Bill Lupinos discusses his new dirt track – Richmond Raceway

Bill Lupinos: “It’s a dream come true.”

Bill Lupinos and his wife Stacy just purchased a race track. Their 3/10 mile dirt track is located in Richmond, KY.

The Lupinos’ family are current residents of Federal Way, Washington. 2,433 miles away, they have a race track waiting for them, with their name on it.

You ask, how does that work? Bill is in the process of taking early retirement from his current job at PepsiCo Chilled DSD. In 2018, he will be transitioning his life, to fulfill his dream in the racing industry.

Will Richmond Raceway be managed, hands on by the family? Or will it be run by a management team that you put in place?

“We are relocating to Kentucky in early February,” Bill Lupinos told RacingNews.co. “I will be a very hands on owner/promoter, it is a dream come true.”

Dirt track sold
Richmond Raceway – Dirt Track

Is this your first venture as a promoter? Why did you choose the Kentucky track?

“Yes, I am definitely a rookie.”

a track like that should never close

-Bill Lupinos

“I see regularly, tracks closing, which is just awful for the sport I love. Richmond has been running for 51 consecutive years, a track like that should never close. We saw a lot of opportunities there, a solid history and it is in a beautiful part of the country.”

“The interactions I’ve been having daily with drivers and fans since the press release has made me realize my feelings were correct about the love for the track.”

Are you going to run a weekly show? Or are you going the newly common route of specials only?

“We are definitely running weekly, Saturday night. Late Models will be the headliner. Modifieds, Super Stocks and 4 cylinders will round out the program, identical to 2017.”

“We have two $10,000 to win events set, the Mike Roland Memorial in May and of course the Butterball in August. I have some meetings set next week to work on a few other possible events. The majority of the schedule will be released Friday December 15 at the awards banquet.”

“I do understand some tracks going with specials only as it makes sense with a lot of weekend competition in some areas. I feel at Richmond we have the local support to maintain the weekend schedule.”

Richmond, KY is in the heart of the dirt track capital of the United States. I made that unpredictable discovery last fall. The area is filled with dirt tracks.

Why? Because the area is also infested with dirt racers, they are everywhere. While driving down the back roads in that area, I was peeking into the open garages as I drove passed, something I think we all do. The conclusion, there’s an odd number of garages with race cars inside.

If any area can support weekly shows, it’s this one.

Richmond Raceway dirt racing track
Richmond Raceway – dirt racing track

What did you do before this?

“I am currently the Zone Sales Leader for PepsiCo Chilled DSD in the Seattle market,” Lupinos explains the specific zone sells and distributes Tropicana and Naked Juice.”

“I lead a sales team of 14. I have been with them for just about 15 years. Before moving to Seattle for this promotion, I worked in Midtown Manhattan.”

“My zone is closing as my products and 493 customers are moving to the general Pepsi side of the company. So, with that closure I am taking early retirement and chasing my dream.”

Do you have any upgrade plans for the race track complex, now or in the future?

“Not a lot we can do for the upcoming season, with us not arriving until February. We want to install new track lighting ASAP, just not sure if it will be in time for this season. There will be some painting and general refreshing this season.”

“The 5 year (or less plan) is new bathrooms and definitely new grandstands. Hoping to add some fresh cut french fries to the concession stands within the next 2 years as well.”

Do you remember the moment that you became infected with the racing bug?

“I was 6 when I attended a regular Saturday night show at Lebanon Valley Speedway in NY. My dad worked there and I never missed a race until I left for the US Army. I had the dirt bug right away. Even now living in Washington we travel to Eldora, Montana and Charlotte for racing.”

Have you ever raced yourself?

“I have never personally raced so this upcoming venture is as close as I can come to living my dream.”

Related: Richmond Raceway sold

Related: Richmond Raceway for sale

LINKS

Richmond Raceway

Categories

Tags