Gaston County Shrine Club

09/17/2026

09/15/2026

The Gaston County Shrine Club mourns the loss of a true friend of the Shrine 100 and of racing throughout the Carolinas, Duane Goins.

For generations of race fans, Duane was one of the unmistakable voices of local short-track racing. But to the Gaston County Shrine Club, he was much more than a voice behind a microphone. He was part of the history and legacy of the Shrine 100 at Carolina Speedway.

Duane announced at least 19 Shrine 100 races over the years and devoted countless hours to helping promote, plan and preserve the history of an event that has now been a Gaston County tradition for more than half a century. His contributions to Carolina Speedway and local racing were recognized with his induction into the Carolina Speedway Hall of Fame in 2021.

His reputation extended far beyond Gastonia. Legendary racer Freddy Smith once described Duane as about the best announcer they had in those days, and other announcers have said they learned their craft by listening to Duane. Racer Ricky Weeks remembered that Duane didn’t simply call a race; he knew the drivers, the cars, the tracks and their history.

But perhaps one story explains best why Duane’s connection to the Shrine 100 meant so much.

Duane once recalled announcing a Shrine 100 when a family approached the tower about a child who needed help. He contacted Shriner Bob Harwell, who met with the family that night. According to Duane, before lunchtime the following day, that child was receiving care at a Shriners hospital in Greenville. That moment stayed with him, and it speaks to what this race has always been about.

Duane loved automobiles from the time he was a little boy. He raced them, built them, announced them and spent a lifetime surrounded by the sights, sounds and people of motorsports. Through it all, he became affectionately known as “The Mouth of the South.”

For those of us at the Gaston County Shrine Club, his voice will forever be woven into the sounds of Carolina Speedway and the history of the Shrine 100.

We extend our deepest condolences to Duane’s family, his friends, and the entire racing community.

Rest easy, Duane. Thank you for helping tell our story, and for being such an important part of it.

09/14/2026

A Look Back at the Beginning of the Gaston County Shrine Club👇🏻

As we continue digging into the history of our club, we’ve uncovered some incredible pieces of our past, including documentation that helps tell the story of how the Gaston County Shrine Club began.

The first article reports on the organization of the Gaston County Shrine Club in 1944, when Gaston County members of Oasis Temple gathered with the purpose of promoting fellowship among local Shriners. At the time, there were more than 100 Shriners living in Gaston County, with approximately 70 attending that organizational meeting.

The club’s first officers included Noble J.C. Roberts of Gastonia as President and Noble Coit M. Robinson of Lowell as Vice President. Those in attendance even collected $120 for the Hospital Endowment Fund, showing that service and support of the Shrine’s mission were part of this club from its very beginning.

The second photograph takes us to August 1948, at a Gaston County Shrine Club dinner meeting. Pictured are Oasis and Gaston County Shrine Club leaders of the era, including Club President Howard Houser of Cherryville and Vice President Jimmy Haynes of Cramerton.

These old newspaper clippings are more than interesting photographs. They are pieces of a story that generations of Gaston County Shriners have continued writing through fellowship, service, and brotherhood.

Our history didn’t begin with us, but it’s ours to preserve and pass on.

If anyone has old photographs, newspaper clippings, programs, membership records, or stories involving the Gaston County Shrine Club, we would love to hear from you. There is still much more of our history waiting to be rediscovered.

09/08/2026

Nobles,

Our September meeting will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, September 9th.

Social – 6:00 PM
Meal – 6:30 PM
Meeting – 7:30 PM

In addition to our regular business, we’ll have an educational presentation and discussion regarding some recently discovered history of the Gaston County Shrine Club.

We’ve uncovered information that helps fill in some gaps in our club’s story, and we’re looking forward to sharing it with everyone and hearing from some of our longtime members as we continue putting that history together.

Come enjoy a good meal, good fellowship, and learn a little more about where our club came from.

Hope to see everyone there!

08/30/2026

Only took us 54 years, but we finally made it 🤣🤣

With Carolina Speedway – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

08/29/2026

A Sneak Peek Into the History of the Gaston County Shrine Club

I’ve been doing a pretty deep dive into the history of the Gaston County Shrine Club, going through old newspapers, photographs and records to piece together a story that goes back to the club’s organization in 1944.

These two pieces are a great example of what I’ve been finding.

In 1954, the Gaston County Shrine Club sponsored the King Bros. Circus at Sims Legion Park in Gastonia as a fundraiser. A short time later, representatives of the club traveled to the “Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children” (now referred to as Shriners Children’s) in Greenville, S.C., where they presented a $1,500 check from the proceeds of the circus.

The photograph includes then-President T. Ray Kaneer, along with John M. Howard, Ill Sir J. Sid Winget, Bob Smith and Elmore Thomas.

It’s one thing to see a list of names and dates. It’s another to uncover the stories behind them and see that, more than 70 years ago, Gaston County Shriners were doing exactly what we continue to do today: enjoying the fellowship of the Shrine while working together to help children.

This is only a small glimpse of what I’ve uncovered so far. There is a lot more history to tell—and apparently a few mysteries that don’t intend to give up easily.

More to come.