William "Eddie" Edgar Gossage

William Edgar Gossage, the racing promoter and former president of Texas Motor Speedway for over 20 years, passed away on May 16th, 2024.
Gossage was born on October 15, 1958, to H.L. and Lucille Gossage in Nashville, TN. He was the middle of three sons. He is survived by his wife, Melinda; son, Dustin; daughter, Jessica; daughter-in-law, Lauryn; grandchildren, Lyra, Evelyn, and Oliver; and brothers Jeffrey and Craig.
After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University in 1982, Gossage began his long career in the racing business taking the assistant general manager and public relations role at Nashville International Raceway. Gossage spent a short time in a public relations role at Bristol Motor Speedway before joining Miller Brewing Company in late 1983. There he worked as the marketing communications supervisor for the company’s national racing program. By 1989, Gossage was working as the Vice President of Public Relations at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
He was one of the main catalysts for the “One Hot Night” promotion at the 1992 All-Star Race formerly known as The Winston. The promotion saw Musco lights installed to illuminate the track so the race could be run at night. An unprecedented feat as no track of its size had been successfully illuminated on this scale. It was a spectacle that remains one of the most memorable races in the history of the event. The promotion included a pre-race press conference where Gossage was responsible for accidentally setting Bruton Smith’s hair on fire.
Despite the stunt gone wrong, Gossage and Bruton Smith, the owner of Speedway Motorsports the parent company in ownership of Charlotte Motor Speedway, developed a strong bond.
In 1994, Smith wanted to expand and build a track in North Texas, so he sent Gossage to head the project. In 1997, Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) opened with a capacity of 150,000 seats with Eddie Gossage at the helm as its president.
Gossage spent 25 years as the president of TMS. During that time Gossage’s larger than life personality and skills as a promoter drove the success of the track. He was responsible for the creation of the “No Limits” promotional campaign that saw the infield turned into a party. He brought wakeboarders to a pool in the infield, MMA fights to the NASCAR garage, live chainsaw sculpting on the front straight away, and a trained monkey to the grandstands to sell programs. Thanks to Gossage you could watch NASCAR on the world’s largest HD video display, aptly named “Big Hoss TV.” He would proudly show you the 2014 entry in the Guiness Book of World Records or tell you just how much bigger Big Hoss was than the one on display at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Who could forget the time he rode a horse into the media center and gifted it to Dale Earnhardt Jr. as a retirement present?
He was a true fan of auto racing. Gossage brought the Indy Racing League to Texas beginning in 1997. During his time at TMS you could drag race down Pit Road on Friday nights. Thursdays you could find him at TMS’s dirt track watching sprint car racing. Beginning in 2014, you could watch airplanes race when TMS first hosted the Red Bull Air Races.
Almost anywhere you could find Gossage, he was interacting with the fans. He loved the sport and would happily talk to anyone about it. He spread the gospel of auto racing and in doing so made his mark on so many lives.
He cared as much about his legendary promotions as he did about the lasting relationships he developed through the sports and entertainment industries. To him his friends were as important as family. His impact on them was as grand as his impact on the world of motor sports.
Gossage retired in 2021. He focused on a public speaking career and occasional consulting. He wanted to be a motivational speaker because he had always enjoyed being a “manager of people”. He wanted to teach people how to become the best version of themselves by sharing the lessons he had learned.
Eddie was passionate about riding motorcycles. He traveled far and often; more often with those few select friends he called 'The Band'. He was always excited to participate in the Annual Kyle Petty Charity Ride, where he also served on the Board of Directors. Gossage’s love of the Charity Ride came from his love of his friends and fellow riders as well as serving to benefit the Victory Junction Camp.
To his grandkids he was “EG.” He was as great a grandfather as he was a showman. He will be greatly missed but never ever forgotten by his three grandchildren. They were his biggest fans.
Eddie and Melinda are members of Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. Eddie lived out his faith in how he treated friends and fans alike and how he loved and cared for people.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to:
Gateway Church, 500 S. Nolen, Suite 300, Southlake, Texas, 76092: gatewaypeople.com or to
Victory Junction, 4500 Adam’s Way, Randleman, NC, 27317: victoryjunction.org noting “In memory of Eddie Gossage”.
Service for Eddie will be held on Thursday, June 13th at 10:30am at Gateway Church in Southlake.