When you mention the Corpron name to sports fans in the Flathead Valley, auto racing, track championships and Hall of Fame membership are three things that immediately come to mind.

It’s a family with deep roots in the speed sport and one that also enjoys a rich history on the track.

Tony Corpron of Kalispell says the family has “been racing for 50 years at least” on dirt or high-banked quarter-mile asphalt ovals from Arizona and California to Montana and the Pacific Northwest.

“A family thing,” he said of auto racing.

“Our family has been racing forever. It started with my uncle Laverne Corpron in the 1960s.”

Laverne raced on dirt at Bill’s Speedway, appropriately nicknamed the Dust Bowl, in 1952. Local racing historian Mike Thoennes said that track was at the current Village Greens Golf Course location.

Laverne raced the following year south of town near Carpenter’s Arena. That raceway was simply called the Speedway.

Years later, Laverne’s sons — Bruce and Jay — continued the tradition. Both were track champions at Montana Raceway Park.

Bruce is a also member of the Northwest Montana Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame.

Tony and his brothers — Thane and Chance — were just as active, mainly racing on dirt.

“That’s all we talked about,” Tony said.

“We thought we were all great at it. Some of us were pretty good. Some weren’t so good, but we sure had fun doing it.”

Tony remains active in the sport. He now works in the pits on race day for his three sons — Tyler is 25, Trevor, 19, and Tristan, 16.

He also handles the publicity and other behind the scene aspects of the sport so his sons can concentrate on racing.

All three will be on the track tonight at Montana Raceway Park for the 11th annual Legend Thunder, a national qualifying race for the Pro Division.

“I pace a lot when I’m down there,” Tony said in the pits.

“I get a little nervous.”

His wife Tracey also never misses a race. She watches from the stands with family and friends.

“It’s really exciting,” she said of watching her sons in action.

“I bring a lot of Tums.”

Tyler has been racing for seven years. He spent his first season behind the wheel in Hobby Stocks, and the last six racing Legend cars. He was the MRP Semi Pro track champ and the Montana State Semi Pro champ in 2005.

Tyler was the Montana State Pro champ in 2009 and the MRP Pro track champ in 2011.

In three races this season, he has one victory and two runner-up finishes.

In addition to competing in the Pro Legends division, he also races Super Stocks.

“We’re doing double duty,” he said this year.

“I love the Legend cars. They are probably the most technical to drive. They like to spin out all the time. They have such a short wheel base.”

Tyler is currently tied with his brother Trevor for second place in the points standings at MRP.

“I want to win a championship in both (Legends and Super Stocks),” he said.

“I don’t know if it’s ever been done.”

“That’s a pretty lofty goal,” Tony said.

Marie Auclair, co-track manager at MRP, says she can’t remember a driver ever winning two track championships in the same season.

“That would be cool (if Tyler accomplished that),” she said.

“A few have tried, but to run well in both is tough.”

Auclair says the other driver at MRP pulling double duty this season is Wrango West. He’s in Legends and Super Late Models.

“Not many do that anymore,” Auclair said.

“There used to be a lot more. Because of expense and time, not anymore. Having one car can be very consuming time wise and financially.”

“Right now, I like ’em both,” Tyler said of the Legends and Super Stocks.

“Both have completely different disciplined driving styles.”

Tyler says he will race both cars tonight. It will be the sixth time he does so this season at the track.

“I was fine,” he said of doing double duty previously.

“You have to drink a lot of fluids.”

Trevor is competing for a second season in the Semi Pro Division.

His racing career began at age 14 in Bandoleros, where he was named a track and Northwest Speed Week champion.

He was also named Rookie of the Year, Driver of the Year and Most Improved Driver.

“The thrill of it all,” Trevor says of what he enjoys the most.

Tristan started racing Bandoleros when he was 13. He was named Most Improved Driver and Rookie of the Year his first season.

He was a rookie that year in the Legends.

“It’s all because of them,” Trevor said of his sponsors, which helps foot the bill for his racing expenses.

“And my dad and brothers.”

“Expense is the biggest thing in racing,” Tony said.

“When you have great sponsors like we do, it makes it all possible.”

Tony said McDonald’s (Hadwin family) headlines a long list of financial backers for his three sons. Express Employment, Lin-X, Cafe Max, DePratu, Napa of Columbia Falls, Kalispell and Whitefish, Army-Navy, Hilton Garden Inn, Alpine Storage, Smart Insurance, Flathead Health and Fitness, Corpron and Corpron Construction, Pepsi-Cola, Bolster’s Towing, The Monster (radio station) and Mountain Meadow Auto Body are the other key financial players.

To thank their backers, Tony and his sons run a full page ad in the MRP program and a six month ad at the movie theatre.

“Nobody does that,” Tony said.

“Nobody.

“We’re the most professional race team out there,” he said.

“We try to be. I think we are.”

Racing has become such a family passion that Tony wanted to share it with everyone. So he took a reality TV idea to Hollywood recently with the title Growing Up Fast.

“We had several studios down there that were interested,” he said.

“The funding just wasn’t there for it. They don’t have money to go out and make new shows.”

Tony said Disruptive Studios “liked it. Just didn’t have any funding to get it produced.”