Where have you gone, Zack Staley?

Later this month, it will be a year since driver Zack Staley tried to karate kick his way through Emilee Lewis' windshield.

For those that don't remember, Lewis' car was parked near the start-finish line just after a tremendous finish in a 20-lap Street Stock race that led to fisticuffs between the Staley and Lewis families.

That scene, and the videos from it, still resonates today and helps explain whey Bowman Gray Stadium is nicknamed "The Madhouse."

Saturday night will be the halfway point of this season, and since that incident Staley has remained banned from racing at the famed quarter-mile track. In fact, he's not even allowed to come watch his son, Kyler, race there.

"I miss the fans," said Staley, 41, who grew up on the south side of Winston-Salem and had been going to the track since he could remember. "I miss the track, and I miss everything about (racing on Saturday night) except for the people that run it."

Those people that run it are Gray Garrison and Austin Shuford, the co-promoters of one of the longest-running weekly racing series in the country.

Is there a path for Staley to return to the Street Stock Division? There doesn't appear to be one at this point.

Garrison, whose family used to own Winston-Salem Speedway Inc., sold the lease to NASCAR three years ago. Shuford is the general manager of the weekly series and was hired by NASCAR to run the daily operations. Garrison has stayed on as a consultant since the sale of the lease of the stadium.

The City of Winston-Salem owns the stadium, and the lease is now owned by NASCAR.

When Garrison was asked if there is a path back for Staley, he said: "That's a question for Austin."

When Shuford was asked about the status of Staley last week, he didn't want to comment.

What others are saying

Emiliee Lewis, who decided to wreck Staley soon after the checkered flag, doesn't regret her role in the fracas that took place on June 28 of last summer.

"No, I don't think he's changed at all," Emilee said about Staley and his possible return at some point. "I don't regret wrecking him after the checkered (flag). And he might not regret what he did, so if he's good with it, I'm good with it."

Lewis' father, Brad, who ended up just nipping Kyler (Zack's son) at the finish line, has never had a problem with Zack on the track.

"The problem I have with Zack is not what's he's done on the racetrack," Brad said. "It's the speeding through the pits, turning sideways, and it's outside the actual track."

Staley is prominent on social media, particularly Facebook. That's why Staley won't be welcomed back to the track anytime soon, says the Lewis family.

"It's also his Facebook page and the way he attacks people," Brad said. "I know he's getting clicks, but that part can ruin people's lives. Social media is great as far as sponsors, but I almost wish we didn't have it, because it's killing the sport."

Said Emilee: "He still keeps the drama going on Facebook."

By the latest count, Staley has almost 6,000 followers on his personal Facebook page and nearly 30,000 on his Zack Staley racing page.

Social media prowess

It's also been well-known around the track that soon after Staley was suspended last summer, he posted Shuford's phone number online encouraging his fans to text or call the promoter.

Posts from Staley often appear after somebody does something at the track and is not suspended. Kyler (three weeks) and Emilee (one week) also were suspended last summer.

When Staley was asked if his social media posts are keeping him from driving again at the stadium, he didn't think so.

"I mean, if that's the case, we've got a discrimination charge, because I mean my social media ain't got nothing to do with my actions at the racetrack," he said. "As far as my Facebook posts, I feel like that's my freedom right there, and that's my freedom of speech."

Before this season began, Staley received a letter from Winston-Salem Speedway banning him from the track and the stands from March 1 through Aug. 31 of any year.

In other words, the ban could likely carry over to next season.

The letter states that if Staley does return to the track, it would be trespassing and law enforcement would be called.

"I've gone all the way up to NASCAR, and they told me it's a Bowman Gray Stadium and Winston-Salem Speedway decision," Staley said.

When asked if Staley could come back to race in 2027 if cleared to do so, he was noncommittal.

"I would come back for one race for my fans, but there's always going to be a target on my back, or on my car in this case," he said.

He's still racing

While he owns his son's car, Staley recently bought a Modified and a late model car. He also may buy a legend's car.

"I've raced some down in Mobile (Alabama) in a Crown Vic, and we're going to run in Pensacola (Florida), so that's been going pretty well," Staley said. "We also are going to run in Montgomery, and then I'm going to the Freedom Factory racetrack in November (in Bradenton, Florida)."

Throughout this season at Bowman Gray Stadium, many fans have been spotted wearing "Free Staley" T-shirts.

Staley said he stays in contact with his fans as much as he can without actually being at Bowman Gray Stadium.

"I have my NASCAR license, and I can be at any track I want except for Bowman Gray," Staley said.

His career at Bowman Gray

Staley reiterated that he's never deliberately taken anybody out of a race, and that, since growing up several miles from the track, he's been fighting for everything he's earned.

"I don't have a million dollars to fix my car when (stuff) happens, so I'm going to defend what's mine," he said about how he's perceived as a driver. "I'm not going to apologize for that."

Soon after his suspension last summer, Staley did take to Facebook to apologize for his actions on the track. In fact, all of the other parties involved apologized and have returned to the track.

Staley, however, hasn't raced at Bowman Gray since that karate kick to Emilee's windshield.

More rules have been put in place, Staley said, but that hasn't stopped the favoritism.

"It's never been fair, and that's where it all started," Staley said about his beef with Winston-Salem Speedway. "That's why the argument started between us, because they are allowing certain cars to cheat like hell, and we can't compete with that. ... It just isn't fair, and that's all I ever asked is for everybody to be under the same rules."

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