Story by Michelle Brosco-Christian
Photography by Mike Stringfellow

Driving a fast, fancy car is as American as apple pie and this American fascination with racing seems to be in the blood of many Southern Marylanders. In our region, car and motorcycle racing appear to be as “Southern Maryland” as a crab feast on a summer afternoon.

Racing is something that life-long St. Mary’s County resident Butch Mattingly simply couldn’t avoid. “I got started in racing because it was in my blood,” said Mattingly, who began racing at Potomac Speedway in 1976.

“My father, Nace Mattingly, was the first driver from Southern Maryland to compete in NASCAR; he was in the Daytona races in 1955 and 1957. It was raced on the beach back then,” said Mattingly. “My favorite thing about the sport is the feeling of accomplishment in seeing something you built, fire up for the first time and then outrun many of the expensive store-bought engines. The rush of adrenalin is unbelievable when you are strapped in and ready to go.”

Getting your own fill of loud engines and intense racing action is possible many weekends out of the year at three racing facilities located off Maryland Highway 234 at Budds Creek, in the northwest section of St. Mary’s County, just eight miles from Charles County’s Route 301. Maryland International Raceway, Potomac Speedway and Budds Creek Motocross Park are located within a few miles’ radius of one another, allowing a racing fan to experience three unique venues all in the same weekend.

If you want to see raw power in action, visit the Maryland International Raceway, less than a mile away from the entrance for the motocross park and the speedway. This 1,320-foot-long drag strip allows anyone to experience drag racing for themselves on Friday nights. Drivers of “street legal” cars of all kinds, from Ford pickup trucks to Honda Civics, can pay a mere $15 for the experience of a lifetime.

On Friday nights, mainly 20-something drivers line up in their various cars for the chance to go as fast as they can and to win a trophy and a bit of prize money. “It’s an adrenalin rush,” according to Waldorf resident Philip Thomas, who said he races his 1999 Corvette at MIR every Friday night because this is “one of the best tracks on the East Coast.”

Long-time drag racer Royce Miller has run the Maryland International Raceway for the last 14 years and just last year invested $2 million to update the facility, including a new control tower complete with corporate viewing suites and hi-tech computer equipment that links tower and track with large score/time clocks.  In addition to Friday’s “amateur night,” the raceway offers semi-professional and professional events, including four televised events this season.

Just up the way, you’ll find Potomac Speedway, a “racy 3/8 mile high-banked clay oval,” said Mark Potter, public relations and marketing manager for the track. “The pit area is outside of turns three and four with plenty of parking. The seating area will hold approximately 4,000 race fans comfortably.”

Plenty of free parking is available on the speedway grounds, said Potter, and entrance fees are a reasonable $12 per adult. “A family of four, two adults and two children under 12 can go to the races and eat dinner for under $37,” he said. “Potomac Speedway is a great place for a date or a birthday party.  We have a lot of fun with the spectators, especially when it comes to birthdays and anniversaries.”

According to Potter, “The Potomac Speedway provides great wheel-to-wheel racing excitement. Cars competing on a tight, high-banked oval as they slide through the corners just inches apart is like nothing else experienced. The speed and level of intense competition makes for a fun and exciting family night out.  It is a must-see because once you see the racing you will want to come back again and again. “Driving down the same entryway to the speedway, you’ll come across Budds Creek Motocross Park, which according to Motocross Journal  “easily makes it on the list of America’s greatest tracks.” The Journal adds, “The track is fun to race, great for spectators.” Built and owned by Jonathan Beasley, a motocross racer and himself a long-time fan of the sport, the track offers local amateurs the chance to race as well as presenting world-class events such as the Pro National.  It has been said that this motocross park is one of the most attractive natural-terrain tracks on the Pro National circuit and that the facility offers excellent viewing from almost anywhere on the grounds.

No matter which racing track you choose to visit, you won’t be disappointed. After many years of racing at the Potomac Speedway, Mattingly still says, “The sound of horsepower ringing in your ears and the friendships you create last a lifetime.”

To find out more about racing in Southern Maryland, visit:

Budds Creek Motocross Park @ www.buddscreek.com

Maryland International Raceway @ www.mirdrag.com

Potomac Speedway @ www.potomacspeedway.com