10/12/2026
PROMOTER’S PERSPECTIVE …
Well, I think they call this the “silly season,” in racing, it usually begins about the minute the last checkered flag falls! 😂
But before we get into all of that, I want to talk about what an absolutely incredible weekend we experienced at the Jack Sandefur Memorial OctoberFAST! 💗🎀
And first, I have one big wish for everyone who was there: I HOPE WE GET TO SEE YOU ON THE BIG SCREEN! 🎬🏁
Wouldn’t that be something? To know you were part of OctoberFAST 💗 and perhaps made your own little appearance in White Lightning Lullaby!
I wish everyone involved with White Lightning Lullaby tremendous success. I truly believe this movie has the potential to be something very special, and how wonderful would it be to know that Cotton Bowl Speedway and our racing family played even a small part in that success?
Follow them, support them, and let’s help make this movie BIG! I have a feeling it’s going to be anyway, but wouldn’t it be wonderful to say we were part of it?
Thank you all so very, very much!
Now, where do I begin?
What an absolutely incredible weekend we experienced celebrating the life of Jack Sandefur, bringing awareness to breast cancer, and sharing something that has brought so many of us together for generations — the love of racing, dirt or asphalt.
OctoberFAST 💗 was so much more than a racing event. It was a weekend filled with memories, excitement, friendship, and an opportunity to honor those who mean so much to us. 🎀
To everyone who came through our gates, whether you were racing, cheering from the grandstands, working behind the scenes, or simply coming to honor Jack and support someone touched by breast cancer, THANK YOU!
Seeing so much pink throughout the facility meant more than words can express. 🎀💗 Some wore it for those they have lost, some for those who have won their battle, and others for those still fighting. My hope is that OctoberFAST 💗 helped bring even more awareness to a disease that has touched so many lives.
And what about the filming of White Lightning Lullaby? 🎬🏁
What an incredible experience! To the entire production crew, thank you for allowing Cotton Bowl Speedway and our racing family to be part of something so special. To the drivers selected to participate, I cannot begin to tell you how proud I was of each of you. You represented our sport beautifully!
What impressed me most was watching two very different teams come together. Our Cotton Bowl Speedway team and the movie production team blended together in a way I could never have imagined.
There were so many moving parts, so many people helping wherever needed, and somehow we managed to put on an incredible racing event while helping create a little movie magic!
Both teams walked away feeling that we had accomplished something pretty special. I certainly did.
Now, as I usually do around this time of year, I find myself looking back over the season. Maybe a little earlier than normal, but this year has been anything but normal.
Our 2026 racing season actually began in November of 2025, when, thanks to some incredible sponsors, we were able to bring in new dirt for the racetrack.
And let me tell you, bringing in new dirt isn’t nearly as simple as it sounds!
We were blessed with a winter that allowed plenty of time to work on blending that dirt. H, along with several others who stepped in to help, has literally been working on that racetrack since November. It has been nonstop.
Then came the rain. And more rain!
Like so many other racetracks, we faced the challenges that Mother Nature decided to hand us this season. That makes me even more grateful that we were blessed with such beautiful weather for OctoberFAST 💗. 🎀
Sometimes you just have to look up and say, “Thank you, Lord!”
I also want to recognize our incredible Cotton Bowl Speedway team.
There is no possible way I could single out just one person, because putting on a racing event doesn’t take one person. It takes EVERYONE.
From the front gate to the back gate, from registration to scoring, the officials, safety personnel, track preparation, concessions, parking, cleanup, and every job in between — each and every one of you matters.
Some of these people have stood beside us through the good, the bad, the rainouts, the long nights, and the times when I’m sure they wondered why in the world we were doing this!
But they showed up. And when it mattered most, they gave it their all.
To our sponsors, racers, race teams, fans, volunteers, and employees, thank you for believing in what we were trying to accomplish.
And then there’s my H. ❤️
I don’t believe there are enough words in the English language to properly thank this man.
Eight years ago, when we stepped into the dirt track world after spending so many years in asphalt racing, there were those who said we couldn’t do it.
Well, I think H proved a few people wrong!
I have watched him work tirelessly, year after year, to give me the opportunity to do something that I love. His days have been long, his nights have been short, and the challenges have been endless.
Racing is my passion. H loves racing too, although maybe not his passion! 😉
What I do know is that he has given more of himself than most people will ever realize. I could not have done this without him, and quite frankly, I wouldn’t have wanted to.
H, thank you for loving me enough to take this journey with me.
Now, I want to share something from my heart about the future of Cotton Bowl Speedway.
When we took on this racetrack eight years ago, I never intended to be the person who would someday lock the front gate and back gate, walk away, and leave the racing community without a place to race.
That has weighed heavily on my heart as we’ve considered what comes next.
For the past couple of months, there have been conversations and negotiations taking place behind the scenes. While nothing is finalized and we are not ready to announce who may be involved, I feel very comfortable sharing that things are moving in a very positive direction toward new operators taking over the lease for 2027.
And that makes me incredibly happy!
My hope and prayer are that Cotton Bowl Speedway will continue operating for many, many years to come.
There will undoubtedly be rumors. There always are in racing! 😉 Some will think they know exactly what’s happening, who’s involved, and what the future looks like.
But I can assure you that only a very small number of people actually know where things stand today.
When everything is finalized, the appropriate announcements will be made.
What I can tell you is that H and I will not be returning as the operators of Cotton Bowl Speedway for the 2027 racing season.
And you know what? I’m okay with that, we gained, friends and lost friends, which is the unfortunate part.
I’m proud of what we accomplished. I’m proud that we made it eight years. I’m proud of the people who stood beside us, and I’m especially proud that we have an opportunity to pass this facility along to someone who can carry it into its next chapter.
This isn’t a sad ending. It’s the closing of one chapter and, hopefully, the beginning of a wonderful new one for Cotton Bowl Speedway.
We will also be announcing plans very soon for our 2026 Championship Banquet, where we will honor the top five drivers in each of our five local classes.
I hope you’ll join us as we celebrate their accomplishments, recognize the people who made this season possible, and officially close out the MAN Racing Promotions LLC 🏁 chapter at Cotton Bowl Speedway. My hope is that we’ll also have the opportunity to welcome the new operators and celebrate what lies ahead.
When I think about the past eight years, what stays with me most isn’t a particular race, a trophy, or even the difficult days.
It’s the people.
The children who were little when we first opened the gates and are now behind the wheel of race cars. The families I’ve watched grow. The friendships we’ve made. The generations who have shared their Saturday nights with us.
Some of those little racers now have children of their own. Some families have three generations involved in this sport!
What a privilege it has been to witness all of that.
Have there been difficult moments? Absolutely. Have I made everyone happy? Not a chance! That’s probably impossible in this business.
I’ve made decisions that weren’t always popular, but I’ve always tried to make them with the safety of our racers, our fans, and our racing family in mind.
I can look back knowing that I gave it everything I had.
And perhaps that’s enough.
This journey also goes back much further than Cotton Bowl Speedway.
For approximately 25 years, MAN Racing Promotions LLC 🏁 has been part of Texas racing in one form or another. From the TSRS days, to Thunderhill Raceway, and eventually to Cotton Bowl Speedway.
What a ride it has been!
I have been blessed to meet thousands of people along the way. Some have become lifelong friends. Others have simply crossed my path for a season. But every one of you has been part of this journey.
If I’ve managed to leave even a tiny little piece of happiness in your heart, or helped create a memory that makes you smile, then I feel I’ve accomplished something far greater than promoting a race.
As for me, I’m certainly not done loving racing. I’m just moving on to another chapter.
Will I miss it? Of course.
Will it be strange sitting in the grandstands instead of running around worrying about everything that needs to happen? Oh, you better believe it!
I might even discover that watching a race without being responsible for it is pretty enjoyable! 😉
But I will miss so many of you.
One of the greatest lessons these eight years has reminded me of is the importance of keeping life in perspective.
I’ve always believed in putting God first, family second, and letting everything else fall into place.
And yes, I will be the first to admit that there have been times during these eight years when I allowed the demands of racing to get those priorities a little out of order.
It’s easy to do when you love something so much.
But racing should never come before the people we love.
As we head into what we still call the “offseason” — although I’m not sure there is such a thing anymore with racing going on all winter — I wish each of you good health, happiness, and time with those who matter most.
To every sponsor, every racer, every crew member, every employee, every volunteer, every fan, and every family who has been part of MAN Racing Promotions LLC 🏁 over these 25 years, thank you.
To our Cotton Bowl Speedway family, you helped make eight years of memories that H and I will carry with us forever.
And to the good Lord above, thank You for the blessings, the lessons, the protection, and the strength to see this journey through.
This is not goodbye to the people or the sport I love.
It’s simply time for H and me to turn the page.
May God bless each and every one of you, and may the gates of Cotton Bowl Speedway continue to open for generations to come.
With much love and gratitude,
Mary Ann Naumann
MAN Racing Promotions LLC 🏁
Cotton Bowl Speedway 🏁💗🎀
