“It’s not your average ride on the bus,” says Mike Hyland, who has been involved in school bus racing since 2014.
Deer Creek Speedway near Spring Valley, Minn., began holding school bus races in 2012 and with overwhelming interest from fans, the event became an annual tradition and a friendly competition between local schools.
The first year of the school bus races Kingsland school did not have a bus entered in the race and Hyland thought something should be done about that.
Hyland explains that he called some friends and said, “Hey we gotta get a bus together; we’ve got to race out here because it’s our local track,” and Kingsland needs to be represented.
“We got together and did it and got into it and have been in it ever since,” notes Hyland.
The pit crew includes Troy Lange, Jake Merkel, Peggy Merkel, Mike Becker and Troy Leutink.
When the group entered the school bus races at Deer Creek Speedway for the first time in 2013, Hyland did not drive the bus but the next year he got his opportunity and passed the test with flying colors as he took first place.
Hyland has an impressive winning streak going, as he has won first place every year since, giving he and his pit crew four trophies so far, which they donate to the Kingsland school to place in the trophy cases.
Proceeds from ticket sales goes toward student activities for preschool through sixth grade in all participating schools with the Kingsland School Parents group helping disperse the funds.
“It’s good for the community,” states Hyland to get people together at the races and adds “it’s a nice deal for the school and the kids,” as well.
Some people may think that going to school buses races would not be the most heart pounding and unpredictable kind of race to watch, but as Hyland explains, the races are exactly that.
“It’s exciting; you’re not sure what’s going to happen next because you can’t watch everything,” states Hyland.
“We get up to around 60 mph,” says Hyland, which is surprisingly fast for the bus which Hyland approximates at 12,000-14,000 pounds. For the lengthy and heavy buses, getting around the corners of the track can be difficult but often provides terrific entertainment.
“During the race, coming around the corners, they are fast enough if you can get the front end to bite, to turn, the inside tires of the bus will come off the ground and you can hear it and feel it; the engine speeds up, they are spinning and you’re not going – you can feel it come back down and away you go,” says Hyland.
“We’re kind of running those buses right on the edge; we’re maxing them out,” he states. Buses have tipped on their sides, giving the drivers an unforgettable experience and the crowd an added thrill.
“We have dents on top above the windows from other buses hitting up on top there,” which describes how exhilarating the bus races can get.
Hyland admits to being a bit of an adrenaline junkie, saying, “I’ve always been into that kind of stuff; the racing, the machines, whatever,” he explains.
“I’ve raced other cars out on that track too,” notes Hyland, as he actually helped to build the track and has been a sponsor. He volunteers his time every year working on the track doing necessary maintenance. “I’ve driven a lot of things around that track,” he says.
A few things must be done with the bus to get it in racing form, including removing all glass, removing seats, putting a screen in the front windshield, placing the battery inside the bus, beefing up the front bumper, making sure they have good tires and most importantly, a five point harness is installed because “you don’t want to be thrown out of that seat,” Hyland comments.
The bus they have used since Hyland began racing was donated by Ronnie Merkel and the pit crew volunteers their time and necessary materials to get the bus ready for racing and maintain it each year. Hyland Motor Co. donates the use of their shop to do maintenance and also supplys the semi to haul the bus to the racetrack.
The bus races at Deer Creek Speedway take place on June 16 this year, so plan on attending to see for yourself just what these buses can do.
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