NASCAR Home Tracks Alaska Raceway Park

racing since 2016.

“We are the only NASCAR track in Alaska and we have people who travel from all over the state to come down here to race and to spectate,” said Michelle Lackey Maynor, the track’s general manager. “Everybody has such a good time and they all play a unique role in the facility, whether they are fans, racers or employees. The family aspect of what we are doing – the community we are growing – is the most rewarding thing for me.”

Opened in 1964, Alaska Raceway Park originally featured only a quarter-mile drag strip. The facility was purchased by Earl and Karen Lackey in 1997, and they eventually carved the oval track from land adjacent to the NHRA-sanctioned drag strip.

The oval track’s schedule features 10 points races between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

shadow of Pioneer Peak, a 6,398-foot mountain that provides one of the most unique backdrops in motorsports.

“Across the country we have a lot of people who follow us on social media just because it is such a picturesque race track,” Maynor said. “You drive into turn three and your headed straight for Pioneer Peak, and it’s a view no other track – that I’m aware of – has.”

unique situation for Alaska Raceway Park.

“We don’t have to have lights,” Maynor noted. “I walked over to the race track last night (8/2) and I think sunset was about 10:30. Heat races start at 6 and we aim to be finished around 9. The very last race of the season, depending on cloud cover, we sometimes have to shut down early because it gets a little bit dark.”

family to Alaska during the early 1980s.

“My older brother, Jimmy, started drag racing at the track around 1986 and we’ve grown up at the track,” said Maynor. “When we lived in Wisconsin back in the day, my dad used to race at Road America, so he’s been involved in motorsports his whole life. It’s something he passed down to us and now we are passing it on to our kids.”

charitable foundation – the Erik Jones Foundation.

The goal of the Erik Jones Foundation is three-fold: ignite children’s passion for reading; encourage early cancer detection and care; and promote animal welfare. All hold special meaning for Jones.

The 25-year-old racer is an avid reader and has been since childhood. Cancer detection and care have been a priority for Jones since his father, Dave, succumbed to the disease in 2016. And animal welfare is paramount, as Jones has grown up with pets, and his German shepherd, Oscar, is regularly by his side.

“The experiences I’ve had growing up shaped what my Foundation is about,” Jones said. “I really enjoy reading, but with all the technology kids have available to them today, the joy of just sitting down with a good book is getting lost. I want to change that.

“Obviously, losing my dad to cancer was hard – and it still is – but it’s made me so mindful of how important early detection is, because the sooner you diagnose it, the more options you have for treatment.

“And I do love animals, and all the pets I’ve had meant a lot to me. I want to do what I can to ensure they’re enjoying healthy and happy lives, too.”

and assist heroes and their families, this time, giving back to local heroes in the Michigan military community through various initiatives during a race weekend visit to NASCAR driver and Checkered Flag Foundation founder Brad Keselowski’s home state.

The programs focused on supporting servicemen and servicewomen in their transition to civilian life and were activated through the Foundation’s longstanding partnerships with Black Paw Canine and the Fisher House Foundation.

The weekend featured a special Hero’s Homecoming presentation at Michigan International Speedway where Keselowski and the Foundation awarded their fourth service canine to a deserving veteran through their Service Dog Fund. Keselowski joined Black Paw Canine owner and lead trainer Ben Brockway in presenting service canine and Aussiedoodle Krew to Marine Corps Veteran and Michigan Army National Guard Chaplain Nate Cropsey.

“I’m humbled that we have a chance to help heroes and their families through our Checkered Flag Foundation,” said Keselowski. “It’s even more special when we have a chance to support heroes in mine and Paige’s local communities, and of course for me, that includes my home state of Michigan.”