Jeff Byrd, Friend of Racing, Loses Battle With Cancer

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Mon, 18 Oct 2010, 11:02 AM

Jeff Byrd, Friend of Racing, Loses Battle With Cancer

By Bob Frey

Jeff Byrd

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Jeff Byrd. Jeff, who had been fighting a battle with cancer since early this year, died Sunday morning at the age of 60.

Jeff has been a part of the drag racing scene since his early days with R.J. Reynolds, and more recently, as the general manager of Bristol Dragway. As one of the first members of the Winston team that supported and promoted drag racing, Jeff became a friend to everyone involved with the sport, from the sanctioning bodies to the racers, and most importantly, the fans. His personality made him one of the most well liked people in racing and he will be greatly missed.

Jeff worked for R. J. Reynolds for over twenty years before joining Bruton Smith's Speedway Motorsports organization. He was named Vice President and General Manager of Bristol Motor Speedway in 1996 and then was named President in 2003. Under his direction and guidance BMS grew into one of the top ranked sports stadiums in the country. When Bruton Smith bought Bristol Dragway Jeff was put in charge of the renovation project at the historic track, and like the speedway, the drag strip is now recognized as one of the best racing venues in the sport.

Jeff's contributions to racing went far beyond what he did with racers or tracks or even with Winston. He was one of the most well liked people in racing and everyone he touched was better for it. Jeff cared for all of the racers and the fans and his enthusiasm was contagious. He was a pleasure to be around, whether it was at the track or at one of the many charity functions that he was involved with.

On a personal note, I have known Jeff since he was with Winston and I can honestly say that he was one of the nicest people I have ever met. He treated every fan like they were the most important person at the event and every racer like they were a world champion. He always had a smile on his face and you always felt better just being around him. And I can tell you that there are a lot of racers who got through some very rough times, on and off the track, because of Jeff. Everything he did was aimed at making the racing experience better for everyone involved and he succeeded at that at every level.

Jeff was also a great family man and he is survived by his wife of thirty-six years, Claudia, a son, Christian and his wife, Amy, a daughter Belton and her husband, Jerry, and seven grandchildren. He also leaves behind an extended family of racers and fans from all across the country, and every one of them knows that they are, and racing is, better off because Jeff Byrd.