| Wednesday, January 7, 2009 | |
Meet Billy Auburn, New Hendry County New Race Director
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HCMP Media
 Billy Ausburn is always moving, and usually Billy is moving fast. That's the style the drivers and crews will get used to seeing when Hendry County Motorsports Park opens under the new ownership in March.
Having a racing brother and some friends involved in racing had always kept him close to the sport.
Billy Ausburn joined the crew at Volusia Speedway 13 years ago helping his friend who operated the tow truck at the time. He hung out each week for a while and developed a desire to wave racing flags, bought himself a set and got his start the next year flagging the DirtCar Nationals.
After over 10 ten years at Volusia, two years ago Billy went to Putnam County Speedway and helped run the track, learning more about track operations.
In 2008, Ocala needed a Race Director and Billy got the call from owner Mike Peters. Billy went up there on Fridays to help get the track program smoothed out, in its first year back running on dirt, then would be back at Volusia Speedway Park as the Race Director on Saturday nights.
Late in the season Billy started working with Ken Kinney, helping out with the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series. Monday nights Billy is a co-host of the long running Trackside Tonite radio show, and then on Wednesday nights he co hosts the very popular Dirt World show on Real Racin' USA.
How does he do all that, and do it well? The answer is simple enough, it's all about the passion Billy Ausburn has for the sport of stock car racing, and his drive to be the best in the business.
"I just want to do everything I can, I just love racing, I breathe it", Ausburn said.
"I promised Ken if he would do the deal I would come help. Whatever I can do to help Ken because he has helped me. It 's a great relationship we picked up in the middle of the season and I look forward to 2009 a lot."
Billy's first take on Hendry County was as Race Director with the United Dirt Late Models big Kim Allen Memorial race in late 2008.
"The place is a great facility, a great race track...you can just hear and feel the atmosphere down there, the racers know what they have", Ausburn said in a recent radio interview. "The people who had it before did do great job....there is a lot of good things to come down there. You'll see a lot of changes, you'll see a lot of improvements, you'll see a lot of personnel in place to make it one of the finest dirt tracks in the state".
In the last week Billy has been on the phone personally calling as many of the drivers as he can, determined to catch up with each and everyone of them.
On Sunday, January 18 at 1 PM the new Race Director and the rest of the new staff being assembled by new owner Ken Kinney will get to meet the drivers, crews and fans at the track.
For more insights from Billy Ausburn listen to the Inside Florida Racing radio interview from December 2008.
Billy Ausburn can be reached at billy@hendrycountyracing.com
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