A record crowd packed the Flomaton Speedway to not only watch school bus races, but also helped the Abba Shriner's transportation division in Mobile raise more than $5,000.
According to race track officials, the transportation division receives no funding from the Shriner's Children Hospital donations and must raise their own funds. A group of Shriner's, led by Howard Hoomes took up donations and sold 50-50 raffle tickets with the Shriner's getting half and the one lucky winner walking away with the other half. Flomaton's Jeff Spann was the lucky winner of the $1,750 drawing and donated it all back to the Shriner's.
Prior to the bus race the drivers walked through the crowd taking up donations for the Shriner's. Whichever driver took up the most money started the race in the pole position. The driver who raised the least amount of money started the race at the back of the field.
Shep Lucas took the checkered flag in the school bus race, followed by Keith Mangum and Bobby Walker.
The old school buses used in the race will now be used for first responder training in the event of an actual school bus crash.
For more information, see twww.flomatonspeedway.com.
