ABOUT GMP
Gresham Motorsports Park (GMP) is one of the most modern and fan-friendly racing and entertainment facilities in the United States.
Located on the site of the old Peach State Speedway near Jefferson, GA, Gresham Motorsports Park is now under the direction of Track Properties, LLC (TP), a real-estate holding company. TP is an LLC whose primary member is James V. (Jim) Gresham, Chairman and Chief Executive officer of numerous entities including Gresham & Associates, Inc., a commercial insurance agency, and Gresham Motorsports, a racing enterprise focused on developmental driver initiatives.
Under this partnership, the old Peach State Speedway has been renovated into a state-of-the art motorsports facility and multi-purpose complex for various types of community events and regional activities as well. Gresham Motorsports Park will be a huge asset to Jackson County, the Atlanta metro area and the state of Georgia – a place where participants and visitors can enjoy recreational activities in a safe, clean, fun entertainment facility.
The primary focus of the park will be competition on the half-mile asphalt track known in racing circles as "Georgia’s Fastest Short Track." A new quarter-mile track in the infield of the half-mile oval has been added to provide additional racing programs for multiple divisions.
New grandstands, rest rooms, concessions, parking and lighting have made the facility attractive to local groups looking to stage events at a multi-purpose community gathering place.
Additional information about Gresham Motorsports Park can be viewed on this website or accessed by contacting info@GreshamMotorsportsPark.com.
PERSONAL PROFILES–
Jim Gresham
Jim Gresham was a fan of auto racing long before he attended the first-ever NASCAR event at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1961.
A Drag Racer at heart, Gresham was an avid straight-line competitor for years before turning the family’s attention to Stock Car Racing. In recent years, Gresham has competed in the Thunder Car Division of 600 Racing winning several events and championships.
In 2002, Gresham officially formed Gresham Motorsports, an Atlanta-based race team that specializes in Driver Development Programs at the Bandolero, Legends, and Late Model Stock Car division levels. Housed in a gleaming 10,000 square foot complex just two miles from Atlanta Motor Speedway, Gresham Motorsports has jump-started the careers of several top drivers including current NASCAR Sprint Cup stars David Ragan and Joey Logano.
In 2008, Gresham formed Track Properties, LLC (TP), a real-estate holding company and the parent of Gresham Motorsports Park (GMP). Located on site of the former Peach State Speedway in Jefferson, GA, the new Gresham Motorsports Park will open in November 2009 after a multi-million dollar facelift that includes resurfacing of the facility’s half-mile asphalt oval and the addition of an infield quarter-mile track. New grandstands and concession areas and refurbished rest rooms, parking amenities and lighting enhancements are also a part of the project.
Gresham and his wife Gail live in Stockbridge, GA and have one son – Tony - and three grandchildren - Haley, Max and Charlie.
Tony Gresham
Tony Gresham grew up in the shadow of Atlanta Motor Speedway and once used a family tractor to pull race fan’s cars out of the mud after a heavy rainstorm hit the track.
Tony got involved in the racing on a personal basis when he purchased a Bandolero car for his son Max in 2002. Since then, Tony and his father, Jim, have built the effort into Gresham Motorsports, a multi-division race team that fields Late Model, Legends, Bandolero and Thunder Roadster entries.
Professionally, Tony joined the family business – Gresham and Associates - in 1986 after completing his degree in Risk Management/Insurance from Florida State University. Soon after, he received his CPCU and ASLI (Associate in Surplus Line Insurance) designations while. In addition to providing casualty brokerage expertise, Tony oversees various operations of Gresham and Associates including the Marketing, MIS, Underwriting and Claims areas. He is an active member of numerous associations including NAPSLO and AAMGA, and serves on the advisory board of Scottsdale Insurance Company.
Tony lives in Griffin, GA and has three children – Haley, a student at Berry College in Rome, GA, and Max and Charlie, who both attend Woodward Academy in College Park Ga.
Ben Finley
Ben Finley is a newcomer to racing earning his stripes as the Administration Director at Gresham Motorsports Park. Finley, 23, is a lifelong Dawsonville, GA resident and grew up around the famed Elliott brothers and their NASCAR Sprint Cup operation.
Finley, a graduate of White Creek Christian Academy who also earned an Accounting degree from North Georgia College and State University in 2008, is single.
Dan Elliott
Born, raised, and still a resident of Dawsonville, GA (fourth generation), Dan Elliott got his first taste of Stock Car Racing as a child when his father took him to local stock car races.
A devotee of the sport, Elliott followed the exploits of NASCAR drivers Curtis Turner and Gober Sosebee as a youth. Elliott eventually made his way to the NASCAR ranks with his family-owned team in the 1970’s as the transport driver and gear/transmission specialist. He was also considered one of the top pit crew members/tire changers in the sport from 1976-1991.
Elliott – a member of the 1988 NASCAR Winston (now Sprint) Cup championship winning team - was instrumental in lobbying NASCAR to implement pit road speed limits in 1991.
Elliott, the General Manager at Gresham Motorsports Park, is retired from active NASCAR competition and continues to be active in the sport on a consulting basis. He also teaches a Motorsports class at Lanier (GA) Technical College.
Elliott, 58, and his wife Lollie have three children - Sheena, Daniel and Janet.
John Close
John Close worked his first NASCAR race at Bristol, TN in 1986 and since then the Wisconsin native has staffed countless NASCAR events as a journalist, public relations specialist, marketing representative, team manager and raceday spotter.
Close, 56, earned an undergraduate degree in 1976 in Mass Communications/Journalism from the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh. A former Sports Editor at an Associated Press newspaper in Fort Atkinson, WI, Close’s work has appeared in several top national racing publications including Winston Cup Scene, Winston Cup Illustrated, Stock Car Racing, Circle Track and Speedway Illustrated Magazines. He has also written two books – Tony Stewart –From Indy Phenom To NASCAR Superstar - and - The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series - Desert Dust To Superspeedways.
In 2009, Close will conduct media initiatives for Gresham Motorsports Park, Gresham Motorsports and driver Max Gresham.
A regular guest every Wednesday at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on 'Tradin' Paint,' a Sirius Satellite Radio program on Sirius NASCAR Channel 128, Close and his wife Gail live in Charlotte, NC. They have one son, Sam, a Master Certified Automotive Technician who works for the Hendrick Automotive Group in Charlotte.