Remembering John Riddle
Remembering John Riddle
Johnnie Cleveland (John) Riddle, whose career as an ARCA weekly division race driver and ARCA Menards Series official spanned 50 years from the 1960s to the 2000s, passed away on April 27, 2024 at the age of 83.
A native of Tennessee and lifelong resident of the Toledo, Ohio/Bedford Township, Michigan area, he began his career with ARCA as a car owner and driver in the weekly ARCA Late Model division at Toledo Speedway. Loyal to ARCA founders and Toledo Speedway promoters John and Mildred Marcum, he traveled in the 1960s and 1970s to ARCA sanctioned weekly events at Jackson, Lansing and Flat Rock Michigan as well as Cleveland and Painesville Ohio.
After retirement from full time work, he became an ARCA Menards Series race official and traveled the circuit for over 10 years. John’s entire family followed him into the sport of racing, his wife Denise first as a winning Powder Puff race driver then as a ticket office worker, son Steve as a championship race team crew member and currently race driver, son Greg as Assistant General Manager at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedway, race director and race team spotter and daughter Terri as a race night track employee. John’s nephews and great-nephew, Tadek, Dave and Ethan Stadniczuk, also continue their involvement in the sport.
John Riddle was a graduate of Bedford High School and was a millwright for GM Powertrain for over 25 years, retiring in 2003. He was an avid fisherman and organizer of fishing trips. He was a member of United Auto Workers Local 14.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Denise; children Steve (Bridgette) Riddle, Greg (Nina) Riddle and Terri Ormsby; sister Edith Cupp; 8 grandchildren; and 3 great-grandchildren.
Visitation is scheduled for 2-7pm, Thursday May 2, at the Michael W. Pawlak Funeral Home, 1640 Smith Road, Temperance MI 48182 where a memorial service will follow at 7pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Randall Ginter Injured Race Car Driver Fund, Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club, www.marfc.org, email President@marfc.org.
