As 2009 begins, it seems to be a long way off before our local racing season starts. However, we were able to take in a racing "event" this past weekend. It was a first time experience, attending an indoor racing venue. Toby Kruse, the promoter of the Marshalltown Speedway, who was recently named the Regional Race Promoter of the Year, put on the Battle at the Barn, at Vet's Auditorium in Des Moines. We don't really know what we were expecting, but it turned out to be an entertaining experience.
When we arrived on Saturday evening, the fumes and the sound of the engines, greeted us as we opened the doors. After finding a comfortable seat upstairs, we saw the last qualifying races, before a break in the action. The pits downstairs were filled with go-karts, motorcycles, 3 wheelers, and 4 wheelers. It was announced there were over 300 entries from 12 states running on the Coke syrup track. The rubber had long been laid down on the track, by the time we arrived. A thin spray of Coke syrup, made for a tacky surface that had quickly taken on the rubber of the tires, and there was a perfect oval track. There were cement barriers with covered bales of hay on the inside for protection. There was a real mix of drivers ranging from maybe a four year old, up to veteran racers from the modified, late model, and sprint car classes. Although it was hard to hear many of the names, some that we did pick up on were Brian Harris, Josh Higday, Richie Gustin, Josh Most, Cayden Carter, and the young son of Damon Murty, former IMCA National Stock Car Champion. There was also a celebrity race and ESPN's Dave Rieff came away with the win, beating out the Round Guy and Lou Sipolt, both from local radio station KGGO.
We saw many drivers and race fans at the event - some racing, some just watching. Just goes to show that racing people are hungry for any type of racing here in Iowa in the winter!
When the real racing season starts, we hope to be able to post results from the races we attend. We look forward to it.
