Inside the Movement: Cody Vaught on What’s Next for Gas City Speedway — and Motorsports Preservation

Since February 2025, the Save Gas City Speedway movement has been powered by one thing: community pride. Launched by Cody Vaught on Change.org, the campaign quickly amassed over 5,200 signatures—and counting—from locals, racers, and fans who want to see the Gas City I-69 Speedway roar back to life.

“The original vision has always remained the same: to publicly display the community’s desire to keep racing alive in Gas City.”
— Vaught
 
🔥 Where We Started
Petition launched Feb. 5, 2025
3,000+ signatures in the first 72 hours
Featured in Yahoo Sports, Chronicle-Tribune, The Courier-Times, and SPEED SPORT
GasCitySpeedway.com established as a central hub for updates, merch, giveaways, and news
 
🏁 What We've Accomplished
Gained local and national media attention
Held conversations with:

Gas City Mayor Bill Rock, who voiced public support
Doug Boles (Indianapolis Motor Speedway President)
Levi Jones (USAC Champion & GM at Eldora Speedway)
Family members of the current speedway owner

Launched merch and sticker campaigns to support movement overhead
Coordinated with other tracks to avoid overlap in social campaigns
Worked with PR experts to guide motorsports messaging
 
⚠️ Where We Stand
No racing schedule has been announced for 2025
Current owner has not made the property available for public sale or promoter partnerships
The mayor and community remain supportive, but the track remains inactive
Sale price and listing remain undisclosed despite multiple outreach attempts

“It’s difficult to build momentum when you’re working in a vacuum… Despite respectful attempts to open dialogue or request a sale price, we’ve received no response.”
— Vaught
 
🧭 What's Next?
As the national racing season is underway, the movement remains active—just less publicly visible to allow attention to be placed on current race events. But behind the scenes, work continues.

“We’ve always expected a natural slowdown during the busy race season. The mission hasn’t changed—it’s only expanding; just maybe in different avenues.”
— Vaught
 
💬 Q&A With Petition Creator Cody Vaught
Q: What’s been most surprising about the campaign?
“The amount of professional support. I got advice from racetrack owners, promoters, and industry veterans. Linda Mansfield’s help on the PR side was essential.”

Q: What advice would you give someone starting a similar effort?
“Put boots on the ground. People need a face to connect with, not just a name on a petition.”

Q: How can the public help now that racing isn’t happening?
“Just keep sharing the truth—Gas City isn’t racing. If the owner doesn’t allow a promoter to operate it, a new buyer would need to step in.”

Q: What if the owner contacts you tomorrow with a price?
“I’d share the price with the people who’ve reached out and launch a national awareness campaign. We’re ready—we just need the green flag.”

Q: Are you stepping back from the movement?
“I’m still deeply involved in keeping this energy alive—but it’s also inspired me to explore even broader ways to preserve motorsports history. There are untold stories, forgotten artifacts, and legacies worth showcasing. Let’s just say... this movement may be just the first chapter.”

Q: Is the movement still active?
“Yes. Very much so. You can visit GasCitySpeedway.com and follow the movement on social media for future updates.”

 
🔍 Final Note
What began as a focused effort to support the revival of Gas City Speedway has grown into a broader mission—one rooted in preserving motorsports history and protecting the places that helped shape it. While Gas City’s future remains uncertain, the energy behind this movement has sparked meaningful conversations and a deeper commitment to the stories worth saving. That work is just getting started.

Want to be part of what’s next—whether it’s racing, preservation, or storytelling?
📬 Email: SaveGasCitySpeedway@gmail.com
🌐 Visit: GasCitySpeedway.com
📱 Follow: @SaveGasCity on social