City seeks to continue racing at Lawrenceburg Speedway
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The mayor of Lawrenceburg says the city wants to continue racing at the Lawrenceburg Speedway following the recent announcement that the track’s promoters plan to step away.
Dave and Kim Rudisell, who have run the speedway since 2007, announced on social media earlier this month that they will retire from racing at the end of the current season in October.
Mayor Kelly Mollaun said the city is already looking for a new promoter to continue the track’s storied tradition, which dates back to 1950.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Mollaun praised the work of the Rudisells to keep racing at the track a much-loved community asset.
“They’ve been there for 17 years, which is a very long time for a promoter to be involved in the racing industry,” Mollaun said. “I’ll tell you, they’ve been nothing but very, very good partners for the city of Lawrenceburg, and I can attest for the last eight years that I’ve been mayor, that they have done nothing but good things for Lawrenceburg Speedway and for the city of Lawrenceburg.”
The venue is located on U.S. 50 near I-275, about 100 miles southeast of Indianapolis, and features a 3/8ths-mile high banked clay oval track. The speedway hosts a variety of races, including the USAC Sprint Cars Fall Nationals in October.
In a post on Facebook on Aug. 10, the Rudisells said racing and entertainment has changed dramatically over the last few years.
“Lawrenceburg Speedway is a massive facility that takes a huge staff and has always been a 24/7/365 endeavor,” the Rudisells said in their statement. “This pace is no longer sustainable for us. As time as passed, and, as we have gotten older, our priorities have changed.”
The track is owned by the city but leased to the promoter. Mollaun said the city has already begun the process of searching for a new operator to step in.
“We understand the importance of the speedway to our community, and also the racing world,” he said. “People have been coming to Lawrenceburg Speedway for years, and we want to continue that. We’re we’re doing our due diligence to try to find the right promoter, and we want to make sure that the Lynchburg Speedway doesn’t miss a beat.”
The mayor did not provide an estimated time frame for finding a new promoter, which he said is a difficult process.
“We just want to make sure we find the right combination of people or person to carry on the legacy that [the Rudisells] had for the last 17 years,” he said.
The USAC Sprint Cars Fall Nationals will be the final race under the Rudisells’ leadership set for Oct. 7.
The current promoters say all gift cards issued since 2007 will expire on that date, and information on the sale of operations, track and kitchen equipment will be provided at a later date.