If you want an indication of where pavement oval-track racing is headed, reference this year’s Winchester 400. The event saw an incredible number of spectators, with more than 10,000 in attendance at Winchester Speedway, the third oldest racetrack in America. (Only Indianapolis Motor Speedway and The Milwaukee Mile are older.)
“We did very well this weekend — it was one of our best three-day events in years and years — probably one of the best weekends [track owner] Charlie Shaw has ever had,” said Dan Redmond, Winchester Speedway General Manager. “Our success could be attributed to a combination of multiple efforts.”
Neverending Series of Promotional Events
One factor? Creating a multiday fan experience.
“The Winchester 400 is not just a race, it’s an event,” Redmond said. “We started off with a pre-race party at Amazing Joe’s Steak House. We offered specials all week at local golf courses. People weren’t just dropping off their campers; they were staying all week and more. Several were here 11 days.”
The track sponsored a celebrity pie-eating contest. They held a race car takeover in downtown Winchester at the county courthouse. The Randolph County Sheriff Department and Winchester Police Department escorted a long line of race cars from downtown to Winchester Speedway’s pits.
The track also hosted the Jeffrey Earnhardt Racing Experience. It offered fans a chance to experience the speed and adrenaline rush at the “Fastest Half-mile Track in the World.”
“We had multiple events happening even before the first green flag flew,” said Redmond. “The excitement was building — and people were talking.”
It’s About the People at Winchester Speedway
Redmon also credited Emily McCoy, whose daily social media posts kept the Winchester 400 in people’s thoughts months before it occurred. Winchester Speedway also focused on its employees.
“We set out to show the fans how much we appreciate them, striving for positive attitudes from our more than 90 employees, who are encouraged to show they are having fun at the races, and who make it fun for the fans,” Redmond said. “We want to show the fans we want them here.”
Owner Charlie Shaw encouraged the new management team that took over this season to make improvements in every way possible. Those members included Redmond; his wife, Linda; Steve Vore; Judi and Tom Bigelow; and Randy Crist.
They made facility upgrades, including replacing generators dating back from the 1950s, transformers on the frontstretch and Old Timer’s Pavilion lights. The group installed new Whelen safety lights, and removed the 1970s traffic lights. Then they removed the top of the infield tower to improve sightlines for fans.
Abundant Help from Other Tracks
However, just because you built it, it doesn’t mean folks will come. The Winchester Speedway management team pounded the pavement to promote the track. Vore handed out fliers with $5-off coupons. Other tracks urged its fans and racers to go to the Winchester 400, and others lent additional equipment. Those venues providing help included Anderson Speedway, Angola Motorsport Speedway, ASA STARS National Tour, Jegs/CRA All-Star Tour, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, Owosso Speedway, and even Eldora Speedway.
“This shows how tight the racing community is,” Vore said. “We all work together — that is where it is at. We don’t schedule races on top each other. And we talk to each other; we plan with each other. All of these people, and more, helped get the word out about the 400.”
What’s Next?
Dan Redmond believes the success of the Winchester 400 is an indication of what’s to come for pavement racing and Winchester Speedway.
“I truly believe pavement racing is making a comeback,” Redmond said. “We are going to be even bigger and better next year. We’ve got the American Big Rig Racing Series on the schedule, as well as the Tom Bigelow Showdown for sprint cars. We will never forget what made Winchester Speedway famous, but we will embrace modern technology. The employees of the speedway are a team and a family. The fans know there’s something bigger here than freshly painted buildings and trimmed trees to greet them.”
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.
