The world of stock car racing was hit with deeply saddening news after it was revealed that Charlie Shaw passed away at the age of 90. Shaw was a beloved figure in Randolph County and will be remembered by many as the man who saved the iconic Winchester Speedway.
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Shaw, a local businessman, purchased the track, often called the ‘World’s fastest half-mile,’ in 1999, at a time when legacy tracks were losing out because they were too quick and too expensive to race on.
The news of Shaw’s passing was confirmed by Winchester Speedway on Facebook, although the cause of death has not been made public yet. Shaw is survived by his three children, and the Shaw family still owns the iconic track.
It was always Shaw’s dream to own a short track with 37-degree banking, and his investment in Winchester Speedway came at a time when other tracks failed to secure their futures. Shaw was known as a hands-on leader who ensured the track’s original layouts were preserved even as he worked to maintain the facilities and modernize them.
He would be spotted either pitside or with the fans in the stands. Several comments and posts have poured in on Winchester Speedway’s Facebook pages. Fans started sharing their interactions with Shaw, someone who the fans felt put a lot of himself into maintaining the track’s rich legacy.
Racer Brady Bacon was one of those who left a heartfelt message about Shaw, showcasing the kind of man the Winchester Speedway owner was.
“Charlie was a great man and a tremendous ambassador and supporter of all forms of short track racing,” wrote Bacon on Facebook. “He poured so much of himself into Winchester Speedway and helped keep writing new chapters of history at one of the most iconic and historic race tracks in the world.
Winchester has always been a special place to me personally. I won my first USAC Sprint Car race there — and met my wife there on that very same day. Without Charlie and everything he did to keep Winchester Speedway alive and thriving, who knows if either of those things ever happens. There truly is no place like Winchester Speedway, and there was nobody quite like Charlie Shaw. My thoughts are with his family, friends, and everyone in the Winchester Speedway family. He leaves behind a tremendous legacy that will live on for generations.”
Bacon wasn’t the only one; several fans left messages that they may not have known the man personally but felt his impact on keeping the track alive. Shaw made the track a hub for the grassroots of the sport and made it a consistent feature on the calendar for many Late Model tour events. The Winchester 400 stands out as an iconic event the track hosts every year.
Shaw saw the same thing in the track that Bill France Sr. saw when he closely studied the track’s 37-degree banking, which made it one of the steepest tracks across the country. France Sr. used the track as an example when building Daytona and it’s banking while Shaw ensured that, while he was there, the banking at Winchester never changed.
To honor the track owner, those who worked under him took out his truck for a lap around the track and parked the truck at the start-finish line with the track lit up and the sun going down in the background.
Winchester Speedway’s Facebook wall is an emotional one, as tributes continue to pour in with details of the funeral set to be announced later.