Kaylee Vaught

Marvin Ford, the longtime owner and promoter of Fort Payne (Ala.) Motor Speedway and founder of the United Championship Racing Alliance for Crate Late Models, died Saturday night at a hospital near his Cedartown, Ga., home. He was 71.

The death of Ford (pictured left) was reported by his son Craig Ford on Facebook and Steve Hixson, who assisted the Fort Payne track with publicity.

Ford, who had bypass surgery many years ago and suffered a heart attack in 2016, was at home after Fort Payne’s scheduled Saturday racing was rained out when he was found in distress; efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

Beyond competing himself and winning the Alabama State Championship in 1987, Ford’s racing connections included being a former flagger at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Ga., before taking promotional roles, Hixson said. He operated Green Valley Speedway in Glencoe, Ala., from 1989-97 and later purchased the former Thunder Mountain Speedway in Fyffe, Ala., and renamed it Fort Payne Motor Speedway.

"He was constantly trying to improve things weekly at the racetrack,” Hixson added, “and had grand ideas about making the experience at the racetrack better for fans and drivers.”

Besides son Craig, among survivors are his wife Janis Ingram, who handles day-to-day operations of the racetrack, another son, Destin Ford, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Visitation is 3-6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, at Henderson & Sons Funeral Home South Chapel in Rome, Ga.; the funeral will be at 6 p.m. Find a complete obituary at hendersonandsons.com.

Corrections: Corrects that Ford died at a local hospital and his relationship to Ingram; updates with age, arrangements and other details.