Gale Pifer and I went over to Slayton, Minn., on Friday night to see the Southwest Minnesota H.O.T.R.O.D. Touring Series at Murray County Speedway.
There were seven old cars there with the old bodies that drivers used to race in the early 1970s when I first started going to the races at Interlakes Speedway, Brookings Speedway and Huset's Speedway.
They brought back several memories of the early days of racing, and it was fun watching them. One thing I noticed was that the drivers made sure of passing their competitors; they were not bumping and rubbing their cars with one another. It was probably due to the money that it takes to fix these cars as there are not many around.
The only thing that was missing from the H.O.T.R.O.D. races was the standing start and the announcer at the green flag saying "Go-Go-Go."
ABOUT LARRY LEEDS
Larry Leeds was born and raised in South Dakota, graduating from Colman High School in 1974. He continued his education at USD/Springfield and Dakota State University and received a bachelor's degree in physical education and history in 1979. He later obtained a journalism degree from South Dakota State University.
Before coming to Madison, Leeds worked at weekly papers in Flandreau, St. James, Minn., Redfield and Hayti (Hamlin County Publishing with Castlewood and Estelline).
He has a passion for all sports, especially high school sports and amateur baseball, because these teams are filled with players who want to be playing the game.
His favorite teams are the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Twins and Timberwolves, and New York Yankees.
Leeds is also a NASCAR fan whose favorite drivers are Dave Blaney and his son Ryan.
