1on1: Eddie Gossage

He presides over Texas Motor Speedway, where the Samsung 500 will be run this Sunday.

But Eddie Gossage is more than just the president and general manager of TMS. He is the man who once accidentally set Bruton Smith's hair on fire during a track promotion in Charlotte, and not only survived that unintended assault on his boss' already-thinning follicles but later rose to head up one of the most ambitious projects ever attempted by Smith's aggressive Speedway Motorsports Inc. He is the guy who loves to good-naturedly gig his NFL neighbors, the Dallas Cowboys. He is a father who used to coach hockey and recently entertained overtures from some of the power brokers in the National Hockey League, who had visions of him possibly becoming future commissioner of that league.

Gossage carved some time out of his busy schedule to talk one-on-one with NASCAR.COM.

Texas-sized facts

Texas Motor Speedway

Covers 1,500 acres

Seats 159,585

Contains 194 luxury suites

Includes Speedway Club which houses an upscale restaurant, ballrooms and a gym

Includes 10-story Lone Star Tower, which houses offices and 76 luxury condominiums

Celebrated the 10th anniversary of its opening last year

• Track Page | Tickets

Q: What was it like in 1989 when you took the public relations job at what is now Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, knowing you were the 19th man in 15 years to hold that position?

Gossage: It was an exciting time because, to me, Lowe's Motor Speedway -- Charlotte Motor Speedway back then -- was a magical place. What I quickly learned was that there isn't any such thing as magic. It's just hard work. At the time it probably wasn't viewed as the smartest career move, because I think generally the average time lasted on the job was less than a year.

It was a tough place to work, because Humpy (Wheeler, track president and general manager) demanded so much. But I held the record for many years. I left and Jerry Gappens took over, and now he holds the record. We'll see how Scott Cooper does (since Gappens left to become president and GM at New Hampshire International Speedway).

Q: Do you think maybe Humpy is just getting soft in his old age?

Gossage: I think I softened him up for both of 'em, actually. But it was an interesting place to work, to say the least.

Q: What did you learn that you have applied over the years by majoring in journalism at Middle Tennessee State?

Gossage: What I learned is that there are really no limits. You truly are limited only by your imagination. To me, that's a wonderful thing -- to know that you can accomplish anything, that you've got the freedom to do anything that you want to try and pull off. The (SMI) company and its management is fearless. Part of that is Bruton and part might be Humpy, but there are things I've done here in Texas where I've been told, 'Boy, that's genius.' And I go, 'No, that's not genius. That was obvious. It's just having the guts to do it.' That's the challenge to me. Having the guts to do some of the things that we do.

Q: What are one or two of the gutsiest things you've done, then?

Gossage: I'm not going to say best -- they may have been the best, but I'm not going to say best -- but certainly the billboard campaign with Dale Jr. and stepmom this spring took some guts, because I knew it was going to result in some pushback. Like both Kelley Earnhardt and Dale Jr. told me, 'I'm not sure what it means.' I told them, 'That's the absolute beauty of it. It's left to each person to say, really, what does it mean to you?' But that one took some guts. (Continued)