FORT WAYNE, Ind. – People ask me every year why I give up a chunk of my Christmas and/or New Year’s holiday to jump in a car (or motorhome, depending on the year), head nine hours north and spend three days working during the annual Rumble in Fort Wayne indoor midget race.

Trust me when I tell you, it’s certainly not because of the weather.

Case in point: the forecast for this weekend’s 19th running calls for a high of 38 on opening day and potential snow showers over the course of the two-day affair. Now granted, that’s outside the building, but still.

I could be spending the weekend at home with my family or in downtown Charlotte, celebrating New Year’s Eve like a normal person at a get-together or whatever, prepping to watch football on Monday like most of the country and even most of the racing contingent. (If you just opened your mouth to object to that, don’t lie.)

But that’s the point. Anyone who knows me that’s reading this knows I’m certainly not normal, and neither is the Rumble in Fort Wayne.

That’s part of the allure and the draw for this nearly two-decade old classic, that it’s not something you see every day and it’s an event where some of the best open-wheel short track racers in North America can come together on a sixth-mile oval – built in the middle of a concrete coliseum floor – for two nights only, knowing that they have just as much of a shot at going home empty-handed as they do of winning.

I mean, how often can you say you’ve been to a midget race where someone like Dave Darland or Billy Wease missed the show because they simply weren’t good enough that night? It doesn’t happen very often.

And yet, that’s how powerful the field is in Fort Wayne every year.

Of course, the star power draws people into the Expo Center, though it’s been noticeably lacking in recent years with the now-four-year absence of all-time Fort Wayne wins leader Tony Stewart. (PS: We miss you, Smoke!)

But you’ve still got Darland. You’ve still got Sarah Fisher. And you’ve got young rising stars trying to ink their names among the best of the best, like Justin Peck, Kyle and Nick Hamilton, Kyle O’Gara and Austin Nemire.

But even at that, none of those are the prime reason I – like many others – am so drawn to returning to the event year after year.

What makes the Rumble so worthwhile to attend again and again is the fact that it’s more than just a race: it’s family.

It’s an annual renewal of the racing community knowing that it’s their last chance each year to catch up with one another, compete with one another … but more importantly, make memories together before the grind and the process of another year renews again.

For me, it’s a chance to work an event with my own family, to be a part of something as a complete unit. We don’t often get that opportunity, but at this event, my dad is the head push truck coordinator, my step-mom is the event photographer, my sister manages photo sales and I’ve managed a portion of the at-track media promotion and post-race writings for the past two years.

It’s also a chance to share the holiday spirit with those that embody the passion and the love of this sport just as much as I do, as well as an opportunity to share plenty of laughs and smiles with many that I don’t get to see at any other race track the rest of the year.

You learn to cherish those moments, because especially this year, you never know if you’ll end up getting any more of them in the future.

So as cars load into the Allen County Coliseum Expo Center pits this afternoon and start turning practice laps around a flat bullring that tests tempers every bit as much as it rewards patience and perseverance, I’m going to be taking a few moments from my perch in the crow’s nest to sit back, stop typing and just take in what’s become one of my most cherished holiday traditions each year.

I’m going to take a few minutes to circle the pit area, share some hugs and pass along some holiday greetings and well-wishes to those I haven’t seen in 364 days.

And I’m going to smile at the fact that I’m back at a race that’s so much more than just a race.

It’s one big, happy family.

The opinions expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Race Chaser Online, the Performance Motorsports Network, Scorpion Radio Group, their sponsors or other contributors.

About the Writer

Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network.

Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.

The 22-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.

Email Jacob at: editor@racechaseronline.com

Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77

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