Eddie Gossage Cause of Death– The former president of Texas Motor Speedway had a unique talent for promoting his beloved sport, using a captivating style reminiscent of a showman who sometimes ventured into controversial territory.
Eddie Gossage Passed away on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the age of 65 due to a return of cancer that he had successfully fought 15 years prior in silence. Apart from a sharp decrease in his recent social media updates, there were not many signs that he had become sick once more.
It seemed like a sudden farewell for a man with plenty to share about racing and whose passionate way of communicating and concern consistently improved racetracks.
Who was Eddie Gossage?
William Edgar Gossage was born on 15 October 1958, in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. He was an American racing executive and promoter. He was best known as the president of the Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5-mile (2.4-kilometer) banked racetrack in Fort Worth, Texas that hosted stock car and Indy car races during his tenure. He had also worked for other companies, handling various public relations jobs.
The idea was not well received after the 1998 race resulted in a major crash and changes to the track, but it also proved that Gossage cleverly knew how to generate publicity for major events (Texas set a record for the largest single-day sports crowd in state history with over 200,000 fans).
Eddie Gossage Career
From the moment he began his motorsports career in 1980 as the PR director of Nashville International Raceway, this native of Nashville, Tennessee, always had something to express and eventually advanced to an executive position at Bristol International Raceway (now Bristol Motor Speedway).
In 1983, he oversaw Miller Brewing Company’s PR for motorsports on a national level, gaining extensive expertise in NASCAR, IndyCar, sports cars, and drag racing, making him highly knowledgeable and a valuable source of quotes for his insightful comments in various areas.
Three years ago, Gossage resigned as president of the racetrack in Fort Worth, Texas, where he had served for 25 years. Overall, Gossage devoted 32 years to Speedway Motorsports, acquiring knowledge on ticket sales, filling grandstands, and transforming races into highly-anticipated events from company founder Bruton Smith and executive Humpy Wheeler.
Gossage had experience in motorsports management at Miller Brewing Co. before moving to Speedway Motorsports in 1989. Three years later, as a young public relations director, he accidentally set his hair on fire while promoting NASCAR’s first nighttime All-Star race called “One Hot Night” during a news conference.
In 2004, he took on the role of TMS president and was among the employees who had been with Speedway Motorsports for a long time.
In August 2010, during a period of low NASCAR attendance and ratings due to the Great Recession, Gossage launched a “No Limits” initiative to connect with both traditional NASCAR fans and younger, trendier audiences.
In 2021, Smith described Gossage as a promoter, ally, and valuable member of the industry as a whole. Smith stated that he had numerous architects, accountants, and attorneys when constructing the Texas Motor Speedway, but what he truly required was promotion. “That was Eddie’s part.”
Texas Motor Speedway general manager Mark Faber stated that every day when he arrives at work, he witnesses the influence the individual had across their property. Eddie established a strong base for future success and transformed Texas Motor Speedway into a source of pride for Texans for years to come.
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