The finishing touches are being done this week to Midway Speedway, a new dirt track auto racing facility east of Lebanon, in preparation for the track's inaugural race Friday. Above is the main grandstand with the concession stand in the background. Above the concession stand will be four air-conditioned VIP booths. LDR photo/Matthew J. Wilson
By Matthew J. Wilson
It's taken longer than the six months originally anticipated, but Laclede County soon will have a second dirt stock-car racetrack with the opening of Midway Speedway.
Local businessman and race enthusiast Harold Armstrong's dream of owning his own track looks to be nearly fulfilled when racing at the 3/8ths mile, semi-banked oval opens at 8 p.m. Friday.
Armstrong said it will be very satisfying once the racing begins.
"It's been a long year because we've worked on it pretty well day and night," said Armstrong with the weary gleam in his eye of a first-time father.
The 1,200 capacity facility that encompasses 30 acres is located about 5 miles east of Lebanon, just a 1/2 mile south on B Highway off of Missouri 32.
Armstrong plans on christening the new track with a $10,000 fireworks display.
"We're going to have one of the biggest fireworks (displays) that Lebanon has ever had," Armstrong said.
Armstrong's decision to build the track on the land he owned came about in early November of 2002 after learning that the second year of his lease of Lebanon I-44 Speedway would not be renewed for 2003.
Armstrong had leased I-44 Speedway, which he briefly renamed Midway Speedway, for the 2002 season from then-owner Bill Willard, who died in May of 2002.
I-44 Speedway since has been taken over by Monett and Bolivar track promoter Randy Mooneyham, who converted the asphalt track to dirt.
Armstrong guessed he could have his track ready by March of 2003, but ran into some snags.
"There was just a lot more work to it and a lot more involved in what I had planned," he said. "And we built it for safety. We've got a real safe track."
A big reason why it took so long to complete was that Armstrong did a lot of the work himself, to help hold down the cost of the facility that he estimates has cost $350,000.
Also back in 2002, Armstrong had wanted to continue racing on Saturdays, as the sign that hangs at facilities entrance reads.
But Armstrong thought it best to switch to Fridays to give local drivers the opportunity to race at both tracks instead of having to choose one or the other.
"Lebanon runs on a Saturday night and I just think it will go better if we run on a different night then they run," said he said. "We're going to change (the sign) this week."
An official schedule hasn't been released, but Armstrong said the track will feature seven classes of weekly racing -- Late Models, 305 Wing-Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, Factory Stocks, Bombers and Mini Stocks.
Armstrong is ironing out details for sponsors and likely will put together a few special promotions, including some enduro races, that he will release as the season, which is slated to end in September, goes on.
Sponsors have the opportunity to purchase one of four air-conditioned VIP booths located above the grandstand concessions or sign space around the track.
By the 2005 campaign opener in April, Armstrong said he'll have a full season of sponsors and special promotions mapped out.
Some of the features at the track include a lawn chair section, a new scoreboard, digital scales in the middle of the infield, concession stands and bathrooms in the grandstand and pit areas, bleachers in the pit area, tier parking in the pit area and improved safety features.
"We put a lot of cables and things around the track," Armstrong said. "We put real heavy chain link around it and we've got a fence 4 feet from our regular fence where no kids can get against the main fence. We've poured the walls a lot thicker than most of them (are) poured and then we put, I call them kickouts, every 10 feet on the back so the wall can't give."
Armstrong said there is plenty of seating, but some fans like to bring their own lawn chairs.
"Bring your chair and just sit wherever you want to sit," he said.
With a strong belief that racing is about building family relations in a family atmosphere, Armstrong said alcohol and the sale of alcohol will not be tolerated at Midway Speedway.
"There will not be any alcohol beverages allowed on the premises," he said. "This is owned by my family and we are going to do a lot of stuff for the kids.
"We just want to make it a fun, family place where a family can bring their kids and not have to worry about fighting."
Armstrong said community tracks sometimes get a bad reputation because of fighting, which he believes is fueled by alcohol use.
"There has been a lot of that going on this year and we're going to try and take care of that where it won't happen here," he said. "I've got deputies that will be here and we're not going to allow it. If they want to fight, they can go to some other track."
Armstrong added that if drivers or their pit crews are involved with fights, the instigators will be punished by monetary fines. Three-time offenders will be banned from the track.
No stock cars have been tested on the track yet, but Armstrong hopes to have a practice session or two before Friday.
Gates will open at 5 p.m. with racing to be complete by 11 p.m.
Additional Information-Tickets are Adults 8.00 13-15 4.00 and 12 and under Free.Pit Passes 20.00
Payoffs-LateModels 1)700.00 2)450.00 3) 350 4)300 5)250 6)200 7)175 8)150 9)125 10) 100 11)100 12)100 13-24)75
Modifieds-1)400 2)300 3)250 4)200 5)175 6)150 7)125 8)100 9-12)75 13-24)50
SuperStocks-1)250 2)190 3)140 4)120 5)100 6)90 7)80 8)70 9)60 10)50 11-12)40 13-24)30
FactoryStocks-Same as SuperStocks
Bombers-1)150 2)100 3)80 4)70 5)55 6)45 7)40 8)35 9)30 10-24)25
Mini-Stocks-1)150 2)90 3)70 4)60 5)50 6)40 7)35 8)30 9)25 10-24)20
