In September it had been a few months since I had done a 1-on-1 interview with any drivers, so I decided it was time get going again, and this time, do something different. On Friday night, September 16, I made my second and final visit of the year to little Deming Speedway, just east of Bellingham, Washington.

For those of you who missed my previous interview with Jason Bloodgood, done at Deming in May, Deming Speedway is a little 1/6-mile, high-banked, clay oval track, which hosts mini-sprint racing every Friday night during the season. The classes that run here are 1200cc mini-sprints, 600cc and 250cc “micro-sprints,” a 250cc junior class, and the quickly growing junior sprint division.

Having four kid cousins (13-year-old girl, 11-year-old girl, and nine-year-old twin boys) in a family which has very strong family values, I became very interested in the family environment of the junior sprint division at Deming Speedway. Many of the drivers weren’t even ten years old yet and they were no older than 13.

The junior sprint division got its start around five years ago or so. These little cars are similar in size to the quarter midgets we all know and love, but these cars have a little more punch to them and, believe me, are a heck of a lot louder. Think of a huge swarm of loud, high-pitched bees…that’s loud folks.

Many families have quickly jumped on board, putting their children, as young as eight years old, into these cars to give them an early start in racing. Several drivers who were in the class just a few years ago are now in the bigger cars. One familiar last name to folks here in the Pacific Northwest is Huson. That’s right, Skagit Speedway legend Marc Huson got a car for his daughter Danielle to race some five years ago. After a successful run in the junior sprints, Danielle has since moved up into the 600cc micro-sprint division. Another former junior sprint racer who dominated, Evan Funk, is now tearing the track up in the 1200cc mini-sprints.

The track has almost earned quite a bit of attention this year. NASCAR star Kasey Kahne got his start racing mini-sprints at Deming, before moving on to full-sized sprint cars at nearby Skagit Speedway and then driving sprint cars and midgets elsewhere in the country before hitting it big in NASCAR. Kahne recently made a return trip to Deming Speedway, and not forgetting where his roots were, he gave Deming’s kids a huge endorsement, letting himself be part of the name for the class, now known as the Kasey Kahne Junior Sprints.

Earlier in the month of September, Kahne returned home to Washington again and visited his hometown of Enumclaw. There was quite the media frenzy in town that day, and many of the local Northwest racing community was there, including the Kasey Kahne Junior Sprints. Many of the kids got to meet and talk with Kasey and get his or her picture taken with him.

About 20 junior sprints were on hand this night. With the infield pit area already packed (literally) with cars from the four bigger classes, the junior sprints were given their own small pit area outside the track behind the grandstands heading down toward turn one. I decided I was going to spend most of my time here tonight, not to talk with just one of the drivers, but a lot of the drivers.

Just a warning, but as we already know, some kids will say the funniest things out of nowhere…

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Andrew Kunas: So what made you want to go into racing?

Brandon, 8-years-old: Grandpa raced a certain type car, and I’ve been going to Skagit Speedway ever since I was in my mom’s tummy. My grandpa also got a trophy for finishing a race upside down.

Jessie, 8 (youngest driver in the field): My mom and dad never really had the money, so we just watched the races. Then Gordy, the car owner, walked up to us and just handed it.

Jacob, 11: When the junior sprints first came out in 2000 they were so cool, and I really wanted to race one. On my birthday the next year, I got one.

Spencer, 10: I first ran quarter midgets before doing this.

Nate, 8: My father Justin raced. I used to race quarter midgets, won a couple main events.

Michael, 13: My dad used to race.

Ryan, 10: Watching my dad and my brother race. My dad raced go-karts.

AK: What’s it like racing out there?

Jessie, 8: It’s hard. It’s hard passing, but it’s hard being passed. I thought I was in the A-Main, but I’m actually in the B-Main right now.

Jacob, 11: I’ve been doing better than I was a few years ago.

Nate, 8: It’s hard, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easier.

Brandon, 8: (pauses) Great.

Michael, 13: I used to race on cement in quarter midgets and it’s not as fun as racing out here on the dirt.

Ryan, 10: You don’t know what the track is going to be like until after the pack it and do time-ins. You get surprised every time.

AK: What was it like to meet Kasey Kahne, a NASCAR star?

Brandon, 8: It was pretty fun. It was also fun to talk to him when I was a baby. I have pictures of him holding me. AK: Really?! Most kids would envy you now I think! Hold on to that picture!

Jessie, 8: I really didn’t get to see him. I tried to get my picture with him, but a lot of people starting shoving and pushing. AK: A lot of NASCAR fans will do that, unfortunately.

Michael, 13: It was cool. I never met one before. I didn’t know (that Kahne raced at Deming) until last year when my dad told me, and now I tell my friends that.

AK: Many Skagit Speedway drivers got their start here. Have you ever thought about racing at Skagit when you get older?

Jessie, 8: Hmmm….no. AK: No? Does it look scary, or intimidating, since it’s a lot bigger than this track (Deming)? Jessie: Hmmm…..well, it’s made out of cow poo, and I don’t want to race on cow poo! Paul (Lemley, Deming Speedway track owner) wouldn’t be that stupid to put cow poo on this track, because if he did, he knows I’ll come complaining.

Our honest and upfront young lady Jessie apparently doesn't know that Skagit Speedway had given Deming Speedway a lot of its clay earlier this season. Whether she wants to believe it or not…Jessie has been racing on “cow poo” all year.

Michael, 13: I’d like to run the sprint cars there at Skagit, but I may switch back to pavement and run midgets, maybe WMRA (Washington Midget Racing Association).

AK: Do you want to run any of the bigger classes here at Deming, say like the 250’s first?

Spencer, 10: No…600’s!

Michael, 13 (points leader): I’ll be getting my brother Gary’s car in about two years. It’s a 250.

AK: Do you ever get any time to watch the larger cars race on the track during the evening and learn something from the older and more experienced drivers?

Michael, 13: The bigger cars get to time in, which takes about an hour. So we have plenty of time to watch them early on and see what they’re doing.

Ryan, 10: Watching them and listening to them, I learned to stay low on the track and hold my line.

AK: What are your goals for racing?

Michael, 13: To get first place in points.

Jacob, 11: Points and trophies. If you win a points championship here, you get a Deming Speedway jacket with your name on it and a big huge trophy.

Brandon, 8: Win a race, and try to pass people.

Spencer, 10: ...Money. (Grins) I want to do it for a living.

Colby, 10: I don’t know. AK: Well, at least you’ve got plenty of time to figure it out.

Jessie, 8: Make it into NASCAR. AK: That’s a pretty big goal for you! Jessie: Well, I’ll pretty much be racing for the rest of my life!

Nate, 8: My goal for racing is to be the best racer ever.

AK: Spencer, your car looks a lot like the Beef Packers sprint car. Do you like Dennis Roth’s car?

Spencer, 10: Yep.

AK: Do you know who drives it now?

Spencer, 10: Hmmmm…….no.

AK: Have you ever heard of Jac Haudenchild?

Spencer, 10: Uhh…no.

AK: Colby, you won tonight. How does that feel?

Colby, 10: It was fun.

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There you have it, a little bit of our sport’s future here in the Northwest. Is the next Kasey Kahne among these kids?