A 1956 winter day in Fort Wayne, Indiana served as the green flag to a long-to-be-followed racing tradition. Given the name ‘Rumble in Fort Wayne’ 25 years back, it has been holding a collection of racing programs that range from midgets to go-karts. 2023 marks its silver anniversary and is set to be held over the December 29-30 weekend. But what exactly does this weekend entail and how is NASCAR a part of it?
Advertisement
When the first midget race was held at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, it did two things. First, it birthed the United States Auto Club. Second, it green-flagged what will be known as the Rumble in Fort Wayne. Over the years, the Coliseum was developed to include a one-sixth-mile concrete oval and an expo center, which helped expand the racing menu of the winter tradition.
As a result, we today see two days of racing that include winged and non-winged 600cc Midgets alongside various disciplines of Go Karts and Quarter Midgets inside the Expo Centre.
This year, the Fort Wayne management has decided to up the challenge in this edition and tamper with the racing surface by layering it with a liquid rosin product similar to what is used at drag strips. Event stars believe that this will eventually aid in helping preserve track conditions for the multiple races that are run.
Even in a climate-controlled building, track conditions remain a challenge…@RUMBLEFORTWAYNE staff to experiment with #racing conditions during #silveranniversary running of the event Dec 29 & 30. #midgetracing #karting #quartermidgetracing #microsprintracing pic.twitter.com/LX7IUOnYad
— Rumble in Fort Wayne (@RUMBLEFORTWAYNE) December 24, 2023
Preparations underway, and a key person whose presence behind one of the midgets was much expected for the silver anniversary, was Tony Stewart. As the driver who has been the star of the rumble for the last 25 years, Tony Stewart is a bridge between this tradition and NASCAR.
A shoulder injury forces Tony Stewart to stay on the Rumble’s sideline
In the 24 years that the Rumble in Fort Wayne has been held, the three-time Cup Series champion has emerged winner on 12 occasions from behind his midget. As he aimed to pile up on this record and continue smoking out his key contenders like Russ Gamester and Bill Wease, a recent shoulder surgery ended up changing his plans.
The 52-year-old said about missing the event, “We’re gonna try and whittle it down to two months. But it is going to affect me going to Fort Wayne this year. I would say it is a 90 per cent shot we are gonna be there. We have every intention of being there for it. It is a part of my year I don’t want to miss.”
Though Stewart himself won’t be racing, his friend Joey Payne will be taking the seat in ‘The Munchkin’ #2 midget that he usually drives. 46 drivers in these 24 years have conquered the indoor track. Doing so in the short-track event’s 25th anniversary will no doubt be a special medal.
