Outlaw Motor Speedway announced that veteran promoter Dan King will take over the reins for the dirt oval in Oktaha, Oklahoma.
Track owner Gary Clay had built the track in 2003, sold it in 2008, and bought it back in 2020. The “Muskogee Phoenix” reported in 2022 that out-of-state investors had bought Outlaw Motor Speedway, with no plans to operate it as a racetrack. Those plans have since changed.
“We have decided not to sell the track or bring any investors on board that may jeopardize the future of the racing facility,” Clay said in a statement on Facebook. “We want to ensure that the track will always remain a racetrack for future generations to enjoy.”
Clay, who is battling cancer, will focus on his health while King will operate the track.
“Outlaw Motor Speedway is a great facility,” said King, of Springdale, Arkansas. “Gary built Outlaw Motor Speedway the right way, for sure — he spared no expense. The facilities are very nice. There are VIP boxes with private bathrooms and a wait staff. The grandstands and concessions are great. The catchfence looks like it does at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland [Missouri].”
King has a long history in the sport. He started racing as a pure stock driver before working at the now-defunct Thunder Valley Speedway in Fayetteville, Arkansas. From there, King went to flag at Arrowhead Speedway in Colcord, Oklahoma, and then served as its promoter. After that he promoted Tri-State Speedway in Pocola, Oklahoma.
King also founded the Race Car Parade & Car Show that benefits Arkansas Children’s Hospital Northwest in Springdale, Arkansas.
“The race cars parade around the hospital to the delight of the children and the hospital staff,” King said. “We started the program three years ago, and last year we raised $7,800.”
At Outlaw Motor Speedway, King added that they plan to add more clay to the track surface and grade it with a laser-guided grader.
The track will run unsanctioned, on Friday nights, with a season opener slated for May and practice days planned beforehand. Rules are currently being worked on.
“We are putting together a great program for 2024,” said King. “We will have an aggressive payout for our divisions — one of the best in the region. The idea is to reward our local drivers for supporting Outlaw Motor Speedway. We will be working with Tri-State Speedway, an hour away, which races on Saturday, to coordinate a couple of two-day events.”
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
