 "Photo: Courtesy Photo")
 "Photo: Courtesy Photo")
Route 66 Motor Speedway is a 3/8-mile dirt track. People come from all over to join the fun whether they are spectators or racing themselves.
Owner Bill Worthen opened the track, located at 3601 E. Amarillo Blvd., in 1994. With the talk of the economy falling, it’s a wonder how people – especially college students – can afford to participate in such sports.
“As far as local racing, profit was up this year,” Worthen said. He said he believes the increase is partly due to the nice weather Amarillo has seen this season and the idea that people are staying closer to home and finding things to do rather than taking long vacations.
“On average, we bring out at least 3,500 people each Saturday night,” Worthen said.
Chris Elliott, driver of the No. 158 Cyclone, said it’s not to hard keeping up with school while racing unless he has a bad night where his car is damaged.
“School comes first, then racing,” Elliott said. “After the homework is done, then I can go work on my car.”
Student Brock Hall, driver of the No. 20 Sport Mod, manages to hold onto his love of racing each summer, between college semesters.
Racing is an expensive sport. Elliott said that financially, he would not be able to afford racing if it were not for sponsors. With the full load of school he is taking, he is not able to work and keep up his grades.
Hall has a different story.
“Financially it was tough,” Hall said. “I have always had a job. There were times that I held two or three different jobs. Rent and food come first, and then racing. It is possible to do.”
Everybody has different ways of carrying out their duties, and these college students find a way to make it work.
Usually, people who want to get started in racing have been fans of the sport.
Worthen said the best way for someone to get started “is to first know the sport, then find someone involved in the sport to help you find a car and get started.”
“I started racing because my dad did,” Elliott said.
“It was just something that I wanted to do in order to become closer with my family.
“My dad has raced for 30 years, my stepmom has raced for three, and my little brother has been racing for a couple of years.”
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