Mark Ebert, owner of the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience, has entered into an agreement with Bobby Hill and the ownership group of Lonesome Pine Raceway to purchase the raceway.
The parties have agreed to a brief lease period with a closing date in the first quarter of 2023.
“We are really excited to get to work at Lonesome Pine Raceway,” Ebert said. “This came together fast. We’ve only been working on this for a little over a week with Bobby and his group. I have to say that when we first came to LPR we were really impressed by the condition of the track and the work that Bobby and his team have put into the speedway.”
Concessions have been redone, the restrooms and VIP area are first-rate. With a little investment and some elbow grease, the racing surface is going to be outstanding.
Ebert and the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience will now manage Lonesome Pine Raceway and Motor Mile Speedway.
“When we started at Motor Mile Speedway two years ago, we inherited an amazing facility with so much potential, and we see that same potential here at Lonesome Pine,” Rusty Wallace said.
“I’ve learned so much at Motor Mile the last two years. There were certainly a few missteps along the way, but the experience and growth has been invaluable to me. The staff here at MMS is top notch. I’ve learned to trust them to bring MMS back to where it belongs. We have fallen in love with this area and the community here. The support we’ve received has us really encouraged for the future.”
“Although I still have plenty to improve on, we feel like we have great momentum going into 2023. Adding Lonesome Pine is going to make us better at both tracks,” Wallace said. “When Mark and I first got together with the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience over ten years ago, we talked short-track racing before we ever talked business. It’s a passion that runs deep for us both and through our whole team. You see that passion in our short track Late Model program and
you’ll soon see it at Lonesome Pine. I’m excited for the racetrack and Rusty Wallace Racing Experience. It’s going to be great watching Lonesome Pine come back to life in 2023.”
Incoming Lonesome Pine Raceway track President Jeff Roark said, “First of all, I’m really happy to be coming home to ‘The Pine.” There’s a great foundation here, but there’s a lot of work to do to be ready for spring. We plan to run a full slate of asphalt racing on the oval and continue with the dirt go-kart track. Rusty Wallace Racing Experience will be moving into the race shop, and we’ll have a full schedule for the driving experiences here. We’re also working on a bunch of new ideas, and we would encourage fans to watch FaceBook for some exciting announcements,” Roark said.
Bobby Hill said the decision to sell Lonesome Pine was difficult for his entire family.
“We put a lot of time, effort, and money into the track. When Mark and the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience team came to us with their plans and vision, we knew this was the future for the track and the community that we were looking for. We’re excited for the future of Lonesome Pine, and we’ll be in the stands next year to watch the races,” Hill said.
The Rusty Wallace Racing Experience runs at over 70 racetracks nationwide.
