Great Falls speedway worker honored for years behind the scenes

Great Falls, Mont. — At Electric City Speedway in Great Falls, the race-day action depends on work that starts long before cars hit the track.

From April through September, the speedway brought nearly 20 races to life with competition on the track and fans in the stands. Behind that effort, Jody Kropp helped get the surface ready for drivers and crews.

Kropp has lived in Great Falls for nearly 50 years, and he said the speedway has long been part of his life.

"My father raced here in the early 80’s. I started in the 90’s racing here. So, I’ve been here almost every weekend. It’s been something we’ve always done as a family thing for us," he said.

Kropp works at the Montana Department of Transportation and had also spent the past six years preparing the track before races at Electric City Speedway.

"Some days I come up here on Monday, Tuesday or whatever after my real job I come up and add a little bit of water here and there. Depending on what we got going on whether it’s a two day show or a single day show," he said.

He explained that he and the track maintenance crew focus on giving racers a solid surface to compete on. He said that matters because drivers put a lot of work into their cars and fans expect a strong show.

"If it’s rough or if it’s a terrible track, it’s not good racing for everybody. The racers we have here put a lot of effort and work into their cars and we’re here to put on a good show," he said.

Kropp said one of the most rewarding parts of the job came when the racing stayed close and competitive.

"It’s nice when you can have a good feeling of accomplishment when there’s good side-by-side racing and good competition," he said.

Electric City Speedway owner Jeramy Myers said Kropp’s work helps make race days run well and show how much he cares about the track, its history and the fan experience.

"You don’t have to ask him to do anything and he gets it done. He’s a big asset for this place, I think a lot of people look up to him and he’s just an awesome guy," Myers said.

That work led to Kropp being named NonStop Local’s Good Samaritan for the month of September. He was also inducted into the Electric City Speedway Hall of Fame last year.

Kropp said he hopes younger people entering the sport will see the example he tries to set in Great Falls and at the speedway.

"I hope some of the newer people coming into this sport, younger kids coming in can see all that and I try to be a good example for them anyway," he said.