osborn diesel power plus
Thousands of well-groomed horses lay quietly basking in the sun under the clear blue skies, waiting for recognition of their efforts at primping and preening, as well as resting up for the chance to thunder down the nearby asphalt track. The title for the best in looks and fasted in the stretch were up for grabs Saturday afternoon, just an hour north of Kansas City, in the small community of Osborn, at the Horsepower Festival Spring.
Most were dressed in their very finest for this event, while others cared little for the spotlight of show, hoping only to blow the doors off their competition. All were there in honor of the founder of this little eighth mile outlaw track developed by local land owner Mike Franks.
Diesel Power Motorsports, the coordinators behind this event, sprinkled in a good does of food trucks and vendors to ensure stable hands and their accompaniment remained hydrated, well-fed, and amused at an affordable rate. Even the young'uns were granted entrance without cost, ensuring the whole family could participate in the celebration and not go broke.
More and more cars arrived, as a steady stream of traffic rolled into the area most of the afternoon and into the evening. While most were simply spectators, a significant portion of horse trailers pulled in late for open qualifiers. This is one of the few spots left where just about anyone can throw in and floor it, for a nominal fee.
It can be a double edge sword though. Some of those apparently less experienced that had ridden their own horses forgot to turn off the air conditioning. This caused a slow start early on as the track crew put most of their efforts into mopping up the track, while bewildered onlookers tried to puzzle how any of them thought they could get sufficient RPMs under those conditions. Additionally, it had not been a hot day. Temperatures only made it up to about 25 °C.
As the sun sank deeper into the pavement, smoke thickened and blackened with every burn off. Clouds rolled from stacks and tails, darkening the sky prematurely, though usually only momentarily. The expected roar of engines blotted out all other sound, though occasionally, some vehicles barely made much more noise than the wind. The kids made a showing in the mini-dragsters too, putting their foot into it and tearing down the track with all the ferocity of their adult counterparts.
This first visit to US 36 Raceway proved itself an experience worth repeating. A huge thanks to Diesel Motor Sports, and competitors large and small, for putting on a great show. There is nothing quite like an afternoon in the sun with the teams, then watching them go head to head later in the evening.
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