Macon damaged again by storm
One of the strong storms that crossed central Illinois Thursday afternoon struck Macon Speedway, causing significant damage to a portion of the backstretch grandstands among other impacts.
Intense winds that whipped across the open field bordering the pit area behind the fifth-mile oval’s backstretch partially collapsed a section of the bleachers near turn three (pictured) while also knocking down all the billboards and several poles on that side of the track, tearing up roofing on a concession stand and blowing away a Whelan safety light. The infrastructure on the frontstretch of the facility escaped serious damage, but some signage came down and the center window in the official’s tower was blown out.
It was the second time in three months that the track was damaged by a storm. Before new owner Chris Kearns had even hosted his first event, winds associated with a thunderstorm on March 31 tore down Kearns’s newly-erected sponsor billboards, knocked over several poles, ripped up fencing and popped out a window in the tower.
Kearns, who turned 54 Friday, announced the cancellation of Saturday’s scheduled Fan Appreciation Night program so that he could work with his track crew and volunteers concentrate on repairing as much of the damage as possible before next weekend’s huge three-day program that includes the DIRTcar Summer Nationals Herald & Review 100 on July 6 and Macon’s first-ever USAC Sprint Car events on July 7-8.
