In regard to Rockcastle Speedway, track owner Dwayne Harris posted on Facebook, “Thinking of selling or leasing this beauty.” He said he was merely testing the waters, but he wanted to make clear racing will continue at the Kentucky dirt oval.
“First things first, The Rock isn’t shutting down — that’s not what is happening,” Harris said. “I am simply seeing if there is an offer out there from a person that may make it an even better place than it already is.”
Harris works a full-time job as a manager for a tool-and-die company. He also manages rental property. Then, add on top of all that Rockcastle Speedway, which Harris has owned for the past three seasons. To say he has his hands full may be an understatement.
“I felt this season that I did not have the time to run the facility to the best of my ability,” said Harris. “There was a lot to take care of, from the facility upkeep to mowing the grass to track prep — all between race dates. If someone can take The Rock to the next level and make it even better, I’m all for it.”
Harris said he started with a good program when he took over the track. He then grew it, with car counts averaging in the 90s, Harris said.
“I worked on building up a good base program,” Harris said. “Not a lot of big shows, but a lot of Saturday shows geared towards the weekend warriors.”
The facility, built in 1980, features a grandstand with capacity for 1800, plus concession stands, a control center, four VIP suites and a screened-in eating area. If someone interested in purchasing or leasing the track comes forward, Harris said he’ll help train or mentor his successor. Harris declined publicly mentioning the asking price for a lease or purchase of Rockcastle Speedway.
“If someone wants to make an offer, so be it,” said Harris. “If they don’t want to, that’s okay, too. We will continue racing. I’m just seeing if someone wants Rockcastle Speedway more than I do.”
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.
