A sure sign of summer in Mt. Pleasant is the sound of race car engines revving on Friday nights at the
Mt. Pleasant Speedway. The 3/8 mile clay track, known as the “Cleanest Show On Dirt,” hosts racers of all ages every week, starting as young as six years old.
Maggie Dickman, 16, grew up going to Mt. Pleasant Speedway. When the Mini Wedge Class started in 2016, she watched kids her age racing. She wanted in. The next year she earned a championship at nine years old. Today she’s racing four-cylinder cars around the track.
This young class of racers are helping grow the sport in popularity and numbers. The two age brackets, six to nine years old and 10-14 year olds, include about 20 kid racers. The drivers and their families are a tight-knit group.
“This little class of racers have grown the sport and made a big group of little racers,” says Debbie Dickman, Maggie’s mom.
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Photo courtesy of Jamie BarberLilly Barber at the Mt. Pleasant Speedway.
Jamie Barber’s daughter Lilly has met a good group of friends at the track. She considers the racing community a second family.
“If something happens on the track or if someone needs something, everyone rallies around and jumps in to help. Everyone wants everyone to have success,” says Barber.
Lilly Barber caught the racing bug the same way as Dickman, watching others her age driving mini racers. She told her mom she wanted to do it, too. Lilly started at nine years old in cars with restricted speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. This year, at 10 years old, she moved up a class. Now she’s racing around the track at a slightly higher speed of 30 mph.
Betty Crook, who owns and operates Mt. Pleasant Speedway with her son Mario, credits the Mini Wedge Class for the continued growth of the sport.
“It’s always been popular,” says Crook about Friday night racing at the Mt. Pleasant Speedway. “Starting drivers at a young age, it gets in their blood and they just want to keep racing.”
Crook and her late husband, Dick, purchased the 44-acre speedway property in 1987 and hosted their first season as promoters in 1988 after a year-long clean up and renovation. Owning the track, built in 1953, was Dick’s dream. Since his passing in 2004, Betty and son, Mario, have kept the motors revving every Friday night.
Over the years Crook has watched the sport evolve into a family affair. The young racers are typically following in the footsteps of a family member who races. Friends and family members come out to cheer for the drivers. This fan base fills the spectator stands every week.
“Once you come to the speedway, you either love it or don’t. There’s no in between,” shares Crook. She sees more people love it once they experience the thrill of racing.
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Photo courtesy of Jamie BarberLilly Barber at the Mt. Pleasant Speedway.
The young racers gain life lessons on and off the track, starting with conquering fear and maintaining composure. Staying calm and knowing how to handle the unexpected is critical in racing, says Crook.
Racers also help maintain their cars, participating in repairs and the safety check protocols before each race. Pounding the pavement for sponsors to help offset the costs of racing is a valuable part of the learning curve.
Lilly drafted a letter with help from her mom and personally asked local businesses to sponsor her car. This year Lilly has five sponsors including Pat McGuirk Excavating, McGuirk Sand and Gravel, Coyne Oil, Jump Station, and Bear Claw Packaging. Sponsorships help pay for car maintenance, driver safety gear, gas and other expenses.
Safety is of utmost importance. Drivers wear fire protective gear from head to toe. This equipment helps ease the nerves of families and fans. But moms still fret at the start of every race.
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Photo courtesy of Debbie DickmanMaggie Dickman with her car at the Mt. Pleasant Speedway.When Maggie Dickman crashed into a wall and ended up with a concussion a few years ago, Debbie was concerned.
“I was worried but the next morning Maggie woke up and immediately asked when we’re getting a new car,” says Dickman. “It’s in her blood.”
Barber worries about Lilly getting hurt but knowing all the safety measures and seeing Lilly’s face after each race helps ease her angst. Remembering Lilly’s first race, Barber was very nervous; worrying she’d get hurt in the 10 laps around the track.
“I expected she’d get bumped around a bit. I knew if she spun out she knew what to do,” says Barber. “Seeing her face when she finished, I knew she was hooked.”
Lilly races Friday nights at Mt. Pleasant Speedway and Saturdays at Crystal Motor Speedway in Crystal, Michigan. She’s earned lots of trophies and ribbons for placing in the top three in her first two years around the track, and even won first place in a race.
Lilly was both scared and excited at the starting line of her first race. After crossing the finish line, she immediately wanted to do it again. Moving up this year, she was a little intimidated at the faster speeds, but after a couple laps she felt confident.
Her pink-colored car dons the character Angel from her favorite movie “Lilo & Stitch.” And her best racing pal’s car matches with the character Lilo.
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Photo courtesy of Debbie DickmanMaggie Dickman with her car at the Mt. Pleasant Speedway.Debbie Dickman has a long history around the race track. Her late husband, Jake, loved auto racing. He introduced her to the sport when they met in college in the early 2000s.
“I fell in love with it … and him, too,” says Dickman.
People often ask Dickman how she allows her daughter to race. She’s watched hundreds of races and thousands of laps. Nowadays she gets more excited than nervous.
The connection her daughter feels with her dad while on the track is the reason Dickman encourages Maggie to continue racing. A message Maggie posted to Facebook says it all: “Thank you Dad for sharing your love of racing with me.”