Every week at I-35 Speedway you will find a variety of racing from Sprint Cars, to Modifieds (A, B, and E), to Stock Cars, to Pure Stocks, to Compacts, to Mod Lites, to Power Wheels, to Midgets, and to Vintage. If you talk to industry experts this variety should not work, but yet, it does every week at I-35 Speedway. The best form of flattery is when other tracks copy what has been working at I-35 Speedway and all you have to do is look around and see other tracks copying what has been working at this track.

What a great weekend this past week was as it started on Friday with the arrival of the KCBS Barbeque teams. Friday night we had the beer tasting in the Trackside Bar and Grill, a band, a fire performance, and the People’s Choice Wing contest. Almost every team prepared five pounds of wings and then for a $5 donation you received 15 different wings to taste and then vote for your favorite. Prior to the last vote being made there was a 3-way tie for first. Congratulations to Turn 2 Pit Crew for winning the People’s Choice award.

The barbeque contest was a fantastic addition to the racing activities as the teams were well represented by an ex-racer, an ex-motorsports executive, and the Wilson family. Got to take the time to explain. The Smoking Hills was the Grand Champion and because this was a state qualifier earns an automatic entry into the American Royal BBQ contest. The Smoking Hills were last year’s American Royal Invitational winner and then went to Florida and earned a huge payday. This team is led by former A Mod racer Loren Hill. The ex-motorsports executive was Ron Milhouse, who started Midwest Motorsports in Ames Iowa and then added the Kansas City, Kansas branch. Finally, we must mention the Wilson family, the Slabbs, is the team headed by Stephanie Wilson, think her name rings a bell, she is Tom Wilson’s daughter. It was great seeing her, her mom Val, and her sister Val, and oh the fun we had! Now not to finish just with Tom’s immediate family but his sister Bunny and her husband Rich Tuttle were the KCBS representatives for this event. Racing, Barbeque, and Beer what could be more family, more American?

This week’s comments – From Loren Hill: This track is perfectly prepared, please let the person know what a great job in track preparation. (I advised Mr. Johnson of this comment). From Ron Milhouse: This track is well manicured, well maintained, we having nothing like this in Iowa, and we also want to thank the great staff we met here at the speedway, what a great weekend. (Ron and his wife were celebrating their 40th anniversary). From Valerie Wilson: Tom and I always wanted to get up to this track but we were always busy on Saturdays. From John and Billijo Buschman: Already looking forward to next year and you should prepare for 30+ teams..we will let every one know about how great every thing was. Looking forward to coming back just for racing before the season ends. From Bunny Tuttle: For a first time event this is one of the most organized and well prepared. From Turn 2 Pit Crew: Wow this is the first barbeque we have been in we received the tally sheets at the awards ceremony.

What racing we had all night long. Even at intermission the Power Wheels race was a dandy race considering we had electric power versus human power. It is simply outstanding watching the youth and their parents enjoy our sport even in this simplest form. Race fans enjoys this race, as wel,l as very few headed for the normal intermission stop until after this race was completed. Speaking of youth, we are blessed to have Mickey, Isaac, Noah, and Evan join our team of officials. All four of these young men are new to racing, all are in their teens, and all have already picked up the love of racing. Speaking of youth, our tower gate keeper Colten wanted to visit the tower, so we accommodated, and Race Director Carl Flower even let him talk on the Raceiver Radio to the drivers in the Charger class. We have to have young people in all areas of racing to continue our sport!

This week WAR returns in another chance to see the non-wing sprinters tackle the high banks of I-35 Speedway. See you at I-35 Speedway where the race fan gets the most racing for their money.