My Dad, husband and I left home around 2pm and made the 150 mile journey east and north to a track we had never been to before. All we knew was that POWRi Midgets and Micros, as well as UMP Modifieds were on the menu, and Tony Stewart and Ken Schrader were scheduled to race.
That last bit of information, more than the racing line-up may have been the biggest draw of the night, at least if the plethora of Home Depot orange in the stands was any indication.
The combination of dirt track Midget racing, NASCAR stars, unbelievably mild temperatures and lack of humidity made for a night that midwestern race fans can usually only dream about. I can count on one hand the number of race nights where everything has come together so perfectly, so this was a rare night indeed!
Our first impression of Macon Speedway was that it was crowded! Cars lined the streets of this small town while Midgets, Micros and Modifieds filled the pits. Fans crowded through the gates and waited in line for autographs from Tony and Kenny. From what I could tell, no one walked away disappointed.
I cruised through the pits for a while, talking to friends and snapping a few shots. Everyone I talked to commented on the weather, so it was obvious that I was not the only one who appreciated it.
The crowd around Tony’s trailer was amazing. Yes, I consider myself a fan, but spending my time in the 12-person deep quagmire of humanity that stood there just waiting for a glimpse of the driver was not my idea of a fun way to spend my time. Anyway, I couldn’t help but having a little sympathy for the guy. All he wants to do is spend his weekend away from his real job doing the kind of racing he truly loves, and he has to be flanked by security guards just to get to the driver’s meeting. I could not live that way, and I wouldn’t trade places with him for many millions of dollars. Being rich and famous is not what it’s cracked up to be.
I thought it was great that Tony came out to race his Midget and I know the fans enjoyed it. It was fun watching him finesse that car around the track, sawing at the wheel, performing heart-stopping slide jobs, and maneuvering through traffic. To me, the person who enjoyed it most was probably Tony himself. Every time I caught a glimpse of the guy, he was smiling, so that has to say something.
Of course, Tony was not the only driver at the track, and he did not steal the show when it came to where he finished the races. A.J. Fike came out on top in the Midget feature, holding on for the win, even after numerous delays due to tangles. Fike was challenged closely by Brad Kuhn and Derrick Myers. Those two rode his tail for all forty laps, doing their best to get around but they just could not get the job done.
Racing wrapped up at the very reasonable hour of 10:30 and we headed on down the road. Even after getting through a little bit of traffic and stopping for travel snacks, we were still back in our own driveway by 1:30 am. Not a bad run at all in my opinion, and definitely worth the trip.
I am working on getting my pics up on the site and will hopefully start loading pages shortly after this post appears, so stay tuned!
1 comment:
Great post! Now, I'm a full blown, foam finger waving, fan of Tony Stewart, but I have been known to let out a hoop and holler for him now and again. I gained a new respect for him at the Chili Bowl in 2006 when he injured his arm. The next day I saw him out in the pits signing autographs with his arm in a sling.
Sandi
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