The NTPA Hall of Fame is comprised of a diverse group of individuals. There are those inducted who were organizers, executives, officials, and announcers for the NTPA. Of course, there are those members who were competitors in the various NTPA pulling divisions. Tonight, Ernie Metzger makes history as being the first NTPA Hall of Fame inductee coming from the semi truck ranks.

Metzger’s path to NTPA’s Hall of Fame began as a youth as his love for trucks broadened to heights he could not have foreseen. It impacted his professional career and helped popularize the use of semi trucks into various racing categories, as well as competitive semi truck pulling. As a thirteen year old boy, Ernie bought his first truck, a 1922 Ford pick-up for a mere three dollars. The Silver Lake, Indiana native expanded this love for trucks into the big rig variety, and Ernie built a business for himself called Metzger Trucking, a grain, livestock, and fertilizer hauling business that saw approximately 100 tractors and 300 trailers populate north central Indiana after starting with just one International K-7 in the 1940s. Metzger and wife Bonnie raised six children and were living the American dream.

The “Liberty Belle” was an impressive truck, setting the land speed record at just over 132 miles-per-hour on the Bonneville Salt Flats; and although Ernie wasn’t behind the wheel when “Liberty Belle” set the land speed record, Metzger did set a single lap record for semis at 124 miles-per-hour at the Atlanta International Speedway in 1980. With Ernie driving, and Mike running the pit crew, the Metzgers spent four years racing on the American Truck Series of circle track races. Along the way, “Liberty Belle” ended up in the movie “Smokey and the Bandit II” with Burt Reynolds.

As the 1970s drew to a close, the Metzgers began setting their sites on a different motorsport - pulling. NTPA did not recognize Semis as a division as a point class, but that did not stop promoters from booking Metzger and a few other semi competitors in its infancy. Ernie Metzger became an influencing force on the semi truck pulling landscape. By the time the early 80s rolled around, Metzger was appearing at many county fairs across the US and Canada. During this time, Ernie Metzger had won dozens of events, and son Mike was campaigning a second semi called “General Lee” which was in reference to the “Dukes of Hazard” TV series. It was a popular show, and a promoter of indoor pulling shows capitalized on the connection and brought in Sonny Shroyer who played "Enos" the Hazard County Deputy at many events. There was no doubt that the semi class was popular with the fans.

Ernie Metzger, along with J.R. Collins, John A. Mann, Ray Carpenter and others were advocates of the semis becoming an NTPA sanctioned class. Their pioneering ways paid off as Metzger and friends made their way into the Tomah, Wisconsin event as well as the 1983 Indy Super Pull as an exhibition class. In 1984 at the Indy Super Pull, Metzger won the class with “Liberty Belle”. The semi class was growing in numbers and popularity, thanks in part to Metzger’s personality and perseverance. Semi exhibition pulls were sprouting up everywhere on the NTPA landscape.

Ernie was at the prime of his pulling glory, and getting ready to begin another season of pulling in 1986 when at age 68, he passed away.

Son Mike was able to see the Super Semi division recognized as a full fledged points class in the 1990s, and won the NTPA Grand National points title in 2000, fittingly with the “Liberty Belle”. However, that recognized NTPA Super Semi title along with many others would not have been achieved had it not been for the Silver Lake man who took his love of trucks and helped pave the way for current day semi truck pulling everywhere.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage the Metzger family, accepting on behalf of the late Ernie Metzger, a member of the 2009 NTPA Hall of Fame class.