Published: July 09, 2008 11:34 am            

BIG WHEELS, BIG THRILLS!

Monster crowd attends track event

The first big event at the reopening of the old Pine Knot Raceway got off to a roaring success — both figuratively and literally.

What was expected to be a big event turned into a monstrous event in more ways than one when a much larger than expected crowd poured into the old raceway to see the county’s first Monster Truck Show in recent memory.

Traffic proved to be a monster as well with initial traffic control being provided by South McCreary Volunteer Fire Department. By 7 p.m. McCreary County Deputy Sheriff Jerry Meadows and McCreary County Search and Rescue had been called in to divert traffic from US 27 along Strunk Highway.

Cars lined both the north- and southbound shoulders of Highway 27 while waiting to gain entrance to the track. But all the patrons polled said the show was well worth the wait.

The raceway, which recently celebrated its official reopening, heavily promoted the Monster truck show and people traveled from around the area to attend.

Several cars with Tennessee plates were spotted in the parking facilities, as well as vehicles from Madison, Whitley, Pulaski and Knox counties.

A couple of families sitting near the front area said they made the trip down from northern Pulaski County for the show.

Event staff said they were somewhat surprised by the high turnout — an estimated 5,000 according to McCreary County Tourism and Community Events Coordinator Adam Phillips.

“We expected it to be big, but not this many,” said one of the staff members.

The Monster Truck show is tabbed as the first of several off road type events that will take place at the revamped raceway according to track ownership.

        

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