Feminist Firestorm

Turn 5
Season 1
Lap 13

“Protesters Protest Recent Protests”

By Ed Goodspeed
Salina Evening Post
Wednesday, September 20, 2006

SALINA- A crowd of demonstrators at the pit entrance at Salina Highbanks Speedway remains vigilant tonight following three days of protesting.

Demonstrators carried signs, waved banners, and chanted their displeasure toward a recent outbreak of protest in the track’s technical inspection area. The demonstration sparked from several drivers expressing grievance with the set-up of veteran driver Lesa Vaughn’s pure stock division racecar.

The protestors chanted “Stop the protests! Stop the protests!” for over four hours straight today, and the demonstrations are expected to intensify as race day draws near.

“We’re protesting against the pure stock drivers who want to protest Lesa Vaughn’s car,” said organizer Martha Burk. “All of those pansies are just upset about losing to a woman. They can’t protest her equipment, because that’s discrimination!”

Burk says the protestors will continue to make their presence felt until the conclusion of Friday night’s race. The Mayes County Sheriff’s Office plans to have extra deputies on hand to ensure the safety of both racing teams and protestors.

“It seems like we’ve been clearing up incidents at the race track all year. I wish the pure stock drivers could settle their differences, but until that happens, we’ll be there to keep the peace,” Mayes County Sheriff Frank Cantey said.

Cantey noted the nature of the feminist protests have been completely legal thus far.
Tensions at the race track are expected to be on high for Friday night’s race. Track Owner Paula raised the track’s official terror level from yellow, “elevated” to orange “high,” in anticipation of the upcoming drivers’ meeting.

Cantey says his deputies will be on hand to escort technical inspector Chris “Eagle Eye” Peepers from the parking lot to the inspection area in order to protect him from angry protesters.

“We intend to keep our demonstration peaceful, so long as the track officials do the right thing and leave Lesa Vaughn and the rest of the female drivers alone,” Burk said.

Vaughn finished second in last week’s pure stock race.