Richard Pearson

Bud Lunsford, a 2003 inductee into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame as one of Georgia's winningest short-track racers and track-founding promoter, died Monday at the age of 86. The Gainesville, Ga., resident's death was reported on Facebook by his daughter, Debbie Lunsford Love.

Lunsford, whose 25-year racing career began at his hometown Looper Speedway, was reputed to have won 1,139 races on dirt and asphalt, mostly at Georgia and South Carolina tracks while frequently competing five times each week.

His richest victory came with a $15,000 payday in 1979 National Dirt Racing Association action at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Ga., a 100-lapper that marked one of the richest Dirt Late Model races at that time. With Lunsford's career ending just as the modern Dirt Late Model era dawned, he won a second NDRA event in 1980 at Rome (Ga.) Speedway and was 1975's inaugural winner of the East Alabama Motor Speedway event that evolved into the National 100 at the Phenix City oval.

Besides his career behind the wheel, the Georgia Racing Hall of Famer co-founded Dixie Speedway in 1969, operated West Atlanta Speedway in Douglasville, Ga., in the 1970s, then built and promoted Lanier National Speedway beginning in 1982, operating the track for 15 years, for five year as a dirt track and later as a paved oval.

Lunsford, who after his racing career operated a Gainesville bowling alley, was 1987's Auto Racing Promoter of the Year as selected by Racing Promotion Monthly.

Arrangements for Mack Newman Lunsford are incomplete.