Scott Owen, Special to the Leader
On race night, fans and friends gather together. Cars assemble in the lineup chute, ready to tackle the venerable half-mile speedway. As the field of cars thunder through the turns and hit the frontstretch, flagman Josh Effenberger looks over the field and drops the green flag. Races are won by multiple drivers throughout the night, and fans cheer them on.
The racing we know and love at Shawano Speedway is thanks to the efforts of veterans such as IMCA Stock Car racer Steven Stewart, Late Model rookie Josh Oakley and IMCA Sport Mod veteran Les Yaeger.
As the calendar approaches Memorial Day, it is a great time to sit back and reflect on some of the great things we have in our lives thanks to the sacrifices of the many brave men and women who have served in the armed forces of this great nation.
Every Saturday night in summer, I and many of you reading this have the freedom to get together at the Shawano Speedway. Thank a veteran.
One of the great things about Shawano Speedway is the passion that race fans have for their favorite drivers and the freedom to express their opinions about those drivers. Thank a veteran.
A lot of the technological gains that make the cars as safe as they are for the family and friends that we have in race cars are the direct result of military research. Thank a veteran.
After World War II many soldiers came home and needed to find a sport that could give them an adrenaline rush. Racing fit the bill, and veterans went to work turning street cars into racing machines. The cars continued to evolve into what we have today. Thank a vet.
As a racer, it is a great honor to carry the American flag around the track during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Those of us not on the track can stand with hands over our hearts in respect and reflection. Thank a vet.
All of the freedoms we enjoy in our day-to-day lives are a result of the sacrifices that complete strangers have made for us. Thank a vet.
Many times soldiers are quite humble and don’t seek the praise they deserve. If you know a vet, thank a vet.
If they plan on coming to the races Saturday night, let me know who they are — so we can all thank the vets.