By Allen Gregory
Published: March 12, 2011
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KINGSPORT, Tenn. --
It was revival time Saturday afternoon at Kingsport Speedway and Bill Ledger was the first in line.
From his perch high above the historic oval, the 88-year-old Gate City resident soaked in the sights and sounds at the .375-mile banked concrete oval.
For three months, Ledger worked overtime with former NASCAR racer and current track promoter Robert Pressley preparing for the resumption of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing at a track he helped construct in the early 1960s.
For Ledger, the presence of an estimated 1,000 fans and nearly 60 competitors offered affirmation that weekly racing can prosper again locally.
“I remember when Richard Petty, Dave Marcis and Tiny Lund used to run here,” Ledger said. “I’ve known Robert and his family for years. They’ve grown up with the sport. This place is gonna go again, no doubt about it.”
Nate Monteith, 28, of Bristol, Tenn., led all 60 laps en route to winning the marquee Late Model race. Monteith plans to run in all the Friday night events at Kingsport this season, and he feels that the action will only intensify as more drivers join the fray.
“I heard a lot of good reviews about Kingsport building up to the first race, and it’s awesome,” Monteith said. “It’s great to see all these fans in the stands and all the cars in the tier parking. It looks like the community is really behind this track.”
Duke Bare, who serves as the car chief for Monteith, had extra reason to smile Saturday. Bare competed at Kingsport when the track featured a dirt surface in the 1980s.
“There are a lot of good memories at this place, and I hope this is just the start of more good times,” said Bare, one of the most accomplished and versatile short track racers in the Mountain Empire.
According to Bare, Pressley commands universal respect.
“Robert is a racer and racers love racers,” Bare said. “Judging by the crowd today, he’s doing well. I’m loving this.”
Gary Potter of Johnson City also eagerly anticipated Saturday’s revival. Along with his brother Mike, Gary competed in the Late Model Sportsman races during the glory days of the track in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
“This track has seen so many good racers and races,” said Potter, who also entered five NASCAR Nationwide Series races in 1982-83. “I remember the race when Jimmy Hensley and Brad Teague raced for the lead all night and their cars never touched.”
As NASCAR fans contend with exorbitant rates for lodging, Potter feels that tracks such as Kingsport Speedway offer the perfect alternative.
“Backyard tracks are really where the heart of racing is,” Potter said. “People can’t afford to travel to tracks and pay these outrageous prices.
“The racing here at Kingsport is a really good deal, and I’m tickled to death that Robert is behind this. Robert has been there and done all that in this sport. He knows how to run a track.”
After dealing with a multitude of issues and requests, the weary Pressley watched the Late Model climax from the second level of the pressbox. As he calmly communicated with track officials via radio, Pressley expressed his sense of relief and gratitude.
“This is an unreal feeling,” Pressley said. ‘I’ve really got to thank all my crew who helped me get this get far and thank all the fans for coming out. Those folks don’t know how much I appreciate all this.”
Daniel Pope finished second behind Monteith in the Late Model race, with Lee Tissott of Asheville, N.C., in third. Tissott topped all 13 qualifiers with a lap of 15.344 seconds, while Monteith qualified second.
Lonesome Pine Raceway regular Rob Austin topped the 12-car field in the Street Stock class, while Bristol’s Jeff Woodward won in Chargers and Dean Slagle outlasted 21 other Pure Four competitors.
Abingdon’s Caleb Roark, who hopes to make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut this season at Martinsville, finished eighth among the Late Models.
Saturday was also the opening day for famed short tracks such as Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina and South Boston Speedway in Virginia.
The opening race at LPR in Coeburn, Va., has been set for Saturday April 2.
LPR promoter Harold Crook was at Kingsport Speedway on Saturday.
No fan or official was more delighted late Saturday afternoon then the gregarious Ledger, who smoothed out an electrical problem with the scoreboard Saturday morning.
“I worked my tail off during the rain, wind, snow and cold the past three months for this day,” Ledger said. “That first race is always the most important. Things look good.”
Pressley is hoping to attract several members of the NASCAR community for next Friday’s race at Kingsport.
“Some of my buddies said they are going to come over from Bristol Motor Speedway. We’re hoping to pack this place out,” Pressley said.
