Five years ago, Clint Hanson wondered if people would remember.
There was a time in Columbus when go-kart racing used to be a popular, family event that attracted big crowds.
For some reason, though, the popularity waned and the annual event eventually disappeared.
Today, the excitement is back and just might be bigger and better then ever.
Go-kart racers ages 5-65 from across the Southeast will converge today at Propst Park in Columbus for practice rounds for the fifth annual Dixie Road Race, which will be Sunday.
Hanson, one of 30-40 volunteers who is involved with preparations for the event, anticipates 75-80 competitors in all classes and one of the biggest crowds in the event”s recent revival.
“Each year it is getting bigger and better,” Hanson said. “This is probably going to be the biggest one in history.”
Practice for Sunday”s races will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today. Open practice will continue from 8-9:15 a.m. Sunday prior to a drivers” meeting at 9:30 a.m. Heat races will begin at 10 a.m.
Hanson and volunteers were still working Friday to acquire all of the hay they needed to place on the track to ensure the safety of the drivers. The unique nature of the street course is something Hanson said attracts drivers from Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and other places.
“It puts all of the racers on a level playing field,” Hanson said. “They are not racing on a track. They”re racing on the streets. We have all different classifications of carters and they all do a different type of racing, so this type of racing is not something they run every week.
“These streets through the park are like city streets and they”re made for cars to go 20 mph. They”re not made for carts to run 80-100 mph on. It is something different and something they look forward to each year.”
Hanson has been surprised the event has gained so much traction since a group of racing enthusiasts approached the Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority five years ago about re-starting the event. He said there would be no way the race would have reached its fifth year if so many people hadn”t supported it in previous years. This year, he hopes the event will get good weather and take advantage of being moved back a day in an attempt to draw a bigger crowd.
“It is really surprising how many people remember this race,” Hanson said. “You really wouldn”t think that with that length of time that many people would come. But there are a lot of adults who now have kids who are coming, and some even have grandkids coming up. They all remember coming when they were kids.”
Roger Short, executive director of CLRA, has lived in Columbus since 1966. He recalls the Columbus Jaycees running the event at Propst Park and at the old Gateway Shopping Center. He doesn”t remember why it faded away and is excited that the rebirth has sparked so much interest.
“It has grown over the last five years,” Short said. “The organizers have been working year-round, and we want a good crowd this year. We think it is going to be interesting to see how it plays out with the move to Sunday. It lets guys practice and do hot laps (today).”
Short said he knew the event would be a success when it returned and that it would grow to the point it has reached in year five.
Hanson, who is involved at racing at Magnolia Speedway and Columbus Motor Speedway, also hasn”t been surprised and has received plenty of positive comments and inquiries from racers and people who are excited to come back to Columbus this weekend.
“It works out to be a real good deal each year because we get new people coming in from farther places because they have heard people say they have been in Columbus and have had so much fun,” Hanson said.
Hanson praised the work of all of the volunteers who are involved in making the event a success. He said there is no way the event could come together if so many people weren”t involved.
The race purse will be $6,000 guaranteed, with pay out to the top five places in each class (based on 10 go-karts minimum per class).
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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