle, Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth.

In 1990, the Franklin, WI native jumped from the American Speed Association to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series making his first start at Michigan International Speedway. Over the next 13 seasons, Musgrave totaled 305 starts in NASCAR highest division scoring 20 Top-5 and 55 Top-10 finishes.

The driver of the No. 9 Team ASE Toyota found a home in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2001 and has risen to the challenge in that series with 16 career victories to date. In 2005, Musgrave added the Truck Series championship to his list of racing accomplishments.

Musgrave joins a long list of luminaries who have served as the Honorary Chairperson of the WMCI event. Included in that group are Bobby Allison, Neil Bonnett, Benny Parsons, Johnny Rutherford, Ned Jarrett, Parnelli Jones and Phil Hill (a complete list of past Honorary Chairpersons listed below).

In addition to Musgrave's selection, Wisconsin Motorsports Charities, Inc. also announced a trio of award recipients for the January 2007 event as longtime Wisconsin open-wheel star Billy Engelhart, Indy Pro Series driver Bobby Wilson and motorsports journalist John Close will be honored at this year's WMCI dinner.

The 1967 Badger Midget Auto Racing Association Rookie of the Year, Engelhart carved out an impressive career in one of America's most exciting racing divisions.

Engelhart captured the United States Auto Club (USAC) National Midget Division Rookie of the Year in 1969 and was a regular in the Top-10 USAC National Midget point standings five out of six years from 1969-1974.

At the time of his induction to the National Midget Hall of Fame in 1997, Engelhart was the only driver besides Mel Kenyon to win all three major Midget races, the "Night Before the 500" (1975), "The Hut Hundred" (1973) and "Turkey Night Grand Prix" (1971-1973).

The winner of 24-career USAC Midget features and numerous regional Midget main events, Engelhart is one of a few drivers to have won races in the USAC Championship Dirt Car (now Silver Crown), Sprint Car and Midget Series.

Engelhart also made it to the zenith of open-wheel racing in 1980 competing in the Indianapolis 500 where he drove his Beaudoin Construction McLaren M24-Cosworth to an 11th-place finish.

Wilson was in the hunt for the 2006 Indy Pro Series championship right up to the last race of the season eventually finishing fourth in the final standings.

Wilson scored 11 Top-10 finishes in 12 events in 2006 with the highlight coming at Watkins Glen, NY in June when he captured his first Indy Pro Series win after qualifying on the pole. The 25-year-old driver made his Indy Pro Series debut in August 2005 at Infineon Raceway.

Wilson, an Oconomowoc, WI native, began his racing career in the go kart ranks at the age of 11. After winning several go kart titles, Wilson graduated to the Formula Ford 2000 division where he posted four victories en route to the 2004 division championship.

Wilson now resides in Ocala, FL and serves as a driving instructor at the Ocala Grand Prix when not competing at the racetrack.

Wisconsin Motorsports Charities Inc. rounded out its initial list of for its 16th-annual event by naming veteran motorsports journalist John Close as the recipient of its Ted Lake Dedication To Racing Award. The award is presented in honor of Lake, a Wisconsin racing icon who was a fixture at state racetracks for more than 70 years.

Past recipients of the Ted Lake Dedication To Racing Award include Tony George, President and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; Bill Brodrick, NASCAR's 'Hat Man' and public relations specialist for UNOCAL; Brian Barnhardt, Indy Racing League President; and Duane Sweeney, longtime starter for the Indianapolis 500.

Close began his professional journalism career as the motorsports writer for the Madison (WI) Capital Times in the mid-1980s and worked his way to the NASCAR ranks by 1994. Since then, Close has facilitated media and public relations initiatives for a number of NASCAR teams and sponsors staying active as a motorsports journalist contributing stories to top racing publications such as NASCAR Scene, NASCAR Illustrated, Stock Car Racing and Circle Track Magazines.

Close's first book;Tony Stewart - From Indy Phenom To NASCAR Superstar, was released by MBI Publishing in 2004. His next book; The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series - Desert Dust To Superspeedways, will be released by MBI in February 2007.

Additional honorees for the 16th-Annual Wisconsin Motorsports Charities, Inc. Recognition Dinner will be announced at a later date.

The 2007 Wisconsin Motorsports Charities, Inc Recognition Dinner is expected to draw over 500 people to the black-tie affair at the Country Springs Hotel.

Tickets for the January 19, 2007 event, which will feature an autograph session, a sit-down dinner, and awards program can be purchased by logging on to www.wisconsinmotorsports.org.

Past Honorary Chairpersons - Wisconsin Motorsports Charities, Inc.

1992 Bobby Allison
1993 Neil Bonnett
1994 Benny Parsons
1995 Johnny Rutherford
1996 Sam Posey
1997 Bobby Allison
1998 Phil Hill
1999 Ned Jarrett
2000 David Hobbs
2001 Dick Trickle
2002 Parnelli Jones
2003 Scott Wimmer
2004 Jeff Hammond
2005 Robbie Reiser
2006 Jim Tretow