Kansas

All-Time Favorite Kansas Track:

Airport Raceway

Current lifetime trackchasing state rank:  1

Best Memories:

The trailer race at the Achison County Raceway in Achison was one of the most entertaining races I’ve ever seen….anywhere. The Airport Raceway (above) way out in Garden City isn’t close to anywhere but the little bullring produced some fantastic midget racing. I’ve been to the Belleville Nationals twice for four nights of racing. That track is insanely fast.

The Caney Valley Speedway is another really racy little bullring. I had some fun Sunday afternoon racing at the Dirtona Raceway (above) on a 98-degree Kansas summer afternoon. The Dodge City Raceway is a high-quality facility out again in the middle of nowhere. Didn’t care much for the Heartland Park Topeka road course.

Back in 2000, I met fellow trackchasing competitor John Moore from Tennessee for the first time at the Humbolt Speedway. Had a great at the track interview while sitting in the grandstands at the Jetmore Racing Complex. It can be a long walk from the parking lot to the track at the Kansas Speedway. At my last Cup race there the “sign” yielded a free ticket. The Kansas Speedway is not my favorite NASCAR track.

The Lakeside Speedway (above) is a well-run track even on a cold and windy night. I drove 750 miles to see seven F8 cars, qualify, have a 5-car heat race and a 5-car feature race at the Lane County Fairgrounds in Dighton. Don’t worry. It’s what I do. Just three F8 cars showed up at the Marion County Fairgrounds in Hillsboro. Good UTV racing but unsafe spectator conditions at the Miami County Raceway in Paola.

Saw David Murray (above), who had 324 IMCA wins at the time, race at the Oberlin Speedway. Met driver Larry McDaniels at the Park City Raceway in Valley Center. At the RPM Speedway way out in Hays, I ran into Pennsylvania fellow trackchasing competitors Gordon Killian and Mike Knappenberger. They were intrigued when the track announcer welcomed the “World’s #1 Trackchaser” to the track. At the Soloman Valley Speedway in Beloit spectators get pelted with mudballs while standing in the concession line! That was a first. It was 104 degrees for an afternoon F8 race at the Sumner County Fairgrounds in Caldwell.

At the Thomas County Raceway in Colby when the wind shifted it became the dustiest track I’ve ever seen and that is truly saying something. Finally made it to the WaKeeney Speedway (above) and they rewarded me with some excellent racing. Awesome mini-sprint racing at the Washington Speedway in Washington and a fun at the track interview with two enthusiastic announcers.

If you see a track link in the above list simply click on it to be transferred to my Trackchaser Report. Here you will be able to read about my adventure at this particular track. Not only will you learn about my time at the track but you’ll hear about all of the interesting people, places and things I encountered during the entire trip, coming and going, to that speedway. Most of my Trackchaser Reports will also include a photo album and YouTube video. Check it all out. Don’t be afraid to use the “search” box in the upper right corner of my website’s home page. Just type in the track name or whatever and you’ll be directed to the place you want to be.

Below is a key to surface types and track configurations so you can understand the above list just a little bit easier.

Surface types:  D-dirt; P-paved; M-mixed

Configuration types:  O-oval; RC-road course; F8-figure 8 track