Marion (WSIL) -- If you like fast cars and don't mind getting a little dirty. You might be interested in checking out the Southern Illinois Raceway. Racers from across the region come out and compete.
"It's the thrill. It's the foot to the throttle and your hands are steering the car and just wanting to keep moving forward and try to advance and beat the best of the best," said Logan Null.
Marion native Logan Null says he's had a passion for racing from the moment he laid eyes on the sport.
"I just grew up running motocross and stuff like that," said Null. " So, I grew up around dirt and this track's in my backyard and so I wanted to pursue it. Once I got out of high school, I finally had the funds to buy a cheaper car and ended up coming out here in 2019 and winning a championship in the sportsman class."
Last weekend over 90 racers from numerous states around the US came to the speedway for a chance to win a 12 thousand dollar purse, one of the largest cash prizes for this type of racing in the country. Null was the only local racer to qualify for the finals .
"When you are out there in a car, you are by yourself,' said Null. " If you win it, it's like your team wins it, like me my brother and my dad and all of the people that helped out. We won it. So making the main was all that I really wanted to do. I would have loved to won the race but I was just focused on making the main."
Null says racing teaches him a valuable lesson in overcoming adversity.
"It doesn't always end up how you want it to end up like you want to win, but I've had plenty of times where I have just been a lap car and that's no fun," said Null. "Last year in 2019 in a big power race, I flipped it about 7 times down the back stretch and cleared the height of the fence and I was fine. I got knocked out for a little bit. I wanted to get right back into it though and get better."
Director of Competition Kevin Christie says big races help bring awareness to the sport in our region. The Southern Illinois speedways hosts smaller races every Saturday night for the community.
"I'd say have the people in this area don't realize that this track is here," said Christie. " It is something that is family oriented. You can bring the whole family. You can bring lawn chairs, you can bring your cooler with drinks and snacks and enjoy something that is really fun. Its a 1/8 mile dirt track, most of the guys are local. They do not do this for a living, they just do it for fun."
