acegear
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Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 973
Location: Enumclaw, WA
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 Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2005 4:32 pm Post subject: Paul Sawyer, 1916-2005 |
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Enigmatic former owner of Richmond International Raceway, Paul Sawyer an promotional leader in the early years of NASCAR passed away on February 26, 2005 at the age of 88. Regarded as the racers promoter, Sawyer realized that happy drivers make competative drivers but also was one who made sure the fans had a pleasent experience.
Born on June 26, 1916 in Norfolk, VA, Paul was a veteran of World War II and worked at the Norfolk Naval Air Station until he retired in 1965. However, Paul Sawyers NASCAR career would begin long before his retirement from his "first" job.
Partnering with fellow promoter and early NASCAR star Joe Weatherly in 1955, Paul and Joe bought small dirt tracks in Richmond, VA, Wilson, NC and Virginia Beach, VA. Buying out Joe's shares in 1956, Paul turned his full attention to the Richmond track when the Wilson track burned down in 1958, and there was no more room for expansion in Virginia Beach.
At that time in NASCAR, that standard race was 100 miles in length, and drivers raced several times per week. Paul promoted a 250 mile race to be different from the pack and attract a diverse audience. Seeing the popularity of NASCAR begin to grow, Paul removed the old dirt track in 1968 and expanded the facility to a 1/2 mile paved oval with several thousand seats. The popularity of NASCAR continued to rise, and Paul had to keep adding seats, but would not do so without adding restroom facilities to match.
As the demand for more room and better racing increased so did the facilities at Richmond. Finally in 1988, immediately after the final race of the season the bulldozers moved in, removing the the second incarnation of Paul's raceway to make room for the next. By raceday in the fall of 1989, a gleaming new 3/4 mile track was ready for action with 47,500 seats for race fans. Despite initial skeptisism of the design, Richmond International Raceway has proven to provide exciting race action time after time becoming one of the cornerstones of what the sport is today.
Once again the demand for tickets, has caused RIR to grow to 110,000 seats that hosts 2 Nextel Cup races, 2 Busch Series races, 1 race for the Craftsman Truck Series, and 1 for the Indy Racing League, in addition to numerous regional racing events. Finally in 1999, Paul sold Richmond to International Speedway Corp to ensure the track's status in NASCAR.
Paul was preceeded in death by his wife of 64 years, in 2003, and is survived by two sons, three grandsons, one granddaughter, and four great grand children.
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