With the ABA in town on its 23-stop national tour, Sanders said locals get a chance to see their heroes in person. They autograph their shirts, they talk with them about racing. They're just really great. Dade City's track is one of the fastest in the state, Sanders said. The bullring of a track is at the bottom of a man-made canyon.
Spectators gather along the lip and peer down as racers swoop in from the starting gate.
The track snakes over jumps, into a high-banked turn, then over a bridge and back under a tunnel for the stretch to the finish line. As the only ABA-sanctioned track in Florida, the Dade City track hosted its first national tour event last year and a good showing earned a repeat visit this year, said Martha Alexander, who helps coordinate local racing. This weekend's events start at 6 p.m. today, then return at 11 a.m. Saturday and again at 8 a.m. Sunday. Racing runs each day until the scheduled events are over, usually a few hours, Sanders said. She said she's intent on winning the national title in her age division this year and plans to go professional when she turns 16.