No, that’s not a misprint — grandstand admission for 411 Motor Speedway this Saturday, August 12, is free. It’s just one part of a special Back to School Night at the Seymour, Tennessee, dirt oval.
“It’s the end of summer,” said 411 Motor Speedway’s Tanya McCarter. “The kids are going back to school. That spells out a slow time for most racetracks. We’ve decided to let everyone into the grandstand side for free, just to fill the stands and show everyone that racing doesn’t end here because school begins. The whole program will be focused on kids and families.”
The night features a giveaway of 50 backpacks filled with school supplies.
“Local businesses are donating pencils, crayons, writing paper and construction paper,” McCarter said. “We will fill the backpacks, give them away in a free raffle, and distribute the rest of the donated goods to all of the children. Every child will leave with something at this event.”
The night also has a meet and greet on the front straightaway, where fans can talk with drivers and see their cars up close. Many teams will offer gifts — from pictures, to T-shirts, to other goodies — to kids.
The fun doesn’t stop there. The track will present a Fun Zone, too.
“We’ll be tossing water balloons, playing cornhole, and competing in a Frisbee challenge,” said McCarter. “There will also be a bouncy house for young children to enjoy. There will be lots of fun in a cool, safe environment for kids.”
For those looking for even more kid-oriented activities, the track’s Racing Rascals program will also be available.
(For more on that, read “Racing Rascals at 411 Motor Speedway”.)
On the racing side of things, the card includes 604 late models, sportsman late models, street stocks, front-wheel-drive cars, and Crown Victorias. Pits open at 4 p.m., grandstands at 5, with the meet and greet scheduled for around 7:30.
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
