Mitch Calvert
There still are several months before the roar of engines will be heard at the Emo Speedway again, but the Borderland Racing Association already is in full swing looking ahead to its 2009 season, which will mark the 55th anniversary of the track.
“We decided to get an early start on the season to prep people up for it. The whole 2009 year is a time to celebrate the anniversary, not just the summer,” association president Anthony Leek said.
Fans are being encouraged to participate in weekly trivia contests, which are listed on their website at www.borderlandracing.com
All of those who correctly get the answer right are entered into a draw for a chance to win one grandstand pass to a weekend race during the summer.
“It’s aimed at creating awareness of the history of the track, and how things happened and when they happened,” Leek noted.
“The first week we had four or five people [enter], last week we had 11, and this week we had five on the first day, so I’m hoping that we have 30, 40 entries a week come March and April to get people riled up.
“Hopefully, I don’t run out of trivia questions,” Leek added with a laugh.
The association also is encouraging fans to create a logo to commemorate the 55th anniversary, with the winning entry getting a season pass.
“We want something that represents the history of the facility, so what better way to get a logo than have fans send one in,” Leek explained. “I’ve heard we have 15, 16 people from the Rainy River District who plan to submit something, and it’s great news.”
The deadline for submissions is Feb. 22.
The logo is expected to be made into decals for the cars, and possibly some sort of merchandise line, although Leek said those details will be finalized with the board of directors after a design has been finalized.
July 25 is expected to be the official anniversary weekend, coinciding with the first races at the track back on July 30, 1954.
“We’re looking at doing a photo shoot with past drivers, maybe having cake, having a display of old photos,” Leek noted. “It’s still early, obviously, but we’re definitely looking to do a lot of things that night to commemorate the event.”
The Emo Speedway has received a makeover of sorts since last season, laying clay on the track back in the fall.
“We put on 300 loads of clay so it’s almost a completely re-surfaced track, nice level grade from the top to the bottom instead of looking like a bowl,” Leek remarked.
“Hopefully we make it nice and smooth, and make it enjoyable for the fans and the drivers.”
The local circuit has seen an increase of young drivers in recent years, which bodes well for the longevity of the Emo Speedway.
“The past couple years we’ve had a lot of young drivers come in,” Leek noted. “Guys like my brother, Christopher Leek, Mike Wilson, Brady Caul, Matt DePiero, and so on.
“As everyone gets older, there’s a cycle that has to happen and if you don’t get that, it’s not going to last forever, so we do the best we can to get new people involved,” he stressed.
“There’s going to be a couple new girls in the Street Stock division this year, too, so I’m really pumped about this summer,” Leek added.
