On Thursday, April 20th I added another first time track to my list with my first ever visit to the Atchison County Raceway just North of Atchison Kansas. On the card for this night was a return trip by the USMTS Modified series after a successful first time visit in 2016. Along with the Modifieds, the track's own E Mods were also in action.
Atchison is quite a historic town and while I have driven through the town a few times, just driving by on the highway doesn't quite do it justice. Atchison is famous as a railroad town (the Atchison and Topeka Railroad was one that helped settle the West), and flying ace Amelia Earhart was born in Atchison. Atchison is also a river town, nestled right on the banks of the Missouri River, and a drive through the heart of Atchison with its historic homes is like a trip back in time.
But we were not in Atchison for a history lesson, but instead to catch the racing action at the tiny Atchison County Raceway, also known as "The Cage." As I rode through town and headed North on a town road that was up and down hills, I just wasn't sure what to expect out of this track. But that's part of the fun visiting a track for the first time. You may have heard things about the track, but until you see it for yourself, you just don't know for sure how things will play out.
I can now say that I was very impressed with the track and it met or exceeded my expectations straight across the board in whatever criteria one might use to judge a speedway seen for the first time.
Oh, it is small all right. My thinking was that it was even smaller than the "Mighty" Macon Speedway which is widely heralded as one of the smallest and most action packed tracks on the planet. That assessment seems to be in some dispute as my viewing partner felt Macon to be smaller. They are shaped differently for sure and Atchison is both wider and higher banked. For such a small track, there was absolutely no problem for cars to race side by side as the track may be almost as wide as it is long. The speeds were high and the action nonstop and everything happened very quickly. It very well be the smallest track I've ever seen that full size cars raced on.
The physical layout of the track was much better than I had assumed it would be for some reason. There are plenty of bleacher seats, broken down into three sections and the view from just about anywhere in them is first class. The sound system was excellent and one that many tracks would kill for. Track lighting was good and the concessions building was also well maintained as were the other out buildings on the grounds as everything was neat and well done looking. The only thing they are lacking is a parking lot of any size as the main lot is quite tiny and two auxiliary lots are often used but they are up the road quite a ways and some walking is required to reach them. Lots of concrete and blacktop have been laid down around the main buildings and the entire facility is very functionally laid out. They even have a catwalk in the number one corner for pit personal to use and one for the fans behind the grandstands in turn four. Overall, just a very well laid out place.
I had a chance to talk to track owner Phil Birkinsha who told me this is the sixth year for the track which was a former asphalt plant before it was converted to a race track. The maintenance building was added on to with a tower and concession area and he said they just started digging a hole and then filling it in with clay to form the track. He has been trying to acquire additional land for parking etc. both to the West and East of the track but so far has not succeeded in getting any. Perhaps the most glaring problem(literally) is that the track faces West and the setting sun creates the same blinding effect that 34 Raceway fans know only too well.
Thursday's show was Todd Staley's show with him controlling the front and back gate and Phil taking the concessions. Staley does this on a regular basis with some of the tracks that he puts shows on at.
Twenty five of the USMTS cars signed in to race on Thursday, the exact number that also ran in last year's inaugural event here. Unfortunately, before racing began two were eliminated when R.C. Whitwell had motor issues and Lance Town also scratched out for the night. Most of the "name" drivers were on hand with the glaring exception of the Jason Hughes team along with Ryan Gustin. Rodney Sanders was not expected to be in attendance but with the weather looking shaky for his planned Late Model runs this weekend, he caught a ride in Town's second car. With that car being an MB Custom, it suited him to a "t" as that is what he is used to running.
Four heats and a B feature set the field for the fifty lap finale with all cars starting the main event. For most of the race, the Scott brothers were the stars of the show but at the end, neither ended up in victory lane. Starting in the front row side by side, it was Stormy that led the first thirteen laps. Unfortunately for him, as he caught up to lapped traffic, there was a scramble in front of him and he got clipped hard by another car with the result being some major suspension damage that put him in the pits.
Brother Johnny then inherited the lead but he was receiving heavy pressure from Cade Dillard, Sanders and then Thornton Jr. Things got very interesting at about the three quarter mark with Thornton Jr making a strong bid for the lead. They took turns sliding jobbing each other and Ricky ended up taking over the top spot. Chase Junghans, who had turned in a good run, hammered the wall with just two laps to go, which set up a sprint to the finish.
Zack VanderBeek, who was one of the few drivers that worked the low side of the track exclusively, suddenly found himself in second and in a typical VanderBeek effort, managed to get from row five into a challenging position while hardly being noticed. He gave it his best effort but Thornton Jr held on for the win. Sixteen of the twenty three starters were still on the track at the race's conclusion.
The E Mods had a small field of cars with two heats and a twenty lap main rounding out their program. Josh Munson came from the third row to win the main event. Interestingly, he was driving the "house car" of the track which is numbered $130 which apparently is the amount required to rent a ride in the car. The car is housed right at the track and anyone who wants to can rent the car and race it. Clearly, the car in not the "dog" that some of these rental cars can be and Munson, while I am not familiar with him, has obviously raced something in the past.
With just the two classes racing, the program moved along at good speed and despite the challenges of the track, there were few yellows. The surface, by the way, rolled in very nicely even though this was the first race of the year at the track, and provided a wide and smooth track to race on all night with a considerable berm for those that liked to bang off of it. The final checkered waved shortly after 9:30 pm. on what was an entertaining program. I liked the track and would definitely attend another event there if given the opportunity.
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