Buddy Armel - Class of 2025

Buddy Armel would become synonymous with area stock car racing, and he would take his first victory at his home track of Virginia’s Winchester speedway in the summer of 1963. His name would become a fixture at area speedways.

His career began with the old “30X90” cars, a predecessor to today’s Sprint cars. Buddy began to win when he went back to driving the No.3 S3 for Lee Shultz. He also drove for car owners, Jerry Smith and Charlie Tabor. He was an aggressive driver that would be willing to “trade paint” at just about any moment on the racetrack. He was admired but feared by his competitors.

Armel took wins in Maryland at Hagerstown, and the Virginia ovals of Winchester, Saluda (now Virginia Motor Speedway,) and Eastside. In Pennsylvania he had wins at Bedford, Selinsgrove, and old St. Thomas Speedway.

Buddy, his wife, Betty. and their four children Tony, Brenda, Tommy and Barbara were all heavily involved in Buddy’s racing. Tony was a rising star, in his own right, but tragically passed away in 1981. Tommy was Hagerstown’s 1987 Daredevil and 1992 Semi Late champion and the 2009 Winchester Late Model champion, while Brenda was Winchester’s U-Car champion in 2013.

The wins were many, the championships were plenty, but through it all Buddy was a racer. He didn’t race to make friends. He was there to win. He was able to accomplish that by those who aided his career for nearly four decades. It is said the Armel family has a bond, like no other, and to this day the phrase, “It’s an Armel thing”, will last forever.

Professional achievements: