The satisfaction of knowing you make a difference in people’s lives is especially rewarding. Being recognized for your efforts? Even more so.
NASA MidAmerica has been named “Best Racing Program” in the sports and recreation category by Missouri magazine for 2025. It is huge honor for a number of reasons. One, the program is strictly an editorial function, not based on the number of ads someone buys. Two, there are no runners up. This is a winner take-all program, which makes it even more prestigious for NASA MidAmerica Regional Directors Donna and Randy Lane. Three, there is a lot of racing in Missouri, so to be chosen is a true distinction.
“I’m really glad I’m able to say I didn’t advertise for this. I didn’t send it out in thousands of emails trying to tell people to go vote for me,” said Donna Lane. “It is truly people who have come to our events who have said, we’re going to vote for this organization. It’s the tracks that have told people, look, if NASA comes, go to them first. You’re going to get a solid event out of them. Learn to race. Race with them. Those are the types of things money can’t buy, and advertising can’t force that. It is completely the people of Missouri and our drivers who voted for that. It’s just the coolest thing.”
Lane was grateful to the tracks for their support and to the NASA MidAmerica members, volunteers, instructors, series leaders and staff that make the whole machine work as well as it does. It works so well, Lane has a steady stream of people who want to work for NASA MidAmerica with the leadership team she and Randy have put in place. It is that team of people who elevate the experience for all who attend, and those are the people who voted in the statewide contest.
“That’s what I think people are seeing. I mean, where in the world can I put together this group of people, all of them so devoted to racing?” Lane said. “And then why would I be surprised when I’m the best place to go race in Missouri if those are the people who come to us? Right? So, we’re lucky. We’re blessed.”
Lane said she learned a lot about how special NASA is when she and Randy were traveling the country racing in NASA with their then-teenage son Russell. Every NASA region made them feel welcome, like family. So when the Lanes acquired NASA Central and remade it into NASA MidAmerica, they already had a feel for how things should run.
The award is accompanied by stories about the winners and a red-carpet event at the Margaritaville Lake Resort at Lake of the Ozarks in February.
“You want to be respected for what you do. I had no idea that the tracks — I hear it all the time from them — but I had no idea the volume of people they must be saying that to. And it just makes us feel just over the moon with excitement,” Lane said. “We did not expect it and it’s a lot of fun to be able to say that I’ve got a team put together that, I mean we’re something special. Every single one of us knows that somehow we’ve put something together really special here and it’s starting to take on its own life.”
