Watching from the tower that overlooks the start/finish line is the man responsible for bringing weekly auto racing back to the Model City after a long absence. Robert Pressley once drove on NASCAR’s elite level, piloting a Cup Series entry for the better part of a decade. But the vision of bringing racing back to Kingsport — where he watched his dad Bob race during the track’s heyday — compelled Pressley to try his hand at track promotion near the end of 2010.
The challenges have been numerous in Pressley’s first season and a half at the helm, but the opportunity to watch a community rally around the speedway has made it all worthwhile.
“It’s been a dream,” Pressley said. “We’re doing it with the local people, making it happen. We’ve got other racetracks that are really paying attention to what we’re doing here.”
What has happened at Kingsport Speedway under Pressley’s watch has been nothing short of amazing. On the track, the action has been fast and furious from the time the green flag fell on opening day back in the spring of 2011. With the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Models leading the charge, an old-school brand of racing that is almost extinct on the glistening stage occupied by the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is alive and well in Kingsport.
Drivers like Nate Monteith, Daniel Pope, Zeke Shell, Lee Tissot and Blake Jones battle for the win nearly every week, creating plenty of drama as they beat and bang their way to the finish line.
Monteith, a Blountville native who won the track championship last season, has become a polarizing figure among the fans because of his frequent trips to victory lane.
“Nobody wants to see the same guy win all the time,” Monteith said. “I’ve got some haters going on, but that’s good for it. You’ve gotta get that buzz for the track for the drama that keeps everything going.
“That keeps people coming in and keeps everyone wanting to come back the next week to see what happens.”
Pressley is well aware that the product he has on his hands is a proven winner among many race fans around the area. A sea of empty seats at another tame Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway back in March sent a clear message — fans want to see the sort of drama Kingsport produces on a regular basis.
“I hate to say it, because I am a NASCAR (sanctioned) racetrack, but it is helping us tremendously ,” Pressley said. “With all the little quirks NASCAR is working on to make things better, with Bristol Speedway redoing their racetrack to make it more action packed for the fans, our fans are sitting here saying, ‘We would rather come here than the big race.’ ”
But the impact of Pressley’s endeavor extends beyond the realm of auto racing. Several of the businesses located near the track along John B. Dennis Highway have seen an influx of cash since the speedway reopened.
“Two gas stations, four restaurants — every one of them says their business on Friday night has about tripled,” Pressley said. “The IGA grocery store said they can tell the nights we race from the nights we don’t race.”
With the implementation of Thursday practice sessions this season, drivers are coming to the area two nights a week and further expanding the economic impact of Kingsport Speedway.
Now that Pressley’s vision is becoming a reality, he’s looking ahead for ways to keep the positive momentum going. When Pressley made the decision to reopen the track, he was told by many people in the racing world just how demanding the life of a track promoter can be.
But when he considers the sacrifices his staff makes to put on a successful show each week, Pressley can’t help but marvel at how far Kingsport Speedway has come.
“Everything is a lot better than we ever anticipated it being for the first two years,” Pressley said. “I have the best staff around. Everyone stays on the same page.
“They want to make this racetrack work.”
