While some tracks rely only on specials and the visitors that come with it, Wartburg Speedway focuses on its local community. As a result, the Wartburg, Tennessee, clay oval typically draws good crowds, despite only 900-plus people within the city’s confines. This Saturday, the locals will be in for a treat. The American All-Star Series Presented by PPM Racing Products will come into town.
Promoter Raymond Shepard has raced and worked at several Tennessee tracks, including the now-defunct Atomic Motor Speedway, I-75 Raceway outside of Sweetwater, Mountain View Raceway in Spring City, and Wartburg. His work experience comes in the construction trade. Shepard put that to use with several improvements he’s made to Wartburg Speedway since taking it over in 2016. However, the crowds Wartburg Speedway attracts comes mostly from Shepard simply being a good neighbor.
“We try to give back to the community,” Shepard said. “I donate to the schools, to the sports — basketball, football. I sponsor a lot of things in that area that I don’t ever mention.”
Shepard may not toot his horn on the charitable works he does in the community of Wartburg, but the locals feel the track’s presence and his love for the city.
“The community there, they support it,” said Shepard. “That’s why it’s a good weekly racing track.”
This Saturday, May 7, the American All-Stars Presented by PPM Racing Products rolls into Wartburg Speedway. Three natives of Knoxville, Tennessee — located less than an hour away from Wartburg — lead the points, with Hayden Cardwell in first, Zach Sise in second, and Trevor Sise in third. (For more on Hayden Cardwell’s team owner, read “Rusty Webb Knows How to Spot Talent”.)
However, the 3/8-mile Wartburg Speedway offers a challenge to the most experienced drivers in the area.
“It’s hard to come to Wartburg Speedway the first time and just walk the dog with them,” Shepard said. “There have been some that have done that, but many struggle a bit. It’s different than any track around. It’s a bit sandy [more so than other area tracks]. There will be a berm up top, a foot off the wall, and that’s what they’ll be bouncing off of. Some will get on the bottom.”
Read that as action-packed. A track for the brave. And, a track for that throws veterans for a loop. That creates an unpredictable night. That’s what keeps the locals, and those in the know from farther away, coming back for more.
Outside Groove Note of Transparency: Outside Groove is a sponsor of the American All-Star Series. The American All-Star Series paid for the production of this article. The content is not subject to the approval of the American All-Star Series.
The Outside Groove Executive Editor has covered motorsports since 2000. His many awards include the 2019 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Jim Hunter Writer of the Year and the 2013 Russ Catlin Award for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism.
