Watch Winston-Salem North Carolina Police Officer Get Ready for Auto Racing Debut

By John Dell

Source News & Record, Greensboro, N.C.

Lonnie Oakley, a Winston-Salem police officer, grew up in Advance and came to watch racing at Bowman Gray Stadium whenever he could.

Now, at age 33 he’s taking the plunge and will race in the Modified Division this season.

Oakley, who has been on the force for 12 years, got a little closer to the drivers last summer by working security as a police officer keeping the peace each Saturday night.

He won’t be doing that this year, however, because he’ll be in a car and is expected run a few races in July.

“I grew up coming here as a kid and my dad would bring me,” Oakley said on Saturday while putting his car through a practice session at Bowman Gray Stadium. “I fell in love with Modified racing and by the time I was a teenager I wanted to do this.”

Thanks to help from his father, and three sponsors who have already stepped up, Oakley will hit the track this summer wearing a race suit and driving a car. He won’t be working security detail anymore because now that he’s considered a driver that’s where his priority will be.

“I worked here last year as a police officer and was in the pits every week,” Oakley said. “So, I just decided to give it a shot now.”

His three main sponsors - Farm Bureau Insurance, Caldwell Bank and Realty and Hindsight Management – have helped him with the cost of racing in the stadium’s featured division. It's not cheap to run the Modified Division cars, but Oakley is intent on giving it a shot.

During the practice session on Saturday Oakley’s wife, Reva, and their two children, Landon and Isla, were there for support. While their two children played a game inside their modest hauler, Reva answered the obvious question.

“His profession is dangerous enough, so why not add this to our stress level,” Reva said with a smile.

Reva said it did take some long conversations about her husband embarking on the challenge of racing at Bowman Gray. “We talked about it at length,” she said.

Oakley will take advantage of the couple of more practice sessions before the season starts on April 19. He’s content on biding his time before hitting the track in mid-summer.

“I’m going to pick some races in mid-July,” Oakley said. “And hopefully I’ll try to run a full season (in 2026).”

Oakley admits that working security at Bowman Gray Stadium during racing season can be challenging. He and the other officers work in the stands keeping peace and in the pit area.

Oakley, who was promoted to corporal in 2019 with the Winston-Salem Police Department, admits he had to break up some fisticuffs last summer.

“I’m not going to name names but there’s been quite a few fights we had to break up,” Oakley said.

Oakley said he’s not sure how he’ll be received by fellow drivers but is looking forward to trading in his police officer uniform for a driving suit.

“I think there’s a little respect there and hopefully they’ll see me as a racer and not as a police officer,” Oakley said.

Oakley, a Davie County High School graduate, said it’s obvious what he’ll be lacking when he gets on the track.

“The hardest part is going to be the experience part of it,” Oakley said. “I’m so far behind and I’m starting in the highest division over here so it’s like drinking out of a fire hydrant.”

The Modified Division has the fastest cars of the four divisions, but speed isn’t the biggest concern. The historic quarter mile track takes plenty of getting used to.

“I just want to gain experience out here,” Oakley said. “I’m a fan of racing but Modifieds are really what I love so it’s a dream come true.”

Oakley said when he was growing up, he was a big fan of Tim Brown, the 12-time Modified champion who has the most wins in stadium history with 101.

As it so happens Oakley was on a practice lap with Brown on Saturday. The two weren’t side by side for very long, however.

“It was exhilarating,” Oakley said about going through his first practice laps in his new car. “I grew up as a Tim Brown fan and to see him fly by me on the track was pretty cool. It was fun. I’m just out here to learn.”

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