One of the oldest dirt Midget associations will meet with the newest for the first time at Airport Raceway for the Midget Roundup, May 23-25.
The Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association (RMMRA), founded in 1940, has partnered with the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota – founded in 2022 – to bring Kansas one of its biggest Midget events of the year.
“With (the RMMRA) being that old and [Xtreme] being that new, it’s exciting,” said Mark Hamilton, RMMRA president. “It’s exciting to see the oldest still running, and the newest have something fun to do. I think it’s going to be great for both of our clubs.”
Midget racing’s rising popularity in the 1930s led to the birth of various clubs in the Colorado/Kansas/Nebraska region. However, the growth of various clubs also led to smaller car counts for some and unstable clubs. In an attempt to stabilize Midget racing in the area and help it grow, Lloyd Axel and Roy Leslie led the charge in forming the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association in 1940. Aside from a couple of hiatuses, mainly during World War II, the club has been active ever since, crowning hundreds of winners and 25 champions.
During their more than 80-year history, the Midget Roundup at Airport Raceway in Garden City, KS has been one of the group’s most coveted events.
“We’ve had that event since 1997,” Hamilton said. “It went away for a few years. Between (Airport Raceway promoter) Jack Crook and the RMMRA, we’ve been trying to put on the Roundup for almost 20 years. We hold it as a big tradition, and I know Jack does as well.
“It’s one of our most favorite tracks to race at. The track is great, and Jack is a great promoter. A great friend as well. We just want to continue that legacy, really. Joining up with Xtreme… I think is going to open up some doors. I think it’ll be a good thing.”
The RMMRA also played a key role in making sure Midget racing stayed alive in the Garden City area. When Crook stepped away from ownership of Airport Raceway for about 15 years, those who managed the track removed Midget racing from the schedule. But when Crook returned as the sole promoter, his first goal was to bring Midget racing back to the area and the RMMRA answered the call.
Since then, the Midget Roundup has not only been a big event for the RMMRA, but also an important event for Midget racing in the area.
“As far as keeping the Midget series alive, they’ve been the backbone,” Crook said. “Without those guys, I wouldn’t have kept running Midgets. They are still what I call old school… a club. I have good relations with all their club presidents. With those guys, I appreciate them, and I know they do us as well.”
The Midget Roundup normally saw about a 20-car entry list, with just the RMMRA alone. Now, with the addition of the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series to the event, both groups expect a healthy car count, loaded with the top talent from both series – ranging from 14 years old with Xtreme to 60 years old with the RMMRA.
“There’s a lot of important history with the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association and Airport Raceway, which makes it exciting for the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series to be a part of the Midget Roundup and help support their efforts of promoting Midget racing in the area,” said Tyler Bachman, Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series Director. “We’re confident it will be a great show with the level of talent both series are bringing.”
Set to compete in the Roundup are Xtreme drivers like reigning champion Cannon McIntosh, current points leader Jacob Denney and multi-time Series winner Chase McDermand, and RMMRA competitors like 13-time champion Keith Rauch – driving one of Hamilton’s cars – 14-time RMMRA winner Jake Bubak, and American Sprint Car Series regular Kyler Johnson.
Hamilton will also be in his own car for the event. He’s been the president of RMMRA for three years and has been racing with the group since 2014. His take on 1/6-mile Airport Raceway is “it’s fast.”
“You have to have some racecraft to get around that thing,” he said. “It’s a bullring, honestly. It’s elbows up the whole way.”
The three-day event will bring the oldest and newest series together with an open practice Friday night before they compete for a $4,000 payday on Saturday and a $5,000 top prize on Sunday.
Xtreme and RMMRA teams will also be treated to a cookout Saturday night, sponsored by Honest Abe Roofing, with nearly $6,000 in prizes to give away from CSI Shocks ($500 in product) DIRTVision (annual FASTPASS), DMI ($1,000 in product), Driven Midwest, FK Rod Ends (four complete sets of rod ends), FK Shocks, Sharp Advantage (two knee guards), Ultra Shield Race Products (three boxes of tare-offs), VP Fuels (one set of fuel jugs), and Wilwood Brakes (complete Midget brake package).
Get your tickets now by CLICKING HERE. Get $5 off your ticket when using code MCINTOSH71K.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch every lap live on DIRTVision.
