Ratta/Mitchell Award to Pete Vander Veer
Peter Vander Veer, a standout auto racing writer for over 30 years, will receive the Jack Ratta/Charlie Mitchell Award at the 16th annual New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame Banquet Sunday, Nov. 10 at the Lodge at Manelley’s in South Windsor, CT.
A contributor to a number of outlets, Vander Veer joins Hall of Fame inductees Stan Meserve, Brian Ross, Drew Fornoro, Ralph Nason, the late Bob Stefanik, Bill Eldridge, Bob Sharp and Ron Berndt on the honoree list.
The award memorializes two outstanding motor sports journalists – Ratta who wrote for the Manchester Union Leader and Mitchell, a sportswriter/editor for many years at the Norwalk (CT) Hour. Like Vander Veer, Mitchell was recognized for his reporting on the entire sporting scene.
A winner of the Connecticut Sportswriters Alliance’s prestigious McGinley Award, Vander Veer has been a contributor to a number of media outlets including the now sorely missed Trackside Magazine. A member of the NEAR Hall of Fame Selection committee since its inception, he continues to contribute stories to a string of weekly papers in the New Haven, CT area.
Vander Veer cut his auto racing teeth watching the Modifieds and Midgets at West Haven Speedway. A University of New Haven grad, he began his writing career at the New Haven Journal Courier in 1969. Over the years he has a been a contributor to the New Haven Register, Connecticut Post, Norwich Bulletin and Shoreline Times and to a number of track programs.
Ticket information for the NEAR Hall of Fame Banquet is available at Near1.com.
Sources: David Dykes/NEAR PR