Callaway, VA – Franklin County Speedway continues to expand the staff for race nights around the 3/8-mile high-banked bullring with the addition of a new Competition Director for the 2024 season.
Clover, Virginia resident, Donald Clay brings a lifetime of racing knowledge to become the Competition Director for the racing program at Franklin County Speedway in 2024. Clay, a former winning race car driver and winning Late Model crew chief will fill the role of Competition Director better known at the track as “tech man”.
Clay will oversee the four-division race card at every event in 2024, which includes Late Models, Mini Stock, Legends, and Stock4. Clay is a former Stock4 winner and championship contender and won a race as crew chief of a Late Model in 2022. He was also named Mechanic of the Year in 2022.
“Donald (Clay) brings a lot of experience and knowledge to the Competition Director position,” track promoter Langley Austin said. “He’s been around the block a time or two. Winning races on the track and turning wrenches for others. He’s the kind of guy who’s needed in this position because he brings the experience that commands respect among the racers.”
Clay’s role on race nights will be to ensure safety among all the competitors as well as keep the field even through inspection and managing the rulebook.
“Being the tech man is a tough role,” Austin explained. “With staff shortages over the last few years, I’ve spent my fair share of time in that role. It’s a necessary evil to keep the racers honest. It’s easy to get something over on a guy like me who hasn’t lived it and pushed the gray area like Donald has. He’s not one they can get something over on. It should serve to continue to tighten our fields up.”
Clay has been instrumental in helping the track condense the rulebooks for each division while also contracting divisions. Franklin County Speedway played host to 13 divisions during the 2023 season with several being like others and will only have four divisions this season. Clay has helped make the rulebooks more streamlined and will continue to do so over the upcoming season and into 2025.
“Donald reads a rulebook like a racer,” Austin said. “He can see a gray area or loophole where I can’t see it because I haven’t been in the trenches like he has. That’s helped a lot this offseason with getting the rulebook for each division where it needs to be.”
Clay will work hand in hand with Race Director Jay Altizer to continue to improve the program for the racers. Altizer assumed the role of Race Director last fall and quickly began implementing changes that have helped improve race day for racers, staff, and fans.
“Donald and Jay (Altizer) working together this season will help improve our program for the racers,” Austin continued. “Jay’s background here in the 1980s and with NASCAR over the years combined with Donald’s racing experience will continue to evolve our racing program for the better of the racers and the fans. Drivers will know they are on an even playing field this season and that we will start on time, and they’ll be treated equally on the track and off.”
The 56th season of racing at Franklin County Speedway is set to kick off on Saturday, March 2nd at 2pm with Teddy’s Water Hauling WinterThaw featuring all four of the local divisions as well as a visit by the Virginia Vintage Racers series. The full 2024 schedule is available on our website at https://fcspeedway.com/
Franklin County Speedway, the “World’s Fastest 3/8-mile Paved Oval”, is a high-banked 3/8-mile asphalt oval nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the community of Callaway, Virginia. Built in 1969 by the Agee Family, Franklin County Speedway is just a short 15-minute drive from Highway 220 in historic Rocky Mount, Virginia hosting stock car racing nearly every Saturday night from March through September. More information at https://fcspeedway.com/