For almost six decades, Mobile International Speedway (MIS) has been a legendary venue that has attracted some of America’s greatest race car drivers. From past stars such as Red Farmer and Bobby Allison to current competitors Grant Enfinger and Cale Gale, many exciting turns have been taken around the half-mile oval.
However, the roar of the engines has not been heard for some time in Irvington. While no racing took place last season, that is about to change.
Gina Schild-Knowles, currently the promoter and manager of Houston Raceway Park, will take the reins from long-time track owner Ida Fields with a plan of running a limited schedule in 2021 and a full racing slate in 2022.
No one could be happier about this than Tommy Praytor, who has promoted many events at MIS over the last few decades. He is also known as the host of “Inside Alabama Racing,” which began its 23rd season on WNSP-FM last month.
“For the first time since the facility opened in 1966, there was no racing last year,” Praytor said. “It was horrible.”
Start your engines
Many local drivers kept busy by racing at 5 Flags Speedway, another half-mile track, in Pensacola.
“The Mobile teams dominated there,” Praytor said. “The Snowball Derby is their biggest event. Four of the five local classes were won by drivers out of Mobile.”
However, they are ready to come back across the state line.
“They are all thrilled for the track coming back,” Praytor said. “It is not like it has been closed for 10 years and the teams have gone away. All of the cars and race teams stayed busy by racing in Pensacola.”
The initial race of the year at MIS will be the Southern Super Series June 26. This will bring the Super Late Model division to MIS for the first time in almost five years.
Prior to that race, MIS will open for practice March 27. Praytor said a “town hall” event would take place for the racers to hear Schild-Knowles’ game plan and to have an opportunity to get to know each other.
In the meantime, work is taking place to get MIS back in shape.
“Anytime something sits and doesn’t get used, you have problems,” Praytor said. “We also got damage from Hurricane Sally. It ripped the roofs and knocked down some fences. The track itself is in good shape.”
Family tradition
Praytor has been a fixture at MIS since the early 1990s when he was driving cars in the Pure Stock Class. That is when he got his break into the other side of racing.
“A group was doing a TV show about MIS and I helped them,” Praytor said. “I later was part of the national show ‘ARCA Racing This Week’ from 1999 to 2005. It was on the Outdoor Channel.
“I got to know all the drivers and the officials real well. I always had a good relationship with those guys.”
He also assisted with the public relations for a Winston Cup team sponsored by Midwest Transit Trucking. Later, the Outdoor Channel sponsored a car in the ARCA circuit, and Praytor again assisted with the public relations.
Whenever he returned home to Mobile County, he always managed to find himself behind the wheel to continue his own racing career. That all changed in the early 2000s when his son, Thomas “Moose” Praytor, began his own racing adventures.
“My son’s career started to take off,” Praytor said. “I was finished driving by 2005 or 2006. Then my son got his ARCA start and he was an Ironman. I was on the road with him from 2012 to 2018.”
At that point, Moose quit racing full time. He now focuses on periodically racing at Talladega and Daytona.
“He really likes those restrictor-plate races,” Praytor said. “In 2019, he missed Daytona because my grandson [Hugh Thomas Praytor V] was born.”
Praytor’s connection to MIS also helped the track appear in the supernatural horror film “Final Destination 4.” The opening scenes of the film included a race at the fictional McKinley Speedway. It was the No. 1 film in North America for two weeks and eventually grossed $186 million.
“They came to film in 2008,” Praytor said. “Having those guys here was huge for the race track. Some of the best stuntmen in the business were here. They spent two weeks flipping cars and blowing them up.”
Heart and soul
The one name most associated with MIS is that of Lee Fields. He was the owner and promoter at the track for 28 years until his death in 2000.
While he may have been the face of the organization, the heart and soul of the organization belonged to his wife, who was known to everyone as “Mrs. Ida.”
“The biggest thing to remember about all of this is the legacy the Fields had for Mobile racing,” Praytor said. “When Lee passed away, [Mrs. Ida] insisted it stay a race track.”
Praytor said they made the perfect team.
“He was the frontman and promoter,” said Praytor, who wrote an article about the couple for the “Inside Alabama Racing” program. “But she was the one who made sure the tickets were sold, the concession stand was ready and the drivers were paid.
“Without her being steadfast, MIS would have been turned into something else a long time ago. You have to tip your cap to her for making it possible for us to continue to race today.”
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