ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – One of Alaska’s pioneering racing legends died Sunday at the age of 85.
Earl Lackey, owner of Alaska Raceway Park in Palmer, was “instrumental” in building the racing facility into the operation it is today, according to the racetrack’s Facebook page, which honored the legacy of Lackey on Sunday.
Calling Lackey the “Father of Speed,” the racetrack’s official page said Earl and the Lackey family have devoted their lives to the facility since the mid-1990s, when the track was just a 1/4-mile drag strip for racing enthusiasts.
Named Polar Dragway when it opened in 1964, the venue has been rebuilt over the years into a racing mecca in the state of Alaska.
The land was expanded to include a 1/3-mile paved oval that was built to NASCAR regional track standards, which hosted its first racing in 2016.
Through that time was Lackey and his family, which oversaw the growth of the facility.
“His impact on Alaskan motorsports is immeasurable, and his dedication to politics, church, family, shooting, and community ran just as deep,” the post read.
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