11/28/2025
Alaska Raceway Park
Papa Earl Lackey, the Father of Speed, passes at 85
It is with heavy hearts that we share that Earl Lackey — the “Father of Speed” — passed away early Sunday, November 16. His impact on Alaskan motorsports is immeasurable, and his dedication to politics, church, family, shooting, and community ran just as deep.
Earl and his wife Karen were instrumental in building Alaska Raceway Park into what it is today, pouring their passion into every inch since the mid-90s.
Earl Lackey Obituary:
On November 16, 2025, Earl Lackey, loving husband and father of four children, passed away at home, of pancreatic cancer, at the age of 85. Earl was born February 13, 1940 in Burlington, WI, to Prentice and Larka (nee Storm) Lackey, and raised on farms in East Troy and Waterford WI, developing a strong work ethic and the habit of early rising. His love of shooting was mentored by his neighbor, Eli Cook. He graduated from Waterford High School and attended Luther College, Decorah, IA, majoring in engineering. Unable to afford a return to college, he served in the US Army in Germany as a spec 5 in helicopter maintenance during the building of the Berlin Wall. Returning home, he worked as an engineer for Burlington Brass Works. He married Karen Ann Zuiker on July 11, 1964. He founded Waterford Racing Motors and worked for JI Case as a service representative. Moving to Curtis WI, Earl was a salesman for Galvin Tractor Co and developed a 70 head dairy. Selling the farm, the family moved to Point McKenzie, AK, in 1983 where they developed a 240-cow dairy under contract. Earl then worked as a service representative for NC Machinery and then as a heavy equipment salesman and, later, vice-president of Yukon Equipment Inc. In 1995 he entered into Top End Inc. to re-furbish Alaska Raceway Park. In 1998, he bought out his partners and spent the rest of his life on his passion—auto racing. Although he was president-owner of ARP, he was most visible in jeans and a denim work shirt as the “janitor” grooming the NHRA drag strip or driving the pace car on the NASCAR oval track.
Earl was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Audrey Goehner. He is survived by his wife Karen, four children James (Renee), Michelle, Michael, and John (Heather); five grandchildren (Tanner, Morgan, Makaela, Kaden and Teddy) and “adopted” son Jonas (Gailene) Mast, brother (David) nephews, nieces and numerous friends.
His love of shooting is evidenced by his lifetime membership in NRA, annual trips to WI for hunting whitetail deer, hunting for Kodiak grizzly and an elk on Afognak Island, and pheasant hunting WI and SD. He was a long-time board member and past president of Matanuska Valley Sportsmen, shot league skeet shooting at Grouse Ridge with the Valley Boyz and SASS shooting with the Alaska 49ers. He lovingly cared for his gun collection saying the second amendment says we have a right to keep and bear arms but it says nothing about selling them. He was a lifetime NRA member. He enjoyed restoring cars—’67 Vette, ’69 El Camino—and an old Case farm tractor. He helped all four of his children build their own cars as they were growing up.
He was a founding member of King of Kings Evangelical Lutheran Church, serving as elder and council president. He served on the board of directors at Matanuska Telephone Association for over 20 years moving the co-op into the era of cell phones, internet and DTV. He was active in local politics serving as District 12 treasurer for the GOP, attending district and state conventions and was the oldest Alaskan delegate to the 2024 Republican National Convention.
A funeral service will be held at 2 pm on November 28, 2025 at Janssen Funeral Home in Wasilla. It will be broadcast on Facebook and YouTube under the Alaska Raceway Park Pages. Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to Earl and Karen Lackey Scholarship fund at UAA https://qrco.de/lackey
Submitted By: Michelle Lackey