Corbin Speedway will return to racing again this spring

Three years after a short-lived attempt at returning racing to the Corbin Speedway, a Casey County duo is taking on the challenge with the goal of hosting events in 2020.

“I have been around racing for about 30 years as a track promoter and racer,” said Joey Pittman, who is working with co-promoter and family member Jason Rayborn to revitalize the historic asphalt track that has been silent since 2017.

“It has a lot of history,” Pittman said of the one-half mile speedway that was once part of the NASCAR circuit and saw the likes of Lee Petty take to the then dirt track in 1954.

Like the previous operator, Jerry Brock, Pittman and Rayborn will be leasing the track from the ownership group that purchased it at a Master Commissioner Auction in 2015.

Pittman said he announced approximately three weeks ago the intention to reopen the track.

“It has been good,” Pittman said of the response on “ The New Corbin Speedway” Facebook page that he established. “A lot of people have reached out to us.”

In addition, Pittman held a meeting Saturday to finalize the racing rules.

“I was expecting 20 or 25 people. We had close to 100 show up,” Pittman said noting he would be posting the rules on the Facebook page this week.

Plans call to run six different classes of cars: late model, sportsman, street stock, modified four cylinder, stock four cylinder, and mini cup.

“We plan on paying prize money from the start,” Pittman said.

In the months leading up to racing, Pittman said there is a significant amount of repair work to perform.

“All of the grandstands will need to be replaced,” Pittman said.

“The restrooms and towers will need to be repaired,” he added. “The main stuff we need is still intact.”

The plan is to begin cleanup and repair work in the next few weeks with the grandstand work to begin in the spring.

“If everything goes well, we hope to be open in April,” Pittman said.

Racing would be scheduled for Saturday nights through early November.

Pittman said with the number of local asphalt tracks declining, the goal is to work with other regional tracks in Virginia and Tennessee to ensure one isn’t stepping on the other.

“We know we are going to have to try to pull cars from other states,” Pittman said.

Pittman said anyone with additional questions may contact him through the speedway’s Facebook page.

Additional information will be made available there as quickly as possible.

“Everything seems positive so far,” Pittman said.