According to Hal Miller - In 1958 a group of hot-rodders which included Dr. John Oldham and several other men from Owensboro asked Hal if he had a place to build a dragstrip. Being a good friend he said of course!
He put it on a piece of property that was a great location, near Owensboro. Hal built the track and the group ran the track while Hal ran the concession stand as a lease payment.
The original track was a two- lane track with a chip and seal type surface with dirt shutdown area. The start system was not the state-of-the-art computers used today but handicapped start by using lines drawn on the track and a flagman to start the races. Later a stoplight was used to start the races.
Many famous and infamous racers of the day, including Gene Snow, raced at the Owensboro Dragstrip.
Windy Hollow Fairgrounds installed a set of grandstands for the Professional Rodeo Association events scheduled and produced in 1968 and then again in 1969.
Around that time, Owensboro racer, Delmar Shown approached Hal Miller about building a ½ mile to 1-mile d-shaped speedway at Windy Hollow. A group tried to sell shares of the proposed blacktop d-shape speedway but the project never to shape.
In 1970, Hal Miller built and opened a 1/4-mile d-shaped dirt track. Late models and coupes raced at the track for many years.
In 1970, Hal Miller decided to move the Drag Strip to Windy Hollow, next to the dirt track and near his other businesses near the Windy Hollow Recreation Area. There was also pressure from Owensboro city leaders concerned that the track was too close to growing city. The W.H. Ford Expressway was under construction when the track moved.
Mike Libs managed the track for several years. A Chrondek timing system was installed.
In 1973 the Dallas Jones era started when Dallas leased the dragstrip and continued to operate the track through 1987 season. During that time he also ran the dirt track for several race seasons. Dallas changed the name of the dragstrip to Owensboro Raceway Park. It was also during this time the track joined the National Hot Rod Association, bracket racing replaced class racing. The 1986 track record was set at 5.23 ET on the 1/8th mile track.
The Windy Hollow Speedway closed from 1983 to 1985. In 1986 the Speedway re-opened under the management of Phillip Edge and Richard Hill who operated the track through 1988.
Hal Miller’s daughter, Evelyn Miller McCarty operated the venue in 1988. Evelyn, along with her parents, Hal & Deanna Miller celebrated the 30th anniversary of drag racing by offering a free entry fee race that drew a record car count that still stands today at 323 first round entries.
In 1989, as special 1/8 mile NHRA Super Quick Series held its first ever event at Owensboro Raceway Park. The track record was shattered by Chuck Baird of Assumption, Illinois at 4.542 at 151.49. This was the first 150 mph pass at the track.The following year he broke his own record with a 4.465 pass at 156.81 mph. The record still stands as an E.T bracket record, NHRA changed the ET limit for bracket cars to 4.50 the following year.
In 1989 Evelyn took the reins of the dirt rack and then switched the traditional Friday night track to Sunday nights in 1991.
In 1990, the Owensboro Raceway Park name was changed to Windy Hollow Raceway Park. The dirt track was operated as the GLV Raceway by Gail Lamb, Wendell Griffin and Bill Vaught until 1994.
In 1994 and 1995, longtime racer and track official Francis Libs operated the dragstrip.
1995 to1996 the dirt track was operated by racer Scott Greer and family.
1996 - return of Evelyn Miller McCarty as the operator. The track record for Top Alcohol was set at 3.89 and 186 mph by Marty Thacker. The first 200 mph pass was set by jet powered dragster driven by Billy Bartkus at 218 mph.
In 1997 and 1998, Evelyn Miller McCarty again operated the dirt track.
1999 Jack Vick took over the dirt track and had a successful run through 2005.
In 2005 the dragstrip had new promoters, Randy and Kim Booker.
In 2006 the dirt track was operated by Randy and Kim Booker.
In 2006 longtime racer Phillip Oakley took over the dragstrip. He ran the track through 2011.
In 2007 the dirt track had new promoter, Scott Slaten. Scott successfully ran the track through the 2012 season.
In 2012 Johnathan Jones was promoter of the dragstrip.
In 2013 longtime stock car racer, Clint Cauley and his wife, Carmen take the helm of the dirt track.
In 2013 the dragstrip held only one street car race. No track operator could be found so the track was closed for most of the season.
In 2014 to present day Windy Hollow Speedway has been operated by Curtis Howard.
Events of all types have been held at Windy Hollow Speedway & Dragway including concerts (Hank Williams, Jr. (August 1983), Carson & Barnes circus under the bigtop in 1970, funny cars, alcohol dragsters, motorcycles, late models, open wheels, sprint cars, hare scramble motorcycle events, dune buggy, 3 & 4-wheelers, 4-wheel drives, truck pulls, monster trucks, dare devil events, demo derbies, chain races, rodeos, jet cars.
NASCAR drivers Jeremy Mayfield, Mark Green and others have raced here. The Hayden brothers raced motorcycle events at Windy Hollow when they were very young. Jeff Purvis held the dirt track record for UMP late models for many years with at 16.01.
CJ Rayburn has the outlaw late model record with 13.85.
Events of all types have been held at Windy Hollow Speedway & Dragway including concerts (Hank Williams, Jr. (August 1983), Carson & Barnes circus under the bigtop in 1970, funny cars, alcohol dragsters, motorcycles, late models, open wheels, sprint cars, hare scramble motorcycle events, dune buggy, 3 & 4-wheelers, 4-wheel drives, truck pulls, monster trucks, dare devil events, demo derbies, chain races, rodeos, jet cars.
NASCAR drivers Jeremy Mayfield, Mark Green and others have raced here. The Hayden brothers raced motorcycle events at Windy Hollow when they were very young. Jeff Purvis held the dirt track record for UMP late models for many years with at 16.01.
CJ Rayburn has the outlaw late model record with 13.85.
