| Doc Lehman: The Man, Reporter, And His Views | WHO IS DOC LEHMAN?
Doc with Ed Fredericks
by Rebecca Richards
-KARNAC.com
Many have heard of Doc Lehman, of Lehman Motor Sports, yet few really know "the man" who climbed from the concession stands as a child, grandson of a racer and today's reporter, CO-host of Dirt Nation Live radio show and owner of Dirt America Online.
Doc Lehman is a third generation Lehman involved in motorsports, beginning with his grandfather, W. Bert Lehman. He is a father, grandfather and husband. He is also a friend to many.
Doc speaks his mind and those who know him, knows that! He has interviewed many late model racers, wives and announcers throughout his career, he has seen a lot from various angles.
It was a serious illness that struck Doc in late 1988 that would bring more changes to this man and his family. Encouraged by his wife, Carol to back off a little bit, Doc listened. Anyone who knows Carol, knows Doc better toe the line with her!
 Doc with his pride and joy, grandson Hunter.
"I owe her a lot, mainly for the way she raised the kids, and what she put into it, and what she demanded, like education and self-respect. She also came into my life at the right time. I was at the lowest of the low, having a daughter from a previous relationship pass on a year earlier when we got together. I can honestly say she saved my ass. There's no other way to put it.
And she gave me three great kids and now the next generation is starting to show up. But Carol sure has supported me in all this crazy racing stuff. There were many years that I was at three and four races a week and it was no problem with her. There was a couple years when I had three jobs and there were weeks when I literally was only home for maybe 10 or 15 hours a week. I missed out on a lot, those couple years with the kids. They were pretty young. That was stupid on my part.
But their Mom took care of business at home. Carol grew up going racing. Her Dad followed her cousin, Jim Gentry. So I had no problems with the racing end of things with her and she has generously allowed me to stay in this deal with her full support. I guess that makes it bearable living with me, and gets me out of the house and out of her way at times," stated Doc,"
As for being a husband (laughs), well, don't ask my wife! I have no idea why or how she puts up with all my crap. I have a lot of wife jokes and one-liners that I never hesitate to use. I poke a lot of fun with her with my juvenile marriage and wife jokes, but to be perfectly honest she’s more than I deserve. She’s been a tremendous mother, just tremendous. Any good qualities my kids have are because of their mother. And man, I’d LOVE to be a grandkid of hers! Wow!"
Carol and Doc have been married 27 years and have three children, Brandon, Jarrod and Brianne a son in law, Dan and a grandson, Hunter Cole who as Doc says is his "best friend" and another grandchild (Beau) on the way and due in April! I am sure Beau will be spoiled by Grandpa just as Hunter has been!
A little joke between Doc and Earl Baltes (Eldora track owner), Doc told Earl that Hunter would be the 2017 World 100 Winner to which Earl replied,"I will be there to hand him the check!" With son, Jarrod being the fourth generation of Lehman's in the motor sports arena, Hunter will be the fifth generation to be in the racing community, and I think Grandpa wants him behind the wheel of a late model!
But bottom-line, when it comes to his family, including his parents and brothers and sisters, Doc says he's one lucky man!
Currently, Doc Lehman's articles can be found in DIRT LATE MODEL magazine, AREA AUTO RACING NEWS, RPM RACING NEWS and MID-AMERICAN AUTO RACING NEWS, NATIONAL DIRT DIGEST, BEHIND THE WHEEL and others, not to mention his Dirt America column that appears on Hoseheads Late Model News, Racingweb.com, RaceProWeekly and Fire On Dirt. And it all began when he complained about working in the concession stands for his Uncle Wellman!
W. Bert, (Doc's grandfather) the first Chevrolet dealer in Wayne County, OH (1915) and racer, began racing in 1914 at board tracks. In 1922 he built his own car, fabricating every part except the radiator cap! "He only drove it a couple times and hired drivers to race for him throughout the 1920’s. One of the biggest races they won was a Labor Day 100-lap special event at a one-mile dirt track in Cadiz, OH in 1928. Shorty Drexler was the driver and my grandfather's racecar was the only car to run all 100 miles without a pit stop. This made the front page of a local newspaper that we still have in the family scrapbook. As a fan Grandpa's favorite driver of all time was Ralph DePalma who he managed to get to autograph a souvenir program that is still in the family," recalled Doc.
His father and brothers all enjoyed racing but it was his uncle, Wellman Lehman who became heavily involved in racing in 1965 when he, Pete Jacobs, Myron Werntz and Gary Bossler built Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, OH. "I attended my first dirt race on June 26, 1965, the day they opened the gates for the first time at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, OH. Within a year or two my younger brother and I were doing odd jobs at the track but mainly cleaning the joint up. Within a couple years my uncle and aunt had us in the concession stands working but that only lasted a year for me. I couldn't see the damn races! Tired of hearing me complain, and having seen some articles of mine that were published in a graphic arts publication, Wellman offered me the job as Public Relations Director when Ron Amstutz decided to leave due to his career(now an Ohio state senator).
My brother ended up managing the concession stands for many years and then became the track's office manager for a couple years," said Doc.
For the next several years Mr. Lehman would nose dive into racing wearing many hats. He became the Wayne County Public Relations Director in 1973, at the same time he served as Public Relations Director for the All Star Super Sprints sanction that existed from 1974-77, writing for a rock and roll and graphic arts magazines.
Doc Lehman even wore a helmet for a bit, racing go karts for two years which was a blast. He ran with a little series called the Mid Ohio Outlaw Kart Series and won a feature each year. The second year he remembers finishing fourth in points, two points out of third. He spent one year crewing for Dave Ledford at Lakeville every Friday night. Ledford ran Ron Croskey’s Late Model back then. That was over 20 years ago at least. On Saturday and Sundays Doc did the writing thing at other tracks.
"One year Lakeville Speedway started a ‘pure stock’ class that, looking back, it was dangerous. Two buddies and myself put together an old Buick and ran it, taking turns. I got a third and a second, then a buddy totaled it. That was the end of my racing career, such as it was," recalled Doc. "I became heavily involved in motorsports journalism in the late 1970’s and for four years in early 1980’s published and edited DIRT TRACK REPORT magazine that was devoted to dirt Late Model racing and during the I served as Executive Director and Vice President of the STARS dirt Late Model sanction (2 years), promoter at Wayne County Speedway (3 years), General Manager of Pennsboro Speedway (2 years) and was the associate producer and head writer for the RACING ON DIRT-TV television show in Ohio for WOAC for three years," Lehman recalls.
In 1985 Lehman Motorsports Services was created, a firm that does public relations, promotional and consultation work for racetracks, race teams and sanctioning bodies. Over the years we have worked closely with several different race teams, tracks and sanctions on various promotional projects and marketing endeavors. LMS still exists today with a limited number of clients.
I had to ask what prompted Doc to start reporting and writing for the racing world?
"I’ve always wanted to write, ever since second grade. In second grade I wrote a story as an assignment, it was on the Pony Express of all things, and my teacher just blew me away with her praise. I remember reading it after it was returned (with an ‘A’) and thinking, egotistical, that hey, this ain’t too bad. I was hooked on writing and creating. I think it goes back to my aunt. My aunt, who lived next door for a couple years, taught me to read and write before I entered kindergarten. All I did growing up was read and write. Well, in between raising cain and getting my butt paddled (laughs)! When I took the public relations job from my uncle, yep, nepotism at it’s worse, at Wayne County in high school I wrote all the press releases and race results stories for the local papers and racing papers.
That was when I first started getting racing material published, back in 1973. Since then I have written, Lord only knows how many race result stories. I think it was in the late 70’s after I was married and quit publishing my music magazine that I really got into doing interviews, columns and all that. Back in the early part of the 80’s I published the first magazine devoted to dirt Late Model racing. Didn’t make any money to speak of, but it was fun and creative and led to other things, like a nice gig with Area Auto Racing News and Dirt Late Model magazine and like that.
Other than p.r. hype, I didn't do any ‘real’ journalism for several years when I was promoting a track and with the sanction, although I did all the press releases, newsletters, the programs and a STARS magazine in addition to the TV stuff. But I love doing this now. I've had job offers with some sanctions and tracks recently, but, you know, been there, done that, but of course I never say never. But right now, today, I really enjoy what I'm doing. I love the independence, I love the creativity. I know I'm not the best writer, but that's the key, I don't try to be. I am not competitive in that regard. I have a lot of respect for writers in this deal, people like John Sawyer, Tim Lee, Todd Turner, Kevin Kovac and so many others. Me, I’m just a reporter," said Doc, continuing, "Sometimes I turn so much material out I know it’s basically hack. I kid you not, more times than not, especially for the website, 90% of the material I churn out is first draft, and probably 70% of the time I don’t even read through it once I’m done. Don’t have time. There are a few articles on Dirt America Online that I wrote, but never read (laughs)! But I think, when pressed, and when given time, I can do a decent job if the stars are all aligned just right. But like I said, I’m a reporter. That’s all, just trying to get the word out. And like you doing this interview, this is crazy (laughs)! I report the news, I don’t make the news! There is no way anyone would find any of this interesting and I find it unlikely anyone would be interested enough to get this far."
Q. I know you had a lot of heat due to the Late Model Hall of Fame, how do you feel about all of that in hindsight?
"There is really not much anyone can do. I know there is no way I can make everyone happy and I know that there will always be someone who disagrees and that is fine with me. I have no problem with anyone disagreeing with what I write. The only problem I have is when people get extra nasty and vindictive and have an agenda and go after someone in the media anonymously. To be that is being a coward and I have no respect nor do I care what they think. If they can be adult and express their disagreements or displeasure, that's fine. I’m no genius and perhaps their point of view is a factor I didn’t consider. Anyone can say, or feel what they want. I just hope if they are adults they act as such. As for the Hall of Fame, I resigned for numerous reasons, not just because of a couple low-life’s with too much time on their hands. What is funny though is there was a huge controversy over a very deserving driver from up north who didn’t make it in. The funny part if he has just missed making the Hall of Fame by only 2 – 3 votes every year! And I have voted for him! But many felt the need to vent to me and that is fine. I understand completely. You can even cuss me, but leave my family out of it ," stated Lehman.
Doc's view on the current Late Model Series: "I have mentioned this on the radio show before and even though it sounds like a cop-out it’s not. I have no idea where all this is heading at this point in time. It’s too early to make a decisive statement. Every time you think you have it figured out, one of the sides comes out with some big news that turns the tide. This is a ping-pong game, or a tennis game, and right now both sides keep volleying back and forth. If history repeats, which I hope it doesn’t, both will be gone within two to three years tops. If management on both sides act mature, professional and can come up with programs that will entice promoters and fans, then they all win. But personally I feel we have more than enough tracks and high quality, marketable drivers that both can survive. Only time will tell but I will repeat, it all comes down to management, when Xtreme was making a bunch of news with their announcements last fall I was accused of being in their employ and working for them, later, when Boundless announced the World of Outlaw Late Model deal and I covered that breaking news I was accused of working for them and being employed by them. Some people seem to forget that during that span I also covered other series like MACS, NARA, WDRL, TORA, NALMS and others," Doc stated. The irony is, Doc must be the most underpaid employee as he hasn't received a paycheck from any series to date.
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