- July 26, 2024
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Juanita “Lightnin’” Epton, who worked at the Daytona International Speedway ticket office since in opened, died on Thursday, May 16, at the age of 103.
“Lightnin’ Epton and her husband Joe were part of my mom and dad, Bill and Anne France’s, team from the early days of NASCAR. They were scoring races, selling tickets and did every other job that needed to be done,” NASCAR CEO Jim France said in a statement. “Lightnin’ was beloved by our staff, fans and drivers alike. Our family will miss Lightnin’ tremendously and our thoughts are with her family and friends as we celebrate her life.”
Joe gave Lightnin' her nickname after they got married, saying he never knew when and where she'd strike. In August, 2022, the speedway renamed the Ticket and Tours building the “Lightnin' Epton Ticket Office.”
She was one of the first people to walk down the staircase of the new speedway when it opened in 1959. But her history with NASCAR and the France family started long before then. Joe and Lightnin’ met NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. in 1945 at the fairgrounds in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where Joe was scoring races.
“The Eptons worked from the Carolinas, coming to Daytona Beach to help with races on the beach, and ultimately moving to Florida for the opening of Daytona International Speedway,” Jim France said. “She worked alongside our family from the very first Daytona 500 through this year’s 66th running of the race, bringing an incredible passion for the track to the ticket office every day.”
