I’ m forever reading on the internet about how people“ pay it forward,” which is how it’ s commonly described when strangers commit random acts of kindness, and while I’ m completely familiar with the concept and approach, it still took me by surprise when it actually happened to me! As I handed the bill to the cashier and began reaching for my wallet, she smiled and said,“ Two ladies paid for your meal.” I was like,“ What two ladies!?” I couldn’ t believe it, but it actually happened: Two random strangers bought my lunch, then quietly slipped out the door. My previous experiences with St. Louis had been rather varied to say the least, but after this generous act I was feeling pretty good about the place!

So, as I cruised down the interstate I could see the St. Louis Arch coming into sight, and I knew that Gateway Motorsports Park was now just minutes away. I hadn’ t traveled to this area in nearly two years, but the advertised“ Heads-Up Hootenanny” event was enough to lure me in a Midwestern direction. Mel Roth, president of the Premier Street Car Association, had assembled a barnburner event, which also featured the Midwest Pro Mod series. Lots of great sportsman cars were also in attendance during the three-day event, so I made sure I came early and stayed late!

From St. Louis, I continued west as I headed for Kirksville, Missouri, which is best known for being the world headquarters of Drag Illustrated magazine! DI Editorin-Chief Wes Buck is a lifelong resident of Kirksville. I try to visit at least once a year and participate in“ Taco Tuesday” with Wes, his wife, Alisha, and their kiddos, Max and Sophia. It’ s a tradition that usually involves making a run to the local Mexican restaurant and picking

up stacks of to-go boxes, then bringing it back to the Buck house where we can relax and fellowship over food. I’ m also convinced that Kirksville is the“ Fireworks Capital of the World” if you happen to be there during the Fourth of July! Amazingly, the bombs were still bursting in air on July 6th as I was leaving.

On Friday night I arrived in Havana, Illinois, which is where you’ ll find a neat little eighth-mile track called Central Illinois Dragway. Pictured in this month’ s column is track manager Jeff Lasecke and his wife, Theresa, along with their son, Joseph, and daughter, Samantha. The Laseckes previously resided in Colorado, where Jeff worked as a safety technician at Bandimere Speedway for years. Frank Hutto, who owns the track in Havana, offered Jeff the track manager position, so after the Laseckes took a vote, each family member nodded their approval to relocate to Illinois and start a new chapter. For the first three months, they lived in the local Red Lion Motel until they got settled. They’ re now in their fifth year of managing the track, and they earnestly try to improve the facility each and every year.

The track is IHRA-sanctioned, and was awarded Summit Super Series Track of the Year in 2015. It was bustling with activity on the Friday night I came to visit, and featured a Top 10 race, Street Car Shootout, 8.00 Index, along with test and tune. They had a big weekend planned, which also included the Nostalgia Outlaw Quick 16 series that was set to compete on Saturday with a great

field of front engine dragsters and altereds.

Drag racing has opened so many doors for the Lasecke family, not the least of which is the brand-new friendships they’ ve made since arriving in Havana. Jeff and Joseph even got the opportunity to travel abroad when they were invited to Kuwait to help get a brandnew drag strip off the ground! It was great to finally visit Central Illinois Dragway, which is the 134th track I’ ve set foot on.

After bidding farewell to Havana, I journeyed through the night to Asbury, Indiana, to return to a track I always enjoyed visiting: Muncie Dragway. Built in 1959, this vintage quarter-mile facility is known for its phenomenally long shutdown. It was a beautiful Saturday to be at Muncie, and while standing in line at the concession stand, the guy behind me insisted on buying my lunch. By now I’ m thinking the whole world has gone mad! This“ pay it forward” behavior has now spilled over to the drag strip – amazing!

After leaving Muncie, I traveled south to the sleepy town of Bean Blossom, Indiana, where you’ ll find another gem of a track. Brown County Dragway is famous for two things: Pulled pork sandwiches and a racing surface that features split lanes with a grassy section that separates them. Actually, let’ s make that three things: Sandy Fields, the track owner... she’ s famous too! Now in her 25th year of owning and operating Brown County Dragway, Sandy is also an experienced horse trader and coon hunter! She even penned a monthly column for 10 years in

a national hunting magazine, outlining her techniques for blasting coons in the dark Indiana woods. As for owning a drag strip goes, when I met Sandy a few years back she remarked to me,“ I don’ t know of another job where you could have so much fun, get so mad and get so glad, and meet some of the greatest people in the world.” Ditto, Sandy.

I once again bid farewell to Brown County Dragway, completely convinced that it’ s one of the coolest places on Earth. In stark contrast to the atmosphere that is Bean Blossom, my next stop was Lucas Oil Raceway for the PDRA national event. It’ s the kind of polar-opposite state of mind that is so fascinating to behold, and I treasure each experience for different reasons. After Indy, I made a stop in Cleves, Ohio, to visit Edgewater Sports Park, another vintage track that is among the oldest in the country.

It’ s now been nearly three weeks since I left home. I crossed the North Carolina state line early Monday morning, and although I would soon be pulling up my driveway, there was something I needed to take care of before this trip was through: I needed to“ pay it forward.” That’ s the unwritten rule I’ ve been told, which keeps the goodwill going. So, I stopped at a restaurant I knew well, sat down and began scanning the dining room for the recipient of a random act of kindness. That’ s when I spotted them: a man and woman of the baby boomer generation, their faces weathered from years of labor and no doubt raising kids and then grandkids.“ Bring me their bill,” I whispered to the waitress. She smiled and nodded, and I immediately realized she was well-acquainted with this“ paying it forward” movement that seems to be sweeping the country. The Bible certainly instructs us to“ Be kind one to another,” and this sure seems like a good way to do it. I glanced at the couple as I slipped out the door, sincerely hoping that it would brighten their day – the same way it did mine when it happened to me... twice. I can’ t help but believe stuff like this will make the world a better place. It sure had an impact on me. DI