Former Sun scribe Dean McNulty named to Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame

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The ‘Dean of Speed’ is roaring into the Canadian Motorports Hall Of Fame.

Dean McNulty, who kept racing fans around the world informed after getting behind the wheel of the beat in 1999 for the Sun chain and Postmedia, will be inducted into the Hall’s media wing this year.

“It is an honour I certainly never expected, but one that I will treasure,” McNulty said via social media Tuesday.

McNulty, who worked various beats and editing jobs at the Sun since 1979 before retiring in 2015, was hailed by the Hall in a release Tuesday morning. The first race he covered was the Coca-Cola 600, which was the same race that Dale Earnhardt Jr. made his NASCAR Sprint Cup debut.

“For almost two decades, McNulty covered motorsport at every level in Canada,” the Hall’s statement read in part. “Although known for his impressive coverage of the top tier NASCAR Series, McNulty was comfortable reporting on everything from dirt speedways like Ohsweken to the Formula One Grand Prix at Montreal.

“There’s no doubt that several young racing drivers in Canada thank McNulty for helping further their careers. Dean (was) the last, full-time, national Canadian newspaper reporter on the motorsport beat.”

In September of 2016, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park named him Grand Marshal for the Chevrolet Silverado 250 event.

“I have always been extremely passionate about motorsports,” McNulty said at the time. “I love everything about it from top to bottom — the drivers, the teams, series people and the various race tracks. As a journalist, however, I hope I remained fair and balanced, criticizing and making suggestions when it was warranted.”

lhornby@postmedia.com