Ron Mitchell

Announcing his retirement after more than 47 years in auto racing, long-time Monett Speedway Randy Mooneyham on Wednesday told RacinDirt.com he’s sold the southwestern Missouri oval, one of the state’s longest-running Late Model tracks.

The 65-year-old Mooneyham, who late last year also sold the MARS DIRTcar Series, operated Monett all but three seasons since purchasing it nearly 40 years ago.

“It’s kind of with mixed emotions,” Mooneyham told reporter Lyndal Scranton. “But my age and the years we’ve done it … I just thought it was time to pass the torch to somebody younger, with new ideas.”

Long-time modified racer Kyle Slagle of Pierce City, Mo., will oversee operations for the unrevealed new owners who operated under the name Monett Motor Speedway LLC. DIRTcar-sanctioned Late Models will continue to among six weekly divisions, but the decision hasn’t been made to stick with Friday nights or return to Sundays, as the track ran before 2013.

The 3/8-mile Monett oval, know as the “Grand Ol’ Lady,” was built in 1970 and purchased by Mooneyham in 1980 or ’81. The track has long hosted MARS and other regional Late Model series and has been the home to the Four-State Dirt Track Championship since 1971. — RacinDirt.com