Illinois veteran gets honorary street named on his 100th birthday

DOLTON, Ill. -- Wayne Adams Sr. is a legend among his neighbors in suburban Dolton, Illinois, where he has resided for nearly 56 years, but now a street name that will carry on his legacy.

On his 100th birthday Monday, Adams Sr. got the gift of his own street.

"I'm so glad it's honoring the man and not honoring the memory," said Jill Adams Russi, Wayne's eldest daughter.

Wayne made a name for himself in the stock car racing world as the voice of Raceway Park from 1947 through 1989, and he can still command a crowd.

At Monday's ceremony, he joked that his doctor questioned the secret to his longevity.

"He said, 'You still smoking and drinking?' And I said 'yeah,' and he said 'Don't quit,'" Adams Sr. said as the crowd around him roared with laughter.

During his career, Adams announced 2,625 racing programs at tracks in seven different states. He's a member of four racing halls of fame.

Wayne outlived the love of his life, Grace, and was emotional in her absence, but was surrounded by his family and friends.

"What he's done in his life has just been, he's done it all right," said Wayne Adams III, his grandson.