Wheeler purchased this popular dragway from Glenn Smith on July 1 , 2023 , taking over as hands-on track manager later in the month . “ Glenn had already sunk a ton of money into the track with things like LED lights , new scoreboards , and a reconcreted racing surface , as well as the shop beside the tower that can house multiple race cars and equipment ,” says Wheeler .

Soon after taking over , Wheeler added to the improvements by installing a brand-new Accutime Timing System and began a project of renovating the suites located in the tower . Wheeler ’ s near-term plans include updating the pits . “ This place was built in the mid-1990s , back when we had 24-foot enclosed trailers and a pick-up . These days we ’ ve got 90 foot worth of rig to park , so the

pit spots are a little short for today ’ s rigs ,” he says .

Wheeler also wants to someday equip Montgomery ’ s pits with showers and even a parts store as a convenience for the racers . “ I want to concentrate on making improvements that make it easier for the racers to race ,” he says . “ They can choose anywhere they want to go race – I want to give them a reason to come here .” There ’ s also plans to install several lifts in the spacious shop in case a racer needed to lift a vehicle to put in a converter or perform other tasks . Therefore , Wheeler says he wants to offer a facility that will accommodate those needs .

Wheeler comes from a racing family and practically grew up at the track , racing at many facilities across his native Georgia and surrounding areas . As a racer , he developed a particular interest in the track he now owns . “ Prior to buying the track , I ’ d race in just about every event they had here !” he says . From his roots as a competitor , he brought with him the things that are important to racers , and in addition to convenience , he also has strong convictions about a guaranteed purse

Track owner / manager , Brad Wheeler

for all events he holds at Montgomery , and says he won ’ t do a race without a guarantee in place .

As with any new adventure , Wheeler says he ’ s learning a lot about the “ other side ” of racing as a track owner . “ Prior to buying this place , all I ever did was go down it !” he laughs . “ Sure , it takes some of the fun out of racing , and I ’ ve only gone down the track twice ( three months after buying it ) but I ’ m enjoying the new experience . I knew that buying this track was gonna be a big animal , and it didn ’ t disappoint !” he laughs .

And while his expectations lined up pretty

PHOTOGRAPHS BY VAN ABERNETHY