Great Circle Kids Counting Down to Hardee’s Gateway Drags III

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For the second year in a row, the children of Great Circle and its member agencies Boys & Girls Town of Missouri and Edgewood Children’s Center will get a VIP experience at the high-octane Hardee’s Gateway Drags III.Hosted by the world’s premier eighth-mile drag racing sanctioning body, the O’Fallon, Missouri-based American Drag Racing League (ADRL), the Hardee’s Gateway Drags III will feature cars accelerating to more than 200 miles per hour in less than 3.7 seconds.“We are very happy to be able to bring our kids and families from across the state back to the races this year,” said Vince Hillyer, president and CEO of Great Circle. “We had such a great time last year; we are thrilled the ADRL invited us to bring our kids out again.”More than 350 kids and families from Great Circle campuses across the state will be on hand at the Saturday event, which is 100 more children than last year. They will be the special guests of Tim McAmis, a professional race car chassis builder in Hawk Point, Mo., and advisory board member for Great Circle, and will get special access to the drivers, cars, and pit crews, with the opportunities to ask questions, take pictures, and see the races from top seats. McAmis has been part of the Great Circle program - which is funded by private donations - for several years and the Gateway Drags have become more memorable with Great Circle involved.“It’s great,” McAmis said. “We’ve been involved for a lot of years and it’s a great organization. It’s nice to be able to help kids get a fresh start and it’s definitely a special weekend. It’s going to be a very good weekend.”Planning for the races started in January but the lengthy process will be well worth it considering what the children will be able to do on Saturday. A group of the children will also sing the national anthem to kick off the event.“This is such an extraordinary event,” continued Hillyer. “Our kids and famiilies get such a kick out of being able to meet the teams and see the cars up close; it’s an experience they will remember for years to come.”

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