Daytona International Speedway’s “Lightnin’ Epton Ticket Office” Unveiled, Honoring 102-Year-Old Legendary, Inspirational and Beloved Staff Member Juanita “Lightnin’” Epton
She’s Been a Part of The World Center of Racing Since Its Inception in 1959, and Sold Tickets to the Daytona Beach Course Races From the Mid 1940s until 1958 – 80 Total Years
Photo Cutline: Juanita “Lightnin’ Epton (second from right), received a huge surprise Thursday as Daytona International Speedway unveiled the “Lightnin’ Epton Ticket Office.” Epton has been with The World Center of Racing in the ticket operation since its beginning with the first DAYTONA 500 in 1959. In fact, with her efforts in working for Big Bill France and Anne B. France at the old DAYTONA Beach Course in the 1940s and 1950s, she has been a part of the France-led effort for 80 years. Lightnin’ was joined by NASCAR and IMSA Chairman Jim France (right), as well as Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher (far left) and NASCAR Executive Vice Chair Lesa France Kennedy (second from left).
Editor’s Note: For video – B-Roll of the ceremony and Lightnin’ working in her office, PLUS interview with the Honoree – click here. For photos of the Lightnin’ Epton Ticket Office unveiling, click here. For Coke Zero Sugar 400 and Wawa 250 logos, along with B-Roll video from the 2021 Coke Zero Sugar 400 and 2022 DAYTONA 500 (featuring NASCAR’s ‘Next Gen’ car), click here.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AUG. 25, 2022) – To honor one of its most-beloved employees – and an American Icon – Daytona International Speedway unveiled the “Lightnin’ Epton Ticket Office” on Thursday, a huge, emotional surprise to the 102-year-old who still comes to work each day.
Juanita “Lightnin’” Epton, who recently celebrated a birthday on July 15, has been a member of the Speedway’s ticket office operations at the storied 2.5-mile track dating back to 1958 when the historic venue was being built by NASCAR founder “Big” Bill France in preparations for the inaugural DAYTONA 500 in 1959. The rock of the ticket office for so many years, Lightnin,’ whose warmth and kindness has made her a part of the fabric of the iconic track, will again be working in the ticket office this weekend for the Wawa 250 and Coke Zero Sugar 400 – the Saturday night ‘last-chance’ event to make the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.
“I just don’t know what to say,” said an emotional Epton, who is not only loved by the Speedway and NASCAR, but by the fans, teams and drivers who attend Daytona races. “This place and these people mean so very much to me, I can hardly express my emotions with this honor. I truly feel so grateful to be standing here today, seeing my name, forever being a part of this speedway. It feels so surreal.”
The ceremony took place just outside the main entrance of the new Lightnin’ Epton Ticket Office. A huge crowd of NASCAR employees gathered for the celebration, including NASCAR and IMSA Chairman Jim France, NASCAR Executive Vice Chair Lesa France Kennedy and Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher.
“The France family has meant so much to me over the years,” said Epton, who says her nickname “Lightnin’” was coined by her late husband Joe when they first got married, claiming he never knew when and where she’d strike. “I remember Bill Sr. told me years ago that as long as I wanted to work I could – and I’ve taken him up on that offer.”
The Eptons shared a love of racing, and Joe was NASCAR’s first chief scorer from 1947- 1985. The couple had first met “Big Bill” at the fairgrounds in Spartanburg, S.C. in 1945, where Joe was scoring races. While having worked the Daytona beach/road course events prior, they made the full-time move to Florida when France began building Daytona International Speedway in ’58. It was then that Lightnin’ started working at the ticket office alongside Anne B. France, Big Bill’s wife.
Epton has always believed her place was in the ticket office but had never even seen the iconic DAYTONA 500 race in person until 2018, when she watched a portion of the event from a suite. An institution at the track for more than six decades, NASCAR’s oldest employee and Grenada, Miss. native will now have her name as a permanent piece in the iconic Speedway’s history.
“We wanted to do something special to honor Lightnin,’ to show her how important she is and has been to so many people,” said Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher. “She has seen this Speedway from its birth to what it’s become today. She has been so inspirational to so many through the years, and the backbone of the ticketing operation. She really deserves this, and we are incredibly proud to be with her today.”
The new “Lightnin’ Epton Ticket Office” sign is just to the left of the main entrance of the Speedway’s Ticket & Tours Building.
Fans can pick up their tickets at the Lightnin’ Epton Ticket Office for the action-packed race weekend this Friday and Saturday, Aug. 26-27. Friday’s Wawa 250 Powered by Coca Cola begins at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 gets the green flag at 7 p.m., as drivers fight for their last shot to make the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
For information regarding ticket purchasing or further details about the upcoming race weekend at the World Center of Racing, visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com
Fans can also stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as the all-new NASCAR Tracks App, for the latest speedway news.
About Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a state-of-the-art motorsports facility and was awarded the SportsBusiness Journal’s prestigious Sports Business Award for Sports Facility of the Year in 2016. Daytona International Speedway is the home of The Great American Race – the DAYTONA 500. Though the season-opening NASCAR Cup Series event garners most of the attention – as well as the largest audience in motorsports – the approximately 500-acre motorsports complex, also known as the World Center of Racing, boasts the most diverse schedule of racing on the globe. In addition to at least nine major event weekends, the Speedway grounds are also used extensively for events that include concerts, civic and social gatherings, car shows, photo shoots, production vehicle testing and police motorcycle training. The iconic venue was the site of a host of motorsports events early in 2022, beginning with AHRMA Classic Motofest and the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA in January, and the 64th DAYTONA 500, which debuted the first points race for NASCAR’s ‘Next Gen’ car as part of Speedweeks Presented by AdventHealth, in February. The tradition-rich 81st Annual Bike Week at DAYTONA returned in March, featuring DAYTONA Supercross and the DAYTONA 200. May saw the “Welcome to Rockville” concert and the Heroes Honor Festival while during July 4th weekend, the track, in association with Torneos, hosted the first annual Daytona Soccer Fest. The NASCAR Cup Series returns for the final race of the regular season with the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Aug. 27 while Saturday, Aug. 26 will see the Wawa 250 for the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
