The Owensboro-Daviess County Motorsports Festival returns to Owensboro for the first time 13 years for a celebration of racing and community. The three-day festival will feature races and fun for the whole family.
Events will kick-off 5 p.m. Friday at Windy Hollow Raceway. On Saturday, the Owensboro SportsCenter will host a family fun day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The festival will wrap up with a county-wide race event at Kentucky Motor Speedway on Sunday after “old-school racer’s” breakfast at Windy Hollow Restaurant Sunday morning.
The Owensboro Museum of Fine Art is also hosting a Motorsports Art Camp Saturday in conjunction with the festival. During the family fun days, kids are encouraged to come out a paint a car.
ODC Motorsports Council secretary Wes LuAllen said people should come out to see an amazing weekend of racing and get to meet and greet with all their favorite drivers.
With Owensboro’s rich history in racing with families like the Greens, Waltrips and the Haydens, the council wants to bring this tradition back to the community and introduce new fans to the sport.
The family fun day Saturday is one way to get new and old fans together in one place. There will be a driver meet-and-greet, simulators, iRacing, educational seminars and events for children. Local car clubs like Eyeballerz and Sunset Cruisers will also have classic cars on display for visitors.
“We’ve always felt strongly about education and helping people learn more about how there is much more to racing than just making left turns,” LuAllen said.
The relaunch of the festival is thanks to festival council members Nathan Conway, Blake Smith and LuAllen. The board is comprised of many recognizable names in local racing- Jimmy Westerfield, Army Armstrong, Paul Dornburg, Tim Banks and Steve Johnson.
“It’s an excellent time to learn about a sport that has deep roots in our part of the world and to learn more about the sport,” LuAllen said. “We are excited to be able to be part of the community and we hope that anyone that’s never been to a racing event before can come on down and meet and greet people who love this sport.”
