4/24/2017
RacinBoys
Lebanon I-44 Speedway "Wildside" Tier Parking offers fans a different experience To The Races
By Ronnie Williams (Lebanon, MO) -- They line-up as much as 2 hours before the gates open just so they can get their favorite viewing spot, Set-up the tent, Barbecue grills and prepare to view another Saturday night of NASCAR Whelen Short-track Asphalt racing action and a great time.
The I-44 Speedway's Tier Parking known as "The Wildside" offers fans a night of tail-gating, a view of the racing action different than anyone can imaging and a family outing area that offers much more.
The Tier Parking area includes spots for approx. 225 vehicles as it supports 2 Tiers above the beautiful 3/8ths mile Asphalt oval which sets down in the area called Sleeper Hollow.
Tier parking begins going into turn 1 and goes all around and ends in turn 3. For families, it offers a place where the kids can play close by their parents and if they get tired, they crawl-up in the backseat of the family vehicle and go to sleep. Fans will load-up the grills, coolers of their favorite beverage and enjoy a family experience.
Owner Bill Willard was always offering his fans something a little different each season and it was just after the start of the 1990 season that Tier was openend for business when the track hosted a 100 lap Special. He took out the advertising boards that were on the hillside area and along the backstretch and had his crewsd working on something different for his fans to help enjoy the experience of the race night.
" We had several people ask questions as to what this was and at that time as explained it was like going to the Drive-in Theatre." remembers Announcer Ronnie Williams. " Tail-gating wasnt even thought of then."
" My first time of seeing Tier Parking was in 1985 at The Old Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City,Kansas, I asked then the voice of Kansas City Racing Tom Wilson what that area was and he explained it as the Dark-Side and how things worked. When I got back the next night to the I-44 Speedway, I explained to Bill some of the things I had saw and thoughts from my trip there."
After the 1989 season, Bill was looking at different things to do to the track, we had just went Asphalt and joined the NASCAR family. It was on a trip to Atlanta for the final NASCAR Race in which Rusty Wallace was going to win the Championship, that Bill swung over by Lanier Speedway in Georgia. "
Larry Philips was in a season long battle for the National Weekly Championship and Mike Love raced weekly at Lanier and was owner Bud Lunsford's son in law. A few calls happened on Monday evening to see how each driver was doing. Bud had heard of I-44 and was more than helpful in trying to head the track in the direction of Asphalt Racing. Bill made the stop to Lanier, looked over the layout which was very nice and different and started looking at what he needed to do to place Tier Parking at his tracks.
" It took some time for the newest item at I-44 to take-off, but we had to give it its own idenity" remembers Williams."I remembers what Wilson called their area, but I thought we needed to make it a place where people could know they are going to enjoy themselves, so "The Wildside" became born. Things were usually calm over there, but from the infield you could hear the fans having ac good time, setting in the back of their vehicles and enjoying themselves.
" Our Wildside is a very important part of being involved with our race program as during special races, they light-up the skies over I-44 with an outstanding tail-light, head-light and emergency lights flashing saluting the drivers as they prepare to do battle. " We had our first ever ARTGO race in 1991, and I wasn't working the track for the 1st half of the season that season. Tom Deery was doing the announcing and tried to get them to flash the lights during the parade laps, but it was a short announcement and just didn't go really good. The next season, I announced my first ever ARTGO event and made a deal with ARTGO'S John McKarns. If I can get the Wildside going will you give us a 4 wide salute, he agreed but stated it didn't happen last year. I told John I had some thoughts on it and believed it would. Hello ARTGO 4-Wide and then it became a contest between the grandstands and Wildside and still stands today. We only like to use it for special events or even nights when the area is packed. I like using the grandstands against the Wildside on opening ceremonies asking the crowd if they are ready to go racing. Our Tier is more than just customers, they are part of I-44 events."
I have had many friends and co-workers tell me if they ask their spouse if they want to go to te races, they get just a maybe, but mention going to Barbaque and a family outing,they start getting ready quickly. " We normally have a racetrack rule, if the Wildside Line gets all the way up to Route 66, we open the gates so the road doesn't get to backed-up. When we had the NASCAR drivers here in I think 1993, they started lining-up at 7AM and by 1PM the line was backed-up to the Sleeper exit off I-44, WOW.
The Wildside will await family and fand on Saturday Night April 29th, when the I-44 Speedway is schedule to begin its 34th season of Short-Track Action with the Coca-Cola Spring Sizzler 50 with a 50 lap Pro Late model feature paying $1200 to win and $150 to start. Gates for both the Grandstands and Tier parking are scheduled to open at 6PM with Qualifying to start at 6:30. Fans can recieve a $2,00 discount by bringing a 20OZ. Coca-Cola Product bottle with a limit of 1 bottle per person.
To keep up on the action visit the website at http://www.I44Speedway.Net and join our highly traveleld popular Facebook page.
Submitted By: Kirk Elliott