Vernoy: Travis Schumate continues family tradition
For the Schumate family of Great Falls, stock car racing has been a family thing since World War II. That’s 70 years, if my math is correct.
And that tradition will continue with 21-year-old Travis Schumate behind the wheel.
Just last month, Schumate got his baptism of fire on the 3/8-mile oval that is the Electric City Speedway, driving car number 4, a Midwest Modified.
“A Midwest Modified (also called B Mods) runs on regular gas, where the A Modifieds run on alcohol,” Schumate, who has the total support of his entire family, said. “And the A Modifieds have manual transmissions.”
Schumate ran his very first race June 5, finishing eighth in the feature race for B Mods. He’s also had feature finishes of ninth, 10th and 13th, and went into the Fourth of July “Fireball Special” weekend in 15th among B Mod drivers at the track, trailing leader Ron Sasek by 300 points.
Of course, he isn’t as young as, say, a Kelan Kropp (16) or a Kody Blixt (15), he’s still, really, just a kid in the racing world.
“They do start those drivers pretty young now. Fourteen, 15 years old,” Schumate said. “You can’t get a driver’s license to go on city streets, but you can drive a race car.”
AMONG THE EVENTS GOING on locally this weekend, the ‘Sweet Dirt Dash for Cash’ will be at the Speedway Friday night. Gates open at 6, racing starts at 7:30, with Street, Supers, A Modifieds and Midwests running.
Also on tap at the Speedway Saturday and Sunday is the Quarter-Midgets, who have their own little paved track in the Speedway infield. These kids are as young as five. The action starts at 10 a.m. both days.
The Sun River Volunteer Fire Department will have their annual Sand Drags and Mud Bogs Saturday and Sunday.
Another weekend on the quarter-mile at the Lewistown Raceway will happen this weekend. Friday night is Street Legal ‘Run What you Brung’ racing starting at 6 (gates open at 5). Ed Jones will have his Jelly Belly Wheelstander at the track Saturday, along with High Schoolers, junior dragster ET challenge, and Lewistown points racing. Sunday’s program will be ET Class Racing, with the “Land of the Leaders.” Gates open both days at 8 a.m. Time trials are Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 9, with eliminations at 3 and 1 p.m. respecively. Check out their website at www.lewistowndrgracing.com.
And this Wednesday the Electric City Dirt Riders will hit the motocross track at 3500 Rainbow Dam Road. Gates open and signups start at 5 p.m. Their website is www.ecdr.org, and they’re on Facebook as well.
And we’ll see you at the track! Well, one of them, anyway.
Tribune Sports Writer Lee Vernoy writes a weekly column dedicated to the places and personalities of the local motorsports scene. Follow him on Twitter at @GFTrib_LVernoy, call him at (406) 791-6569, or email him at lvernoy@greatfallstribune.com.