WEEDSPORT - Fast, dirty and loud is the best way to kick off the 54th anniversary of DIRT racing at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway.

The season opened at the speedway on Sunday with a nice crowd of fans enjoying spring racing on a clear evening.

Not only is racing at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway a tradition for the drivers but also for the fans who look forward to another season of mud-flying fun in Weedsport.

“It's great,” Bill Mathews said. “It has been a long winter and it's nice to get out and see the cars out there again. It ended up being a beautiful weekend and it gets me out of the house, gives me something to do.”

Mathews has been coming to the Cayuga County Fair Speedway for more than 20 years to see the races.

DIRT racing is not just fun for adults but for the whole family with many of the veteran fans bringing children and passing the tradition on to a new generation.

“I have been coming here for over 20 years,” Glen Rex said. “I came here as a kid with my family and now I bring my son to the races here too. It is close to home and it's a cheap form of entertainment. We are keeping the tradition of dirt racing in all the generations.”

DIRT is not the only form of racing that takes place at the Cayuga County Speedway. Bill Oliver and his stepson, Seth Gates, race lawnmowers at the track and consider themselves big race fans.

“I bring my stepson every year and it gets better every year,” Oliver said. “We race lawnmowers here and love to come to the DIRT races to watch Tommy Jewel.”

Gates, 6, hopes to race someday and enjoys coming to the speedway.

“They drive real fast and it's loud,” Gates said.

Sometimes it is the youngsters who get their families into it instead of the other way around.

Louise Picciano has been coming to the Cayuga County Fair Speedway for about 14 years because of her grandson's interest.

“I never watched racing before but he was into it when he was only five years old so I would bring him,” Picciano said. “He had his own set of flags and would sit down front and flag the races.”

Picciano's grandson, Mike Vaughn, is still the reason she comes to watch nearly every race, only now it is to watch him drive.

“He has racing in his blood, he just loves it and now he is finally driving,” Picciano said. “I love to come and watch him.”

A 54-year tradition continues and the dirt keeps flying at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway.

“It is so much fun, when they crash I get scared sometimes though,” Stephen Zuke, 9, said. “But I try to make it to every race, I just love to watch the cars drive fast.”