Kentucky crew chief dies at 61
Jeff Gullett, a longtime Dirt Late Model crew chief who since 2005 has overseen Campbellsville, Ky.-based Justin Rattliff Racing, died early Tuesday morning at his home in Harrodsburg, Ky. He was 61.
Well known in Dirt Late Model pit areas not only for his extensive background in the division but also his friendly, quip-filled demeanor, Gullett passed away in his sleep from an apparent heart attack. He had just returned home after spending the weekend at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, helping JRR team driver Jason Jameson of Lawrenceburg, Ind., compete in the World 100 activities.
“He was one of the best men in the pits,” Jameson said. “He’d do anything for anybody. The good Lord took a good one.”
Gullett’s long career as a full-time mechanic in Dirt Late Model racing began more than a quarter-century ago. He extended stint in the late ‘90s and early 2000s working for Kentucky’s D&D Motorsports paired him with such drivers as Timmy Yeager, Mike Hawley, Dustin Neat and Greg Johnson. After joining the JRR team fielded by James Rattliff, Gullett was a fixture on the touring circuits and helped guide Justin Rattliff, Jameson and current JRR lead driver Daulton Wilson of Fayetteville, N.C., to Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victories, among other accomplishments.
“The entire JRR Motorsports team is extremely saddened by the loss of one of our own,” read a post on Wilson’s racing Facebook page. “Jeff was one of the good guys in our sport and never met a stranger in the pit area. His love for dirt racing was only matched and exceeded by his love of family and friends — particularly his grandchildren. We will all miss Jeff dearly and pray for his loved ones during this very difficult time.”
Gullett’s list of honors include his induction in the South-Central Kentucky Dirt Racing Hall of Fame and recognition as a Battle of the Bluegrass Series Crew Chief of the Year.
Among survivors for Jeffery Paul Gullett are wife Marsha, daughter Callie and granddaughters Baylin and Briley. Visitation is 4-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, at Ransdell Funeral Chapel in Harrodsburg; the funeral is 1:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, at the funeral home followed by burial at Spring Hill Cemetery in Harrodsburg. Find a complete obituary at ransdellfuneralchapel.com
Editor's note: Updates with arrangements.
