Mission Valley Speedway burns rubber on the Rez

"The cars that start in the front are assumed to be less experienced or slower than the cars that start in the back," says Eneas Conko. The racers finish their first lap (Alyssa Kelly photo).

PABLO — The sun was setting on Saturday afternoon and the Mission Valley Speedway (MVS) was packed with a local audience waiting in anticipation for the next race to begin. The stockcars lined in their starting points as their engines roared to the point of no other sound in the air. In each car sat a driver, pining for their chance to hit the pavement and prove they're meant to be in that seat. With the twist of a wrist and a whip of the flag the cars flew leaving a jet like sound that only faded to return with the finish of a lap.

Eneas Conko is a tribal member of the CSKT. He is in the process of becoming a Turn Marshall for the MVS races and in the future hopes to race (Alyssa Kelly photo).

"I have the best seat in the house," says Eneas Conko, a local turn marshal as he watches the race from the corner station. Eneas has been going to the MVS races for quite some time and has gotten the opportunity to learn how to become a professional turn marshal for the MVS. "I'll be racing eventually," he says.

The Mission Valley Speedway (MVS) is the only stock car racing facility located on an Indian reservation. The Salish-Kootenai tribes own the Speedway and it is the only club run, non-profit facility of it's kind in the Northwest region.

The track had been a quarter mile long for approximately twenty years and in 1997, it underwent great improvement. With the help of Salish and Kootenai College's Heavy Equipment class, as well as other local businesses, the track was paved and expanded to 3/8 mile and the facility was restored. There was also improvement on the pits and spectators area, which in turn brought more crowds.

Although MVS is host to several events and races, most local amateur racers utilize the track as a learning opportunity to improve on their driving skill so that they can reach new levels of racing.

For more information on the Mission Valley Speedway including the upcoming events please visit their site: www.missionvalleyspeedway.com or call 1 (406) 675-RACE. You can also contact Corky Sias, trank promoter at 883-9383 (home) or 212-8741 (personal cell).