Imagine being at the race track – sun shining, dirt blowing, crowd raving, and races in action. Well, that is what happened this past weekend at the Kokomo Speedway as they hosted the first 410 non-winged sprint car and midget car races of the season, April 26 and 27. 

     So, to the average reader, what is the history of sprint cars? According to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum, “ Sprint car racing is truly an American sport and is one of the oldest auto racing in the country.” Around 1915, it was discovered that lighter cars with smaller wheel bases were best for a dirt track. Around the 1930s, car racing was popular, but also very dangerous. The National Sprint Car Hall of Fame said, “The driver’s head was high above the rest of the car for optimal visibility, but in a crash, drivers were subject to grave injury caused by hitting any object that got in the way of the speeding car. The average career of a driver was only seven years in this era.” Up until about the 1950s sprint cars were the big cars. In the 1970s the public worried about the safety of sprint cars. This was why “roll cages” were added on sprint cars, cage sprints, or super sprints. Sprint cars are some of the most exciting races, and have most of the lap records on a dirt track of one mile or shorter. 

     On a local note, Landon Butler, a sophomore at Lewis Cass, gave insight about his sprint car racing career and how he became a sprint car racer. Landon has raced at the Kokomo Speedway four times. Butler was asked what his favorite thing was about racing sprint cars, and he said, “ My favorite thing about racing sprint cars is the adrenaline rush I get every time I race; the atmosphere is like no other. At times, it can be the most fun thing to do, but it can also be very frustrating.” Landon has been racing since he was five years old. He started out racing in go-karts, but after six years, he started in sprint cars. He travels for racing, and he loves it because he gets to go to really cool places for the first time, and not just meet, but also race against new people. Butler stated, “I like traveling and racing at new tracks that I have never been to before because it helps me as a driver, so that when I experience these different tracks, it helps me for the next time I race at a track similar to it. Not only that, but all the memories that me, my dad, and my grandpa share going from place to place.” Landon moved from Florida to Indiana (in 8th grade) for racing. He thinks it was a very surreal experience for him, moving to Indiana for racing because all of the tracks in Indiana are way better, and it is “every kid’s dream to race in Indiana every weekend with some of the best drivers.” Landon is racing the Little 500 at the Anderson Speedway in Anderson, Indiana. The Little 500 is an event that is held to imitate the Indianapolis 500. The Little 500 is a 125-mile sprint car race, and 500 laps. It is the longest continuous pavement sprint car race in America. The cars make pit stops and line up in eleven rows of three. This race has 33 non-wing sprint cars. According to the Anderson Indiana Speedway, the Little 500 will start at 8:00 pm on May 24. The Little 500 brings much excitement and joy to many fans and drivers. Landon is very excited but nervous for this upcoming race because it will be one of the biggest races in his career, and there will be many talented drivers. There will be many drivers coming from other states to race the Little 500 as well. Butler said,  “This will be one of the hardest races for me ever, and it is one of the hardest races on a person’s body in a small period of time.” When asked how he got into racing, Landon responded he was basically born into the sport. He was one year old when he went to the track for the first time. His great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and uncle have all raced. His grandmother even raced go-karts for a short period of time! “This is why racing means so much to me because of all the history that we have, and it means so much to me that I can carry on that legacy,” said Butler. 

     So, in conclusion, sprint car racing is a very popular sport to watch and be involved in. Also, it is cool that we have a student here at Lewis Cass who is involved in this sport, and can give more insight on what it is like to be a racer.