RPW Column: The Strong Woman Behind The Promoters: Heather O’Dell; Jack Of All Trades At Lebanon Valley

RPW Column By: LAURIE FALLIS / RPW – WEST LEBANON, NY – Many times when you mention a race track, the promoter’s name usually comes up along with it. They are the ones that gets the acknowledgement and most of the credit. However, sometimes behind a good man is usually a good woman.

We have the privilege of getting up close and personal with these special women that are behind the scenes of the race track. You could say they are the strong force and supporters of some of the most successful promoters of the Northeast. You could even say they’re the backbone.

We’ll take a look at their paths to how they became involved in the sport and what what their responsibilities are at the racetrack…and maybe a little bit more.

Part four of this series is with another strong and energetic women in racing, Heather O’Dell. O’Dell works for Howard Commander, the promoter of the Lebanon Valley Speedway and is also the long-time girlfriend of Modified driver Wayne Jelley who also competes at the “Valley of Speed.”

First thing I asked Heather was the most obvious question…how did she get involved in racing?

“I never went to a race until after I was dating Wayne in 1999,” O’Dell said. I was 21 years old then, but how we met didn’t involve racing. Our first date, however, was as he took me on a shopping trip…to Bud Olsen Race Cars.”

At that point, Heather saw the back side of the sport, and she was hooked.

“From that time forward, I learned quickly what Stock Car Racing was all about,” she said. “It was a blast. I was going all over with Wayne racing. I was all in.”

O’Dell loved the excitement of the sport, and was interested in it all.

“We traveled to many different tracks that he competed at,” she said. “I was helping on the race team whereever needed. Heck, I even drove the hauler around to tracks. You could say I was hooked.”

Even with that, one may wonder how she came to get her job at Lebanon Valley. How and when did she meet Howard Commander?

“Actually, that was through Bryan Goewey and Wayne,” she said. “Back in the day, there was the Tony Stewart shows where Smoke would go to different tracks racing our Modifieds. Howard had an interest in going so Bryon told him he could ride along to the events we went to. After many trips, we got to know each other.

In 2002 Scott Commander, Howard’s son and Lebanon Valley’s General Manager, Lyle Devore, needed someone to fill a position in the office at the track. Heather inquired.

“I looked into the job and got it,” she said. “They took me on board and it consisted of mainly answering the phones and basic stuff around the office.”

Over the years, Heather’s role at the track started to progress with more responsibilities.

“I started handling ticket sales, VIP stuff. sponsor stuff and also took care of our website,” she said. “I handled the front gate operations as well and also distributed the special badges for the media as well as memberships. I even had to make sure all our radios were charged for race nights. You could say I do a little bit of everything. Heck, people have even seen me mowing the lawn.”

There is one project each year at the Speedway that O’Dell is extremely proud of.

“I also take care of our end of the year banquets,” she said. “That consists of four, two for the Speedway, one for the Dragway and one for our Kart Track.”

Within the last few seasons, Heather’s jobs at Lebanon Valley have gotten a little more involved as she is now Race Director at Commander’s Kart Track, which is on the grounds of the speedway.

“One of the fun and exciting roles now is the Kart Track,” she said. “That’s my baby, I handle things even down to scoring and drivers registrations. It’s very rewarding and those are days I really look forward to.”

Back to the big track, however, what are race nights like?

“They’re very hectic,” she said. “There’s a lot of behind the scene stuff going on. It’s probably because we have to deal with a lot of possible unknowns that could happen. I get to watch maybe one or two of the heat races, that’s about it. However, I make it a point of it to watch Wayne’s feature.”

Where does Heather feel the most pressure from her job…at the big track or at at the karts?

“Absolutely at the big track,” she said. “There’s so much more that can go wrong there. You hope that everything goes off without a hitch. The Kart Track, of course, is a smaller scale and you could say it’s a lighter atmosphere. Plus, your dealing with kids and they are just so much fun.”

Do you have a impact on the decisions that are made for the track?

“We are a team,” she told me. “If Howard, Lyle, myself or anybody has any great ideas that would benefit the track, we discussed them together. It’s cliché, but there’s no I in team. We all work great together.”

What does she think about women involved in racing?

“I feel women bring in more community outreach to this sport,” she said. “I realize that with the older generation, it was more of a struggle to gain respect from the men. Hertha Beberwick, who use to be Howard’s go-to person at the track, had a lot of jobs that needed for her to be a strong women in a man’s world. Women also make the sport family-oriented. It’d be great to see more, over time, become even more involved.”

What’s it like working with Commander and Devore?

“They are both extremely knowledgeable,” she said. “They have been great mentors to me. They’ve been very helpful as well and I can honestly say that everyday is an adventure with them. During racing season, I see those two seven days-a-week…actually more then I see Wayne.”

What is the best part of being in her position at Lebanon Valley?

“I’d say getting to be with the people that enjoy coming to the races,” she said. “It’s fun to see the different generations of fans over the years still coming to the Speedway.”

And the worst?

“That’s easy…the negativity on social media,” she said. “Hands down. You try your best to make things the best possible, and sometimes, what people put up online can be hurtful. Living with a racer and being management can at times be a little awkward, especially when I’m in the middle.”

How has the COVID-19 pandemic we’re in right now affected Heather and the Speedway?

“We are trying to stay positive,” she said. “We’re trying to figure things out as they come. We’re still moving forward with things as if we are racing.”

What type of stuff are they working on?

“We’re trying to be creative on different ideas,” she said. “We did a food drive-thru a couple week’s back at the track and that went over well. It was such a success that we actually sold out of food.”

How about the track itself?

“Lyle, as always, has the track in excellent shape,” she said. “I’m lucky I can do a lot of my work from home as we’ve needed like answering the phones.”

What’s it like trying to get the 2020 season going amid the virus?

“We’re going day-by-day and adjusting our schedule as needed,” she said with confidence. “One thing’s for sure. We are ready to race when our season opener gets the green light.”

In closing I asked Heather if she ever would have imagined, at a young age, that this would be her path in life?

“Not at all would I have dreamed this would be my life,” she said. “Wayne and I have been together for 21 years and I’m very grateful that I now having three step-daughters, five grandchildren that are all amazing and a ton of life-long racing friends.”

Is it safe to say this sport is her love now?

“The racing world has brought me so much excitement in life,” she said. “It’s amazing. The relationships I have developed with Howard and Lyle and also Scott have been priceless.”

Want to do something else?

“Not even a chance,” she said. “I love what I do! Even after 18 years, I wouldn’t trade it for nothing!”