RACE CAR DRIVER FULFILLS GIRL’S DREAMS AT BAER FIELD
An eleven-year-old Village Bowl Youth Bowler, Asia Uptgraft, has had a good year. Asia is a sixth grade student at New Haven Middle School and is the daughter of Rick and Linda Uptgraft. She has dreams and goals like most young girls. Asia has dreams of becoming a pro-bowler and has always wanted to personally meet her racing idol, Johnny Gatton Junior.
Asia has been working hard on her bowling goals, which included attending an instructional league at Village Bowl this summer, taught by Jeff Dreyfus. She has improved her average from 91 to a 119. In 2005, her bowling team placed second in the Young American Bowling Alliance City Tournament and she placed in singles in the Indiana State Tournament in Terre Haute.
Asia is also a racing fan and loves to go to Baer Field Speedway, where she can watch her racing idol, Johnny Gatton Junior race his late model #89 NAPA Chevy race car.
On July 22, she got a big surprise! Asia was at the racetrack with her grandparents, when defending track champion Johnny Gatton Junior took second place in his heat and then stole the night’s A-Main. Johnny started in fourth position and made quick work of the three drivers that started in front of him and was never headed, as he became victorious in that feature.
Asia was standing at the fence taking pictures of her hero as he received the checkered flag when suddenly Johnny saw her and called her out on the racetrack to hold the flag and have her picture taken with him.
She was so surprised and elated that her dream had come true and she got the added bonus of getting her picture taken with her idol and champion. She will cherish it for the rest of her life. Johnny made this little girl very happy and fulfilled one of her dreams.
Asia will continue to work on her bowling goals, as she bowls in the Youth League at Village Bowl again this fall and she will be back at Baer Field Raceway next summer to watch her idol again, probably with that picture in her hand.
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