The MARC Times Racing News was established in the Spring of 1965 by its founders Dick Beebe and his wife Pat out of Kalamazoo, Michigan. The award winning weekly auto racing journal kept fans and readers abreast of the sport's activities successfully for over 47 years. Toward the Fall of 1965 publisher Beebe, who was involved in a number of the sport's facets, made arrangements to present what would be called the 1st Annual MARC Times Tri-State Gold Cup Invitational scheduled for Friday September 3rd at the Hartford Fairgrounds Speedway in Hartford, Michigan. Competitors were invited from various speed venues across the region bringing together the top Late Model Stock Car talent from Northern Indiana, Ohio and lower Michigan. Flint, Michigan's Jack Goodwin, representing Auto City Speedway in the eastern part of the Wolverine State, would capture the win in the 50 lap match race before a well entertained audience. The popularity of the event saw Beebe continue his MARC Times Invitationals at speedways throughout the entire region, usually competed as mid-week high dollar specials bringing together the top talents of the day. Through the 1960's and early 70's John Marcum's ARCA short track circuit would add invitational events into the mix endorsed by Beebe's MARC Times promotions. They are also listed in our findings below. These popular events would carry on through the 1970's and into the 1980's while competed across a five state area (Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania). The Beebes have both been inducted into the Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame for their many years of hard work and dedication to the sport. The memories of their MARC Times Invitationals will be long remembered as the birth of never before staged special Late Model Stock Car invitationals in Midwest racing history.