3/25/2013
Willamette Speedway
Getting Up To Speed With…Chris Nofziger
Getting Up To Speed With…Chris Nofziger
By Ben Deatherage
He’s the first to show up and will most likely be the last guy to leave. On a race night you will see Chris Nofziger direct a race, hand out trophies, water the track, and much more throughout the evening making sure fans get the most enjoyable experience they can. Since 2011 he has been the General Manager at Lebanon, Oregon’s Willamette Speedway and is looking forward to the upcoming season at the famed 1/3-mile clay oval.
Employee Name: Chris Nofziger
Title: General Manager
Facility: Willamette Speedway
Hometown: Lebanon, Oregon
Years Worked: 10
Age: 29
Well Chris you survived 2012 and are now looking at the upcoming season. What are you looking for most in 2013? Personally that the season will start like normal and they we just open up the gates and begin everything. Last year we were still doing construction up until the first race of 2012.
This season the Super Sport division will be returning after a brief hiatus. What has been the feedback for that? It’s been pretty good. We received a lot of input from drivers and meshed their suggestions together to make this class as affordable as possible.
Would you have you ever imagined say ten years ago that you would be running one of the most famous race tracks on the Pacific Coast? Definitely not. I had a feeling I would have been involved somehow with Willamette Speedway but not in the position I am in now. It’s unexplainable I never would have dreamed this place would look the way it does and I would never have thought that I would be running the place.
Last year Willamette Speedway had more Sprint Car races than it has ever had in quite some time. Being that it is traditionally a “Stock Car” track were fans glad to have the big groups come in? For the most part yes. There are a lot of Sprint Car fans that come regularly to our weekly shows. But we also draw a lot of fans from different tracks that love seeing them at this track. They put on some great racing last year and I’m looking forward to seeing them back this year.
Over the off season your life got a little busier with you and your wife Ashley had your second child. As a father of a young family and the demand of managing a top flight track how difficult is it to squeeze in family time? In the summer time it is very difficult. But fortunately I live close to the track so it isn’t too bad if I have to swing by the house for a minute. I usually get to have dinner with them and put them to bed. I have a wonderful and understanding wife and she brings the family out to the track and we try and have lunch together when we can.
Often I’ve called you the busiest man at Willamette Speedway. On average how long do you spend at the track on a race night? Typically on a one day show I up at five or six in the morning and won’t leave until one or two at night. Sometimes it varies and can be as much as twenty-four hours for one race.
Are all the renovations complete at Willamette or are there a couple of other things that fans can be looking forward to? There are a couple of things that will be working on. Of course the women’s restrooms are a major one. We also will be planting green grass in the infield to control the dust.
Out of all the racing schedules in the Northwest it appears as if Willamette is the busiest. Correct?
Yes. We have so many drivers that have this place their home track. We try and give them the most races they can have while also fitting in shows for touring groups also.
The Willamette Speedway is just weeks away from opening the 2013 campaign. On Saturday March 30th at the Heritage Mall in Albany there will be a car show with many of the cars that will compete put on display. A Test and Tune play date will occur at the track on April 6th while the first race of the year will take place on the 13th. Overall the venue has well over thirty-plus events on hand with regular point action consisting of the DIRTcar Super Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, Super Sports, Sportsman, Street Stocks, and Mini Truck classifications. To keep up to date on all information regarding Willamette Speedway be sure and check out their revamped website at www.trophymotorsports.com.
Submitted By: Ben Deatherage