One thing that makes Anderson Motor Speedway stick out is the effort track promoter Sylvia Porter is doing to promote growth in the sport by getting young people and the local community involved.

Porter, 42, has set up a kid’s club at Anderson Motor Speedway, which his located in Williamston, South Carolina, while also having free admission for kids ages 12-and-under.  Several things are done at the track with the kid’s club, including face painting, contests, kid’s races on the track and more.

“We want young race fans and to drive the youth movement,” Porter said.  “That’s the future.  We always let everybody 12-and-under in free and we’ll continue to do that this season.  We have a lady that comes in and does face painting and we play games with the kids.  We have races on the track, hula hoop contests and other stuff like that which we do in front of the grandstands.  Hopefully the kids will want to come and see the races.”

Porter says the track has also gone to area middle and high schools for a “don’t text and drive” campaign and hands out free passes for teenagers to come out and see the races.  She said the track also does church night stuff, public safety night and other different events to keep the community involved.

“We’ve been here 52 years and my neighbors are great,” Porter remarked.  “I have a good community around me and I try to be good to them as well.  They can make you or break you.  If you don’t have a good relationship, they can make it hard on you so I appreciate them.  They’re good to me and I feel like I’ve got to be a good neighbor to them.”

Last season, Anderson Motor Speedway became a NASCAR sanctioned facility.  Porter said the move to NASCAR helped the track in terms of insurance and credibility.

“I grew up around the track.  This is my family.  With NASCAR sanctioning comes the wonderful insurance.  People in my pits are like my family.  I talk to them as much as I talk to my mom.  I want to know that they’re taken care of should something happen, god forbid.  It’s ease of mind.  With NASCAR sanctioning, you also get more publicity and help from the media.  We had two drivers that raced here and Greenville.  Kyle Plott won and got to go to Charlotte and David Roberts won the track championship and got to go to Charlotte.”

There will be no major changes at Anderson in 2015.  The track will continue to be NASCAR sanctioned and will continue to race on Friday nights.

“This season, we are continuing with NASCAR.  It went well last year.  I’m continuing with everything we did last season.  We’re going to run LMSC every other weekend just like last year.  When we don’t have Late Models, we’ll run special events such as SESTS, PASS and KOMA.  Then I have something call Crashorama.  You would not believe how many people come to see that.  If I could get that many people here for a Friday night race, I would have it made. I’m convinced people like to see things destroyed.”

Along with the regular racing schedule, the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) and the KOMA Unwind Modified Madness Series will also come to Anderson Motor Speedway in 2015.  The PASS South Super Late Models will race at Anderson on March 21st and on June 19th and the KOMA Unwind Modified Madness Series will race at Anderson on July 17th.

“I’m very excited.  We didn’t have the PASS Series last year and that’s one of my favorite series.  They always put on a great show and have a good field of cars so I’m excited they’re coming back in 2015. The KOMA series, when they came last year.  That was a big race.  I was nervous but everyone supported it and wanted to see those Modifieds so I’m excited.  They’re coming back in July.”

Anderson Motor Speedway’s 2015 season will get started on Friday, March 13th.

ANDERSON MOTOR SPEEDWAY: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Anderson Motor Speedway 2015 Schedule

March 13th: Late Model Stock Car
March 21st: Pro All Stars Series
March 27th: Late Model Stock Car
April 3rd: Late Model Stock Car
April 11th: Southeast Super Truck Series
April 17th: Late Model Stock Car (Twin Races)
April 24th: Late Model Stock Car
May 1st: Late Model Stock Car
May 9th: Late Model Stock Car
May 15th: Late Model Stock Car
June 5th: Late Model Stock Car
June 12th: Late Model Stock Car
June 19th: Pro All Stars Series
June 26th: Late Model Stock Car
July 10th: Late Model Stock Car (Twin Races)
July 17th: KOMA Unwind Modified Madness Series
July 24th: Late Model Stock Car
July 31st: Late Model Stock Car
August 7th: Late Model Stock Car
August 14th: Late Model Stock Car
August 21st: Late Model Stock Car (Twin Races)
August 29th: Southeast Super Truck Series
September 11th: Late Model Stock Car
September 18th: Late Model Stock Car