“I have a son that helps me too. We just figured with (Dick) gone, this was our living – this is what we know,” Crook said. “So I’ll keep it for a few years.”

Crook has owned and worked at the speedway for the past 19 seasons.

“I do everything,” she said. “I do the cleaning and I do the cooking, stuff like that. And all the paperwork. PR stuff.”

Located at 4658 E. River Road, the Mount Pleasant Speedway is home to four different types of races.

“We run the Michigan modified; we run the limited late, street stocks,” Crook said. “And then we have two classes of mini stocks.”

The speedway is open from May until late October every weekend. Crook said the attendance is consistent.

“A typical Friday night, there’s probably close to 400 on this side (of the track) and 500 to 600 on the other side,” she said. “When we have our specials, our late model specials and stuff like that, it’s a little higher.”

Driver Roger Fussman runs in the Michigan modified and is in his eighth season of racing. He said he does it for the thrill.

“It’s definitely not for the money,” he joked. “The competition level is always there but it’s basically for the fun and the thrill of it. Adrenaline rush.”

Fussman said he spends a lot of time and money prepping his car for races.

“Depending on what happens, eight to 10 hours a week,” he said. “Tires. You go through a couple tires a week, couple hundred bucks there.”

Gas also can get expensive, he said.

“We run two nights a week, so 200 to 300 bucks a week,” Fussman said.

Driver Myron Wiggins also said his car takes up a lot of his time and money.

“There’s a lot of work that goes into the cars. Usually about 30 hours a week,” he said. “It’s expensive. I’ve got about $15,000 in my car right now.”

Racers also are required to pay entry fees.

“Basically the only thing you pay is the pit pass to get in for the night and if you do want to register for points, you pay a fee to register for points,” Crook said. “And then at the end of the year you get your trophy, point standings and points money.”

Crook said drivers don’t have to register for points if they aren’t in it for the competition.

If racers qualify, they receive 10 points. They receive another 10 points for the fastest time, nine for the second fastest and so on.

“Some classes make only one lap and some classes do two laps back to back, but everybody qualifies,” Crook said. “We have a qualifying chart and each week they take turns on who has to go first.”

Fussman said qualifying almost is more important than the actual race.

“We get more excited about qualifying because we always try to qualify good to make the fast dash, the ‘fast four,’” he said.

The top four cars from each race will move on to the next round, the “fast four.” The rest of the cars compete for the other spots.

Racers have to meet several safety requirements for their cars and themselves before they are allowed to race at the speedway.

“You have to have the right seat belts, they have to be up to date. The right helmets, fire extinguishers,” Wiggins said. “Everything is all safety.”

There also are specifications on cars’ appearances, brakes, bumpers, roll cages and hoods. Drivers are required to wear fire suits, helmets and neck restraints.

Fussman said bumping on the track during the races is common.

“You try to avoid it but it sure happens all the time,” he said. “There’s always touching, especially when you get 10 to 20 of us out there.”

Ron Isham, Mount Pleasant resident and racing fan, said he has been coming to the speedway for about four years now.

“I watch my cousin come out here and try to put a whooping on everybody,” he said. “He gets it done.”