The Front Row Challenge
The Front Row Challenge is schedule for Monday night, August 9, 2010!
Hot laps are scheduled for 7:15 with racing to follow!
Directions: The Southern Iowa Speedway is located 1/2 mile West of US 63 on SR 92, then 1/3 mile North on North I St. (at the Southern Iowa Fairgrounds)
From Knoxville - Take SR 92 East 20 miles to Oskaloosa. Turn North on North I St. and go 1/3 mile to Fairgrounds.
From Hwy 163 - Take SR 92 Exit East to North I St. Go North 1/3 mile to Fairgrounds.
Looking up the results and payouts of races across the nation in the very popular National Speed Sport News was a favorite pastime for Terry McCarl as he was growing up while watching his father Lenard McCarl on the dirt tracks. He wanted to be a promoter. On the Sunday before the week of the prestigious 1995 Knoxville Nationals, Terry was visiting with Bob Berryhill, father of the well know driver, Aaron Berryhill, and the words “we’re bored” came out of Bob. That was the spark that Terry needed to begin his promoting career. He wanted to have a race close to the Knoxville area and his wife Lori mentioned that it would be great to have a race in Oskaloosa. Terry called the Oskaloosa fair board and the fortunately, the track was available for rent. The ambitious young promoter knew that without money, there couldn’t be a race. He then contacted Bill McCrosky for the financial backing and the two partnered up and began the planning of the event. Terry wanted to do a memorial race in honors of Danny Young, the Des Moines, IA native that was in a fatal sprint car crash at Knoxville Raceway. He contacted Butch Young, Danny’s father, and asked him if it would be okay and soon later the inaugural event was scheduled and the Danny Young Memorial race was born.
It was a two-day show at the inaugural 1996 event and Terry thought he needed to add some more excitement to the race. “Everyone wants to see the fast guys’ go to the back,” mentions Terry. “It is something the fans love to see, but don’t always get a chance to do so.” Terry wanted to give that opportunity to the fans so he offered the driver sitting on the pole $1500 to go to the back and attempt to win the race. Leonard Lee took the challenge, but only made it to 12th. This was the beginning of the Front Row Challenge.
The following year, Butch Young wanted to bring the race closer to home and the 1997 Danny Young Memorial was scheduled to race in Davenport. Unfortunately, the event was canceled due to rain, and the race moved back to Oskaloosa in 1998. This was the start of the $50,000 Front Row Challenge and since then only one driver, the “Wild Child” Jac Haudenschild, has taken the large payout.
Every year is an exciting show; drivers like to take the challenge not only for the 50 large, but also to give the fans something to talk about. Even NASCAR stars like Kasey Kahne have taken the challenge and lost, and that just proves that the racing is certainly second to none.
