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Former NHRA Director, Track Operator Lex Dudas Passes Away
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Former NHRA Southeast Division Director Lex Dudas passed away May 8 after a long battle with cancer.
Dudas, who spent the last years of a 55-year career in the sport where he started, at Maple Grove Raceway, retired at the end of 2017.
Dudas first arrived at Maple Grove Raceway as a fan in 1962, then a racer in 1963, competing with a 1963 B/S Plymouth. Dudas joined the Maple Grove team part-time in 1969, working in timing tower organizing handicaps for eliminators and doing other jobs, before joining the staff full-time in 1971.
He stayed at the track for eight years, working his way to the management team, before being recruited by NHRA as its Southeast Division Director in 1978, pictured at left.
Dudas held that position with NHRA until 1991, during which time he successfully helped lobby NHRA to host a national event at Maple Grove Raceway. That quest came to fruition in 1985 and the popular event continues to this day.
Dudas left his division director post to become the general manager of the NHRA-owned Indianapolis Raceway Park known today as Lucas Oil Raceway. In the four years he served there, he also was the group general manager of NHRA-owned facilities.
Dudas left NHRA in 1996 to serve as the director of operations for Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1996-’97) and then the general manager at Pikes Peak International Raceway (1997-’98). In 2000, he was named general manager of the American Speed Association’s ACDelco Series.
Dudas eventually returned to Maple Grove Raceway in 2004 as the director of sales and marketing and was promoted to the vice president & general manager in 2007, a position in which he served until his retirement last year.
“All of us at NHRA were deeply saddened to learn that Lex Dudas passed away,” said NHRA CEO Peter Clifford. “His many contributions to NHRA drag racing will not be forgotten and we are grateful that he was a part of our sport. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Dudas family during this most difficult time.”
Dudas, who spent the last years of a 55-year career in the sport where he started, at Maple Grove Raceway, retired at the end of 2017.
Dudas first arrived at Maple Grove Raceway as a fan in 1962, then a racer in 1963, competing with a 1963 B/S Plymouth. Dudas joined the Maple Grove team part-time in 1969, working in timing tower organizing handicaps for eliminators and doing other jobs, before joining the staff full-time in 1971.
He stayed at the track for eight years, working his way to the management team, before being recruited by NHRA as its Southeast Division Director in 1978, pictured at left.
Dudas held that position with NHRA until 1991, during which time he successfully helped lobby NHRA to host a national event at Maple Grove Raceway. That quest came to fruition in 1985 and the popular event continues to this day.
Dudas left his division director post to become the general manager of the NHRA-owned Indianapolis Raceway Park known today as Lucas Oil Raceway. In the four years he served there, he also was the group general manager of NHRA-owned facilities.
Dudas left NHRA in 1996 to serve as the director of operations for Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1996-’97) and then the general manager at Pikes Peak International Raceway (1997-’98). In 2000, he was named general manager of the American Speed Association’s ACDelco Series.
Dudas eventually returned to Maple Grove Raceway in 2004 as the director of sales and marketing and was promoted to the vice president & general manager in 2007, a position in which he served until his retirement last year.
“All of us at NHRA were deeply saddened to learn that Lex Dudas passed away,” said NHRA CEO Peter Clifford. “His many contributions to NHRA drag racing will not be forgotten and we are grateful that he was a part of our sport. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Dudas family during this most difficult time.”
