Volunteer Speedway publicist dies at 65
Longtime East Tennessee racing publicist and motorsports historian Robert Walden, the institutional knowledge of Volunteer Speedway whose "fingerprints are on the history” of the Bulls Gap, Tenn., track, died Saturday after an extended illness. The 65-year-old Johnson City, Tenn., resident’s passing was reported by the track and the Johnson City Press.
Walden for more than four decades reported on the happenings of the 4/10-mile oval, compiling statistics, writing stories and promoting upcoming races. Along with his duties at Volunteer, he also handled PR duties for years at Kingsport (Tenn.) Speedway and Lonesome Pine Raceway in Coeburn, Va., as well as helping drivers and teams with publicity.
“If it happened at The Gap, chances are Robert either wrote about it, archived it, or remembered it,” said a track statement on the Facebook page, adding that “our racing community mourns the loss of a man who helped build and preserve the legacy of dirt track racing in East Tennessee. Volunteer Speedway is better because Robert Walden was part of it. His fingerprints are on the history of this place, and his impact will be felt for generations.”
Track promoters Vic and Christa Hill posted a statement thanking Robert for "years of dedication, your passion for the sport, and your love for Volunteer Speedway. You will be deeply missed and never forgotten.”
