A sprint to the starting line at Benton track

There will be Sprint Car racing tonight for the first time at the newly re-opened Benton Raceway Park, but sprinting is nothing new for track manager Derek DeSpain.

He did a bunch of it from late March to May 4, when the track hosted its first race since 2008.

It was after the former driver and track worker got a call from 77-year-old Clyde Harrison of Imperial, Mo., a former racer and track owner who was getting back in the racing game with a lease on the Benton property with an option to buy.

Harrison, a former builder and co-owner of I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., was wanting to re-open the neglected and vandalized facility.

"I think Clyde was just wanting a race track and this one was available so he just kind of jumped into it in the blind, really," said DeSpain, who has been around the track since it first opened in 1991.

Scott Littrell comes out of the turn in a ministock race at Benton Raceway Park on Saturday. (Fred Lynch)

Harrison said a member of his church choir in Arnold, Mo., knew of his desire to own a track after a 30-plus year absence in that capacity and showed him to an online ad. Harrison, who had inquired into the track several years back, visited the track, talked to people, and acted. He also was referred to DeSpain, whom he later called.

"I wasn't really sure what kind of shape the place was in until after I already had made the agreement that I would help," said DeSpain, who volunteers his time. "I went down and looked at it and said, 'Wow.'"

Dirt on the oval 3/8-mile track was washed into the infield, replaced by shoulder-high weeds. Bleachers were falling apart, fencing posts rotted, plumbing torn up, wiring vandalized and billboard blown down.

"I mean the place was a mess, an absolute mess," DeSpain said.

Or in Harrison's words, "To put it plain English, I bought a piece of junk.

Kyle Jarrett takes the lead over Jason Brewington (99) and Tony Littrell in a ministock race at Benton Raceway Park Saturday, May 18, 2013. (Fred Lynch)

"Everything here had to be repaired. I didn't realize how much it was, to be honest with you."

DeSpain, who grew up in Chaffee, lives in Millersville and works maintenance for the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department. He is like many local race enthusiasts in that he has developed a bond with the facility.

"I'm strictly volunteering and doing this because I want to see it succeed," said DeSpain, who used to work as a tech inspector before racing at the track in its previous life.

DeSpain agreed to help restore the facility around the end of March. He had July or August in mind when he asked Harrison for a target date to open.

"He said, 'I'd like to be open by the beginning of May,'" DeSpain said. "I was like, 'Yeah, right. Good luck with that.'

Brian Wolfemeyer holds the lead over Chris Odom during action last weekend at Benton Raceway Park.

"But there's been a lot of people come down and put in a lot of time, effort and money into it."

Workers, some hired but mostly volunteers, reassembled the facility.

"There are people who live right around there, and they want to see it open as much as we do, so they're willing to spend their time picking up trash after races and helping us drive tractors and work the track every week," DeSpain said. "They come out whenever they can."

DeSpain gave special mention to Paul Morrow of Triple M Mechanical, who has provided machinery, fabricated parts and repaired broken equipment.

"Without Paul, it wouldn't be running. That's the bottom line," DeSpain said. "He's absolutely been instrumental."

DeSpain has been the driveshaft of operations. He takes care of writing all rules, payouts, schedule, hiring track officials, concession workers, track prep and the chore de jour.

Harrison purchased a mobile home and moved it to the track property to live in and serve as his headquarters.

"He jumped into it with both feet," DeSpain said. "He's been 100 percent dedicated to making it work."

"It's just something I enjoy doing," Harrison said. "People tell me that at my age I should be retired, but the question is why do you retire? To do what you like to do, and this is what I like to do.

"And I've had an awful lot of support from the community. I can't believe the outpouring I've had."

Up and running

The facility has hosted three events thus far.

Events typically are held on Saturday nights and feature five classes -- Crate Late Models, UMP Modified, Limited Modified, Street Stock and Pro Fours -- which usually include two heats and a feature. This week's races will be held tonight due to the special Sprint Car division that will replace the Crate late Models.

Putting on a good show, which includes promotions, is a priority. The track gave a $500 cash door prize to a fan on opening night.

DeSpain said a race featuring television and radio personalities, as well as one for church pastors, will be held during the season, which will conclude Oct. 12. He said racing or a substitute event -- a truck pull and a demolition derby is slated -- will be held every week with the exception of one week.

A full schedule is on the track's website bentonracewaypark.com.

DeSpain said opening night featured 62 cars and around 350 fans in the grandstand.

"That was pretty good for just re-opening, and the last couple of weeks has been around 30-some [cars], and that's more what we expected with the track re-opening," DeSpain said. "The track had kind of a bad reputation before, some stuff we're trying to overcome now. But we're on track with where we expected to be at this point in time."

DeSpain said there had been issues with previous promoters that didn't follow through on their word, which turned off some area racers.

"Our big thing is we do what we say we're going to do," said DeSpain, who counts himself among those who had problems with the previous promoter. "If we advertise that we're going to pay $1,000 to win this week, and we only have five cars show up, we're still paying $1,000 to win. That's one of the big things we're standing on.

"And another thing is we are a family-oriented facility. We do not sell alcohol. Clyde is a very Christian man, and he has the values that he stands on, and myself as well."

DeSpain said he received positive feedback from area racers, many who previously had to drive long distances to compete.

Josh Sissom, a 19-year-old driver from Cape Girardeau who has raced UMP Modified at Paducah, Ky., and Farmington, Mo., this year, used to watch his dad, Danny, race at Benton growing up. Josh was skeptical that the renovated track would open when it did.

Sissom works at Viking Cives Midwest Welding in Morley, Mo., and he often would check on the progress on his way home.

"I was real impressed on how fast everything came together down there," Sissom said. "They worked their butts off. They got a lot of work done in the time they had to do it."

And with the closing of tracks in Malden, Mo., and Poplar Bluff, Mo., he is grateful for a nearby facility in an expensive sport.

"It's real nice," said Sissom, who has won a heat race at Benton thus far but has run into mechanical issues. "It beats going all the way to Paducah. I can be at at my house in 20 minutes, rather than an hour and a half. It saves on fuel. With gas prices the way they are these days, every little bit helps."

The real payout

DeSpain said the locals also have been grateful.

"People just coming by and just glad to see it back open," DeSpain said. "The response has been really good."

Even in a volunteer position, he's had a payoff.

"I was hesitant to jump into it at first," DeSpain said. "It's a lot of work, but there's a lot of reward there, too. It's really a feeling of accomplishment to see it racing again."

As for Harrison, he came into the area a total stranger but has bonded with the community.

DeSpain said Harrison has put "Tens of thousands of dollars" into the facility, which he does not yet own. Harrison has a lot of plans and vision for the property, and hopes he can afford to stay the course.

"Before the year's out, I'll know whether it's feasible or not," Harrison said about his lease.

Harrison has been overwhelmed by the support of the community, and it's something he said values more than the monetary.

"I don't believe in treating people bad or taking advantage of people," Harrison said. "And if for some reason it didn't work out, in some people's minds it would be because he come down here and was going to do this and do that and he let us down.

"That would bother me worse than anything."