George Friend

 George Friend began racing in the 1950s and rose to fame in the 1970s when he won a number of championships and awards at raceways in the city of Sandusky and Lorain Couty.
Bill Bader Sr., who leased the Sandusky Speedway from 1971 to 1977, talked fondly about Friend, Bader was there to winess many of Friend's accomplishments...
"George ran the supermodified class, where there were no real limitations or restrictions," Bader also said, "George and his crew, with Don Bleile as his sponsor, were fierce competitors. George won numerous races and was champion more than once. but more important to him than any of that was the year he won the Sportsman of the Year award."
  . . . from the Norwalk Reflector