DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Lyle DeVore, who promotes Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, N.Y., was introduced as the 47th annual Auto Racing Promoter of the Year Tuesday during the 50th annual RPM@Daytona Workshops presented at the Shores Resort & Spa.
DeVore represents region one in the RPM balloting.
“This has been a long journey,” stated DeVore, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2022. “This award isn’t just about me, it’s about my family, my friends, our employees and racers, everyone who has stood behind me. This is an incredible milestone in my career and I am grateful for this opportunity.
“It is humbling and one of the greatest honors you can ever receive in our sport. I’m proud that my family is here with me. We all work extremely hard and to be recognized like this. Racing has been our lives and the track an extension of our family. We have poured our heart and soul into it, we hope to carry on the tradition for many years to come.”
DeVore took over the promotional duties at Albany-Saratoga Speedway in 2012 and dedicated himself to building one of the top programs in his region. The track boasts an incredible weekly car count, with many weeks exceeding 140 cars in the pit area.
Following the 2020 season, DeVore was named “The Pandemic” Auto-Racing Promoter of the Year after averaging nearly 150 cars per night while operating with no fans in the grandstands.
DeVore received a watch from Speedway Motorsports, a trophy and a custom diecast recognizing his accomplishments as part of the “Final Lap” session presented by MyRacePass.
Nadine Strauss of Lakeport, California, was announced as the first ever recipient the Jody Deery Award. The Jody Deery Award named after the late promoter of Rockford (Ill.) Speedway will now become an annual award as part of the RPM@Daytona Workshops.
Strauss, a former Auto Racing Promoter of the Year still promotes the North State Modified Series with her husband Bob.
Regional promoter of the year winners were: Region Two, Southeast Region; Scott Trippl from Lake View (S.C.) Speedway; Region Three; Rex LeJuene from Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park: Region Four, Northern Region; Cole Queensland from Deer Creek (Minn.) Speedway: Region Five, Midwest / Great Plains Region; John McCoy from Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway: Region Six; Southwest and Western Region; Brad Whitfield from Cocopah and Central Arizona Speedways.