One could say this Iowa native’s life has centered around Knoxville Raceway, first as a child showing livestock at the county fair, then working at the races, and now as the recently named general manager of the “Sprint Car Capital of the World.”

Jason Reed literally grew up around and into his new position as general manager of Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, on the Marion County Fairgrounds.

“I would say that I have been preparing for this position my entire life,” he told PRI Magazine when discussing his new role. “I spent my childhood here showing livestock at the county fair, working during the races, and also being a race fan.”

After graduating high school, Reed continued to volunteer both at the fair and the track. The 48-year-old father of three has been a fair board member for the last 14 years, including four years as president and four as secretary.

For most of that time, he worked full time for 3M, with the last 12 years as a manufacturing supervisor. That experience, he said, helped prepare him for this role. Reed also feels a familial bond to the fairgrounds and track. His grandfather, Jim Goff, was a fair board member and the facility’s well-known manager of concessions.

PRI: What are you most looking forward to in this new role?

Reed: I am excited to be a part of making sure the Knoxville Nationals continues to be the best sprint car race in the world. I want to continue the traditions that we have and add more to offer the best experience possible for fans, drivers, and our partners.

PRI: Can you share your plans for the next season, and for the long-term future of the track?

Reed: We are always trying to create ways to get more fans to come experience Knoxville Raceway. We’ve added a two-day World of Outlaws show in April, and we’re also adding a two-day non-wing USAC race in June to go along with the June Outlaw date. Long-term goals would be to continue growing the 360 Nationals and the Late Model Nationals.

PRI: What do you see as the most pressing concerns for short tracks today?

Reed: The biggest concern that I see is the weekly racing program. We think that having a strong weekly program drives having great car counts for our national events. We will focus on improving the track experience to attract new fans and to get some old fans to come back.

Another concern that I have for all tracks is the ability to find help. It takes a lot of people to run these shows every week, and finding people who are willing to give up their weekends to work here is becoming harder. We have had and still have some great employees who have been here for a long time, but when they leave, who replaces them?

PRI: Is there anything in your 3M background that you will draw on in this new role?

Reed: In my supervisory role at 3M, I dealt not only with operators but also upper management. I learned to handle issues that were affecting the employees and still be able to deliver results for the company. I think this has prepared me to be able to interact with fans, drivers, owners, and our partners to ensure all are getting treated fairly. Also, working through the pandemic has prepared me to be able to make changes quickly, sometimes daily.

PRI: What is one professional or personal accomplishment that you’re most proud of?

Reed: Being offered the general manager position here in Knoxville. I am glad that I was able to make such an impact while serving on the fair board that they had the confidence in me to offer this position to me.

PRI: What is one recent mistake you’ve learned from (could be yours or someone else’s)?

Reed: I have seen many times problems caused by a lack of communication. I plan to make sure that everyone is getting updates on what we are working on and any issues that might be holding us back. I also believe in getting employees together routinely to discuss issues and what I can do to help them accomplish their goals.

PRI: Who do you look up to and why? (This could be professionally and/or personally.)

Reed: The person that made the biggest impact on me when I joined the board was Ralph Capitani. In the few years that I was able to spend with him, ‘Cappy’ was always willing to share his wisdom for what made him successful. He had a way with people, and it started first by just listening to them and then working on a solution.

PRI: What lasting impact would you like to leave on Knoxville Raceway and the Marion County Fair Board?

Reed: I want to make sure that Knoxville Raceway continues to grow in all aspects of racing and see the fairgrounds continue to succeed. I would also like to see what other events we could host at the fairgrounds, including some that are not racing-related. We have an awesome facility. 

JASON REED

TITLE:
General Manager

ORGANIZATION:
Knoxville Raceway

HOMETOWN:
Melcher-Dallas, Iowa

FAST FACT:
For Jason Reed, family is No. 1. He said he and his wife, Jaime, prioritize time spent with their three daughters—Kynser, 20; Kasyn, 17; and Kesley, 14—who are all active in 4H, athletics, and working at Knoxville Raceway. “It keeps us very active. We want to make sure that we support them in all they do, so we spend lots of time traveling to their sporting events.”