Hays ? When they get behind the wheel, district judges Leonard Mastroni of La Crosse and Marty Clark of Russell are ready for speed, but you won’t see cars with flashing lights sneaking up behind them.

After the engines roar and the flag waves, these men of the law are off and running.

Clark, magistrate judge for the 20th District, got his start racing at an early age. When he was as tall as a hubcap, his father took him to races on a regular basis. His father owned a race car, and it was fun to watch the driver burn rubber around the track.

When he was old enough to work with tools, he built his first race car. Twenty-one years later, he has several trophies on his shelf, a judge’s chambers decorated with racing memorabilia and his own fan base.

Clark races an IMCA Modified Class car in International Motor Contest Assn. races.

Costly enterprise

“It’s just a hobby, like anything else you do,” Clark said. “It’s a hobby that keeps you awfully busy, and it’s an expensive hobby.”

Between entry fees and vehicle maintenance, racing can thin a pocketbook in a hurry.

“It costs about a hundred dollars a night to go, so if you don’t make that back, you’ve lost money,” Clark said.

This year, the Marty Clark Racing Team was the point system state champions. They are currently ranked 39th in the United States and 10th in the region, which includes Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas.

Judge Leonard Mastroni, right and his son James pose with their 1979 Mustang racing car, called Judgement, shown Oct. 21 in La Crosse. Mastroni has been racing for two years in the National Hot Rod Assn. Pro Class. James Mastroni races competitively in the Pro Class and drives in 11 point meets throughout the year.

They won in track points at Oberlin and Hutchinson and came in fifth at WaKeeney and third at Norton.

The biggest purse Clark has won was $1,000.

“In this class, to be successful you have to learn how to drive the car. Even though these tires look big, they are actually small compared to the horsepower. You have to know how to drive it,” Clark said. “Even if you have a big motor and lots of money, you will still come in last if you don’t know how to drive it.”

Judgement’s day

Mastroni’s car, fittingly named Judgement, can frequently be seen at the Great Bend racing strip.

“I race in non-points meets just for fun,” said Mastroni, district magistrate judge for the 24th District

He has been racing for two years in the National Hot Rod Assn. (NHRA) Pro Class. The kind of racing Mastroni does is on a quarter-mile straight strip.

Youth behind wheel

Mastroni’s partner in crime is his son James, a La Crosse High School senior. The younger of the pair races competitively in the Pro Class and drives in 11 different point meets throughout the year.

The best 14 or 15 drivers in each of the three classes — Pro, Super Pro and Sportsman — are chosen to compete in the Sunflower Rod and Custom Assn. (SRCA) Division V Regional Finals at Heartland Park, Topeka; James Mastroni was ranked No. 11 and made the team this year.

James, who will turn 18 on Friday, is one of the youngest to compete in the class.

“Watching James race is satisfying for me,” said his father.