Speedway Week

Hanna Collins is the Youth Services Librarian at Slinger Community Library 

In Wisconsin, many of us are fortunate to be stationed close to racing speedways! While the noise may sometimes be a nuisance to some, speedways have a long history of bringing families and fans together for hours of fun. During our “All Together Now” Summer Learning Program, we sought to tap into this amazing community treasure and invite collaboration with the library! 

The Slinger Super Speedway has been an important part of the Slinger community since 1948. Race fans come from near and far to watch drivers speed around the ¼ mile track in Late Models, Super Late Models, Slinger Bees, and more! 

I contacted the speedway’s Marketing Coordinator, Lynn Wagner, in February when our SLP planning was beginning. She was very much onboard and excited to be included in the library’s programs. As the Marketing Coordinator, she had close contact with all the drivers and teams and was able to gauge interest and availability. Our Speedway Week was scheduled for the week of June 12th. We kept in touch regarding dates, times, and our vision for the programming. 

To help us create a buzz for the Summer Learning Program, several drivers were able to bring their cars to the SLP Kick-Off party. We were able to talk up programming for our Speedway Week and generate interest! The drivers were excited to talk to patrons and allowed kids and adults alike to climb into their cars.

We collaborated on three Youth programs and one adult program (a tour of the speedway) throughout the week. Our Totally Teens (12-18), Kids Klub (6-11), and Lil’ Bookworms (0-5) programs all featured two drivers and their cars. The drivers were almost more excited than the kids! They patiently answered questions and told stories from their experiences as racecar drivers. Some wore their racing coveralls and brought other gear to share. During our Lil’ Bookworms story time, the Junior Flagman tagged along and showed us what each flag meant. He was a great sport and even helped me with a red light/green light song by waving the appropriate flag. 

For each event, I had “Dipsticks and Spare Tires” available as a snack (chocolate-covered pretzel rods and mini chocolate donuts). These were a big hit!

The kids loved being able to get into the racecars, and it gave the drivers a good upper body workout! The speedway was very generous and even gave out swag bags to each kid. 

If your library happens to be near one of our wonderful Wisconsin speedways, I would encourage you to reach out to the Marketing Coordinator. Many speedways are struggling and in danger of closing, so they would likely be thrilled to get some more exposure! This was a fantastic collaboration!