The rumble starts before the first race.
Families unfold lawn chairs in the parking lot. Grills fire up. Kids grab crayons for a coloring contest, collect temporary tattoos, and line up to meet drivers before engines ever roar to life. Live music fills the air while children dart between bounce houses, graffiti walls, and autograph sessions, building memories long before the green flag waves.
At Dirt Oval 66, race day isn't just about motorsports; it's about giving families a reason to reconnect.
"We're really into the pre-event party," says owner Sherri Heckenast. "We encourage families to tailgate, spend time together, and enjoy activities before the racing even begins. Every event has a theme, and we build the entire experience around it."
In an era when many childhood memories happen through a screen, Sherri has intentionally created something different.
Sherri believes technology has its place, but she also sees what children miss when screens become the default form of entertainment. "High-energy activities encourage communication, curiosity, confidence, and social interaction," she says. "Kids need opportunities to figure things out on their own and interact with other people." That's why Dirt Oval 66 is designed to be hands-on from the moment families arrive.
Young children race Cozy Coupes during the popular Kids Crashers events. Birthday kids ride around the track in either a monster truck or even the venue's famous hearse before taking part in pre-race ceremonies. During Scout Night, hundreds of scouts camp overnight while participating in team-building activities that many look forward to all year.
Even after the racing ends, the experience continues. Families are invited onto the track where children climb inside giant race tires, explore areas normally off-limits, and experience the venue from a driver's perspective.
Sometimes, Sherri says, it's the simplest moments that leave the biggest impression.
While streaming services and video games offer endless entertainment, Sherri believes live experiences create something digital media simply can't replicate.
"When you witness a monster truck doing a backflip a hundred feet away, you can't compete with that," she says. "With live entertainment, the outcome is unknown. Every race is different."
Meeting drivers face-to-face only adds to the excitement. After monster truck events, children have opportunities to collect autographs, ask questions, and stand beside the massive vehicles they've only seen on television.
Those moments often spark something bigger.
Kids leave wanting to learn about racing, but also about the people behind it—drivers, mechanics, builders, and engineers. Imagination takes over as race cars become inspiration for obstacle courses in the backyard, coloring contest masterpieces, and dreams of one day sitting behind the wheel themselves.
Many people assume dirt track racing only appeals to lifelong racing fans, but Heckenast sees a much broader audience.
"Families from all backgrounds come here," she says. "It's one of America's most accessible family experiences."
That family-first philosophy shapes every decision.
Rather than hosting the same weekly races, Dirt Oval 66 continually introduces new attractions and themed events designed to keep families coming back for fresh experiences. Weekly planning meetings focus on one question: What will create another unforgettable memory?
The venue also prioritizes accessibility, ensuring guests with disabilities and special needs can enjoy the action up close.
"It's one of my favorite things to watch," Sherri says. "Those families are fully engaged and having just as much fun as everyone else."
For Sherri, racing has always been about more than horsepower. Growing up at the racetrack, she found community there. Today, she's working to create that same sense of belonging for another generation. She sees racing as a place where children naturally absorb lessons in perseverance, teamwork, resilience, responsibility, and hard work—not through lectures, but by watching drivers overcome challenges, crews work together, and competitors celebrate victories earned through determination.
Even the teenagers who work at Dirt Oval 66 begin by cleaning bathrooms and collecting trash before earning greater responsibilities. "We start them at the bottom and let them figure out how to get to the top," she says. It's a philosophy that values experience over instant gratification—a lesson that's becoming increasingly rare.
Ask Sherri what she hopes families take away from a night at Dirt Oval 66, and her answer has little to do with who wins the race. She hopes children remember painting school buses before they race, watching monster trucks soar through the air, cheering alongside new friends, meeting their heroes, and spending uninterrupted time with the people they love most.
Because while kids may not remember the latest viral video they watched online, they'll remember the night dirt flew, engines thundered, and they stood trackside believing anything was possible. At Dirt Oval 66, the finish line is just the beginning of the memories families take home.