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TRACKS: Girl Scouts to have big day at Martinsville Speedway

29 October 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

MARTINSVILLE, VA. -- It wasnt a 15-second pit stop like those normally seen at Martinsville Speedway, but Liz May and Lindsey Bryant changed a tire for the first time Saturday afternoon. And while it wasnt an award-winning Winston Cup stop, it was a big deal to the pair of youngsters.

May and Bryant were two of the almost 100 girl scouts who spent most of Saturday at Martinsville Speedway, learning about the historic .526-mile track, picking up some valuable life skills and earning credit toward merit badges. Along the way they all seemed to have fun, too.

The girl scouts, who represented nine troops from the Martinsville and Henry County area, were treated to a diverse day. They watched a 22-minute video tracing the history of the 54-year-old facility; listened to a safety talk from Virginia State Trooper Ralph Carroll; watched a remote-control airplane demonstration; and learned how to change a tire and check the oil on a car.

"Ive never watched a race, but I knew this was pretty big," said Bryant. "But the video made me realize how important this place is and how much history there is here."

"Im not really a race fan and I thought Martinsville Speedway was just for racing," said May. "When I got here today I realized it was for more than just racing. I liked it a lot."

And while the video was Bryants favorite part of the day, May enjoyed her tire changing duties.

"I really liked changing the tire," said May, whose father Joseph led the automotive session and whose mother Juanita organized the days events.

"It wasnt really tough," said Bryant, who served as the jackman during the tire-changing exercise. "It was just really messy."

Assembled along the backstretch, the scouts watched Joey Baker of Martinsville put on a show with his remote-controlled plane. Using the track as a landing strip, he guided his plane airborne and put it through a range of tricks, including loop-the-loops and flying upside down. Then he brought it gently back to earth on the backstretch with a perfect landing. The girls attending ranged in ages from 5 to 17 and included Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes and Seniors.

"Some of todays activities can go toward earning a badge," said Juanita May. "And we have a badge for history of the community and thats one of the things they learned about today in the history of the speedway.

"But the main thing is it was a fun day for them."

The next racing action at Martinsville Speedway is the Virginia 500 NASCAR Winston Cup Series race on Sunday, April 8. Tickets are $40-$70 and are available by calling toll free at (877) 722-3849.

Text Provided By Steve Sheppard

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.