The race is on

Two Kenedy police officers are challenging local car buffs to show what they’ve got in a race at the San Antonio Raceway November 18.

Officer Brian Mayfield will be bringing his Ford Mustang GT and officer Jeremy Stephens will be driving his Camaro Z28.

The goal is to give local speedsters a place to burn some fuel off.

"It’s a Karnes County shootout. We’d like other people from the county to come out. Anybody around here that has a hot rod or thinks they have a hot rod … they can do it. Let’s go race on the track and stop doing it on the highways and streets," said event organizer Stephen Kotara.

Mayfield, Stephens, and Kotara are part of a group that works on racing vehicles in a garage on Flax Plant Road in Kenedy. Richard Rodriguez, Jason Rodriguez, Henry Rodriguez, and several other locals also work on cars at the garage.

The entire group is issuing the challenge to Karnes County racers.

"The main reason that we are doing this is to keep the folks from street racing as it is illegal and dangerous to do," Mayfield said. "We are promoting ‘taking it to the track’ to provide and alternative, legal way to race. Racing in a vehicle is not exactly safe per se, but going to the track is a more controlled environment to do it. Not to mention, it is legal."

Event organizers are asking for $10 optional donations per race entrant to cover set up costs.

Any racer interested in joining can contact Kotara at 830-299-1793.