I fell in love with cars and racing about 1960 at the age of twelve when my dad started taking me to races in KC. I first saw the Heartland Vintage Racing group at the Lake Garnett Grand Prix Revival in 2016 and I began photographing them. I loved watching them race, so much so that I became an Associate Member. Then I began following them to Topeka when they raced at Heartland Motorsport Park, photographing them and joining them in the paddock to visit with them and live their racing experience.
I went to Topeka again this year to photograph them in action on the track. HVR had two members who were at HMP for the first time, so I decided to concentrate on Philip and Mark. I interviewed both and when I came to the question, “What do you like about HVR?” they both said, “The people.” I agreed. In my seven years with HVR I also find them friendly, open and accepting as I see them helping each other throughout the weekends of racing.
As I went about photographing HVR on the track on Saturday, I moved about to my familiar viewpoints that give me good shots. As I did, I noticed a boy who was about twelve. He was sitting on his bicycle, enthralled with the races, especially those of Heartland Vintage Racing. I noticed he was always at my next vantage point, as if he had been there before, one step ahead of me as we both watched and loved the races.
After the cookout Saturday night with HVR in the paddock, I went to my motel room. I wondered, there are no houses nearby HMP, so did the boy ride his bicycle from his house somewhere in Topeka to HMP? How far was it? I remembered his awe as he intensely watched HVR race. I could see he was dreaming about racing. Will he ever get to race a car there? My dreams of racing never left me. I, in fact, raced my new Corvette there two weeks later in the dust of Heartland Vintage Racing. But what will become of the Boy on His Bicycle’s dreams?
Russ Sifers
Associate Member
