Drag racers brought their cars to the Redezvouz Casino parking lot in Billings for the Read Win Raceprogram on Thursday night.
"We're using race cars, loud, noisy, exciting things that you don't normally see as excitement to get kids to read," said Dale Sekora, founder of the program, now in its third year. "Not only are we getting the kids around the cars, we're making them more interesting by involving someone in their school, an exciting person to that student to come out to the track. And race in just normal cars but race at the track."
Seven librarians and one principal are set to race at the Yellowstone Drag Strip in Acton.
Kids read and colored cars to record 16 hours to receive a chance to watch the races on Saturday.
"It's a perfect program for kids," said Rick Boyce, promoter and announcer at the track. "Fast cars, reading books, enjoying, have fun."
"We're putting a show on for the crowd, for the kids," said Curt White, White Heating & Air Conditioning owner and driver of a jet powered dragster. "We're gonna put out a lot of smoke a lot of fire, and run these things down the quarter mile at 300 mile an hour."
"If only a few kids are inspired, go to places that they would not have normally been, we've made an improvement in someone's life," Sekora said. "What we're trying to do tonight is kind of, you know, get out here and show people the cars and want them to stop by ask us, what are the cars doing in the parking lot and it gives us an opportunity to explain the program a little bit, get some excitement."
The whole program culminates on Saturday in Acton.
Read Win Race started with three schools and this year has expanded to eight schools and 1,800 students.
Sekora patterned it after a similar program in Colorado.
