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ROCKFORD SPEEDWAY MATRIARCH JODY DEERY PASSES AWAY
On Monday afternoon June 13 at 3:22 PM, Jody Deery, the long time
promoter at Rockford Speedway and a pillar of the community, passed
away. Mrs Deery was 97 years old.
Starting in 1966, Mrs Deery and her husband Hugh became sole owners of
Rockford Speedway, which is celebrating its 75th year of operations in
2022. Following Hugh's passing in July 1984, Mrs Deery become one of
the first females to solely operate a racing venue in the United
States.
In 1994, Mrs Deery became the first female to win the prestigious
"Auto Racing Promoter of the Year" award.
Mrs Deery had also been on the nominating committee for the NASCAR
Hall of Fame and on the voting panel for inductees since 2013.
Mrs Deery officially retired from day-to-day duties at the track in
September of 2020.
Funeral arrangements are currently being planned for a date in the near future.
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