Albaugh’s Sprint Car Support Is More Than A Suite Tower

Dennis Albaugh (right) with Jason Johnson Racing crew chief Philip Dietz. (Cameron Saich photo)

KNOXVILLE, Iowa – When Dennis Albaugh first sat in the stands at Knoxville Raceway as a kid, he never imagined that moment would propel him to elusive heights in the sprint car world.

What began as an emerging love for the sport has led to the support of a thriving World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series team.

Now, the Iowan’s name is also the latest addition to the Marion County Fairgrounds.

Set to open just in time for the Premier Chevy Dealers Clash on April 18-19, the new Dennis Albaugh Suite Tower sits to the east of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame, helping bookend the Hall of Fame with the Bryan Clauson Suite Tower.

“I had an uncle that took me and my brother along with his other kids down to Knoxville,” Albaugh said. “We’d watch the races, and every year I’ve been going to them and got to really liking them.

“I didn’t think I’d ever have a tower with my name on it on the backside of the track,” he added with a laugh. “I’ve just followed it every year, going to the (Knoxville) Nationals every year. Lots of times, I couldn’t get tickets. We had to scalp them out in the street to get in. My wife also enjoys going to the races. I told my wife, ‘This might be my other calling in life, [because] I really enjoy the heck out of these sprint cars.’”

Albaugh, whose company Albaugh LLC focuses on crop protection, helped make the construction of the new tower possible. It’s a culmination of his commitment to Knoxville and his desire for his own suite.

With none available in recent years and suites seldom being relinquished, the solution was a new building.

“It’s a big thing for the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum and also for Dennis personally,” said Bob Baker, executive director of the Hall of Fame and Museum. “He’d been on our waiting list to get a suite for a long time, and we all realized that unless we build more, there’s nobody that’s going to give their suite up. When we first sat down to talk, Dennis was very excited about helping us build the new tower and then also excited about having his own suite. It was really gratifying the first time we went to talk to him.

“I remember we sent the plans to him, so he could kind of look at what we were thinking about. He saw it and was very excited,” Baker continued. “He came out with all the plans and paperwork under his arm, and he was really excited to sit down and talk with us and said, ‘Let’s make this happen.’”

Albaugh’s help facilitating the tower is far from his first contribution to the sport. He’s been a major partner with one of the top teams on the World of Outlaws circuit – Carson Macedo and Jason Johnson Racing – for the last several years.

“I think I mentioned to a friend of mine, Tony Moro, ‘Someday I’d like to have a Sprint Car that I sponsor myself,’” Albaugh said. “From that, he said, ‘I think I’ve got the team.’ He knew this Bobbi Johnson in Missouri. They were up here for the Nationals. They came over to my facility where I have a car museum and were touring that. I talked with Bobbi, and they were looking for a major sponsor at the time and had this driver by the name of Carson Macedo. I knew of Carson and followed him through the years.

“So, we put a deal together, and it was one year at a time, and since that time we’ve expanded it to more years. It couldn’t have been better. Carson is an unbelievable guy. He’s been very good. He represents my company extremely well.”

Macedo has been a championship contender for several years with the Outlaws and recently picked up his 49th career feature win with the series. Without Albaugh’s support, his rise might not have been possible.

“Having Dennis involved with our team has literally catapulted us to a whole new level,” Macedo said. “JJR, as everyone knows, was kind of set out originally with Jason’s dream just to bring a bunch of sponsors together that maybe couldn’t be primary, so to say corporate sponsors, and just to kind of piece it all together. But obviously having Dennis step up as more of a corporate sponsor and as our primary was huge for JJR to elevate to that next level, and then also to have somebody that’s corporate but not corporate.

“Anyone that’s talked to Dennis realizes he’s got obviously a really big company, but also, he’s such a down-to-earth, easy-going guy. [He’s] just a farmer that has built an amazing business.”

The partnership has brought many memorable moments for Albaugh and JJR, becoming frequent visitors to victory lane with the Outlaws. Perhaps the most meaningful was Macedo’s NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s preliminary night win in 2023. It came only two months after Macedo experienced a fiery crash at Knoxville.

Albaugh was there to witness not only Macedo’s story of redemption, but also see a car with his name on the side in victory lane at the event that he grew up admiring.

“I took down a lot of the family after the race,” Albaugh said. “And that was so much fun going around congratulating all of the pit crew and everybody and (crew chief) Philip Dietz, who is a very key partner that runs the racing operation. I congratulated him and all his family. I’ve gotten to know them pretty well. It was just unbelievable when Carson did that.”

Albaugh’s support doesn’t stop with Jason Johnson Racing. He also sponsors the racing efforts of Chase Randall, Ryan Giles, and J.J. Hickle.

It’s set to be a special weekend for Albaugh. First comes the opening of the suite tower, followed by two nights of watching World of Outlaws racing at The Sprint Car Capital of the World” and enjoying the sport he loves with the people he loves.

“I’m taking my immediate family plus a bunch of other friends down there,” Albaugh said. “I’ve got a suite for 40, and I thought, ‘How am I ever going to fill that with 40? Well, we’re hunting for more tickets right now.”