Les Westerfield
Les Westerfield
Nashville Speedway USA, educated Westerfield to achieve his goal to be a NASCAR Tour Director and successful career as an official of NASCAR
You know the stock car story by now, it has happened several times. A young talent comes from Owensboro, KY to Nashville Speedway USA and eventually on to higher forms of NASCAR racing, the Busch series or Winston Cup.
Les Westerfield hopes to follow that same route. Except Westerfield wants to do it as a race official instead of a driver. Westerfield is the Competition Director under Bob Harmon, Nashville Speedway USA promoter.
Born in Sumter, SC to a dirt racing family, Westerfield has always been around the sport. His family moved to Owensboro when he was a youngster and he even tried his hand at driving a Super Late Model on dirt as a teenager. But being involved in a wreck caused him to have second thoughts about the driving end of the sport.
Then one night at Central City (KY) Raceway, the flagman did not show up. “My friend Larry nominated me to do it and from that time on, I’ve been in the officiating business,” he recalled.
“In 1982, Andy Vertrees, owner of Kentucky Motor Speedway and Louisville Speedway, asked if I wanted to flag at Kentucky Motor Speedway (near Owensboro) and I said yes. That’s how I got my start on asphalt tracks.”
In 1985, Westerfield met NASCAR officials Joe Collins and Ed Cox and began flagging races for the All American Challenge Series. He flagged AACS races at Bristol and Lanier (GA). When Harmon’s All Pro series was adopted by NASCAR, Westerfield became a technical inspector. From there he moved up to second in command to Joe Collins.
“I have had the privilege to work with nine different NASCAR touring series along the way,” Westerfield said. “I have worked at some of the best tracks in the country like Daytona, Richmond, Charlotte and New Hampshire. Now you can add Nashville Speedway USA to that list.
“I’ve been o both sides of the fence,” he said. “I really can’t afford to race, so this is my way of giving back to the sport. I would like someday be a tour director for NASCAR, but for now I enjoy the challenge Nashville presents. The ultimate goal of everyone involved in racing at Nashville is to make it the best short track in the country, according to Westerfield. “And to do that, we try to give the racers a level playing field,” he said.
“On occasion, not everyone agrees on the rules the way they’re written, but we try our best to make it work for everyone. I’ve been around a lot of great people over the years, like the late (Winston Cup flagman) Harold Kinder and current (Winston Cup flagman) Doyle Ford. I’ve learned a lot.
“We have a great group of competitors here. Some of the best short track racers in the country,” Westerfield said. “On top of that, Nashville Speedway USA is one of the most recognized weekly tracks around.
“I want to do my part to help keep it the best in the business.”
Story copied: 1995 Nashville Speedway USA Souvenir Program
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