During the hour before 8 p.m. and race time, my tower cohorts and I were doing what we call the “Gas ‘N Go” segment, something innocently borrowed from the Fox Network’s NASCAR coverage, where a wide ranging, highly opinionated discussion of racing at all levels goes on, when suddenly a cry of “Call 9-1-1” rose from the bleachers to our left.
Within seconds, the track safety crew, Scott and White paramedics and several U.S. Army medics went to the man’s aid, got him rehydrated and homeward bound.
After that scary time, some may have called it shameless shilling, but co-announcer Merle Bertrand and I laid a constant barrage on the capacity crowd not to let it happen to them.
A mainly uneventful series of heat races went off without a hitch while we were watching the clock toward 9:30 p.m. and the start of Ft. Hood’s fireworks display.
Ryan Ellis won for the second-straight week and it was win No. 2 in as many nights for the Killeen driver, who took the top trophy Friday at Heart O’Texas Speedway in Waco.
Kempner’s P.J. Egbert racked up his second-straight IMCA Stock Car feature win, but his quest for the record book will have to wait.
The defending IMCA Modified national champion scored career victory No. 99 Thursday night at 85 Speedway in Ennis and obviously wanted to get No. 100 before the home fans.
The night was capped off with Joe Charnock, Jr. edging Egbert for the IMCA Stock Car King of the Hill title in a close, two-lap finals sprint.
And so did right at 1,000 local fans on the Fourth of July.
| 
|