Family weekends are typically filled with laughter, recollecting memories and tons of food. But the Gasman’s weekend in Sellersville, Pa. added another piece to the equation. Racing, here, is a lifestyle, especially at Oaklane Speedway.
Lines of quarter midget go-karts wait for their turn to take on the 1/20-mile track. Trailers, which haul the machines, fill the parking lot that butts up to the North Penn Gun Club in Trumbauersville. Even Tucker, a 4-year old Boxer resting at the bottom of his master’s hauler ramp, was in good spirits. The food is great, and the conversation is pleasant. This, my friends, is racing at its roots, the hallmarks of the sport.
If you haven’t been to a NASCAR event, then heading to places like Oaklane is surely great training ground. Oaklane Speedway hosts several aspiring motorsports stars, both male and female. With age classes from 5-16 years old, the racing is fierce and has plenty at stake. The speedway is even hosting the Eastern Grands, a regional championship, in June.
Oaklane is a place where childhood and adult dreams come true, for the fathers, who are owners and crew chiefs for their sons or daughters, or the kids (drivers) themselves. It’s a warm atmosphere, almost like Sunday race day, except there aren’t hundreds of thousands of people in attendance. Instead, the action is a few feet away, giving fans a close and personal glimpse of the fire and ambition of the children of racing.
These kids are fearless, and they can race too. One 5-year old event featured a driver dialing in and making a pass with four laps left en route to the victory. There wasn’t a post-race celebration, which displayed the true principal of Saturday afternoons at Oaklane — racing.
Tracks like Oaklane exist all over mainland U.S.A. And the Gasman recommends you give it a try, at least once.
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