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Speedway expands offerings at track

By Shawn Linenberger - | Jun 23, 2004

Kansas Speedway brought some new wheels — motors not included — for this year’s race season.

In conjunction with the ARCA/RE-MAX Series race and Oklahoma Joe’s Barbecue Cook-off on June 5, Kansas Speedway added another event.

Vertical Uprising, which features skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, made its debut on the Speedway infield the same day.

Kansas Speedway’s Sammie Lukaskiewicz said the action sports event was added as a way to get more youths to the track.

But the event doesn’t just captivate the younger audience.

“It turns out older folks are saying, ‘Oh, you’ve got Tony Hawk,” Lukaskiewicz said. “It’s amazing how he’s reached the older people.

“The parents are buying the video games.”

Hawk is a household name, especially with his face plastered to many electronic skateboarding games.

BMX pro Dave Mirra also highlighted the event lineup. Mirra has won 14 medals, 11 of them golds, at the X Games. Kansas City’s own Dennis McCoy also performed at Vertical Uprising.

As for the rest of the Kansas Speedway season, everything is shaping up the same — the schedule is sold out.

Fans will pack the 80,187-seat venue for five races over two weekends. The Speedway has three races slated for the Fourth of July weekend, while NASCAR races are set for Oct. 9 and 10.