March 29, 2024

A few laps around the track

Jasper County deputies give young boy ride of a lifetime at Iowa Speedway

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Before the last race of the season at the Iowa Speedway, a few Jasper County Sheriff patrol cars took one special passenger for a ride around the track.

Hunter Madison and his dad, Brad Madison, are racing fans who come to the Iowa Speedway every summer from Benton.

At the start of the racing season at the Iowa Speedway in 2010, Hunter Madison introduced himself to Jasper County law enforcement with his signature “pound it.” Deputy Jeremy Burdt noticed the family this past season and Hunter’s admiration for law enforcement and all of their vehicles.

“When Hunter sees a uniformed officer or patrol vehicle, his eyes light up brighter than all the top lights on those officers cars,” Burdt said.

So, the evening before the final race, Burdt planned with the Iowa Speedway to create a special track experience. On July 30, Burdt called Brad Madison asking him to come down to the racetrack early, but not telling him what was to happen. Upon the family’s arrival at the Iowa Speedway, they gave Hunter a tour of a patrol car and drove him from the parking lot to the race track and down to the hauler’s lot. Then, they drove laps around the track with the lights on the patrol car flashing and the windows down so Hunter Madison could wave out at the fans. It was his first time in a patrol car.

“The family never asked us for anything, but we always let them see the cars and take pictures together,” Burdt said. “They didn’t take any of it for granted. For us, the race track is what we can offer to show appreciation.”

Hunter loves being outdoors all the time. The family takes him to watch trains, and he loves to look at firetrucks, police cars and ambulances.

“Hunter and his dad really stood out here at the speedway,” Burdt said. “So I really wanted to do something to show appreciation for their love and respect of law enforcement. We like to show these individuals that we do the best we possibly can to help them out.”

Back home, the Madison family is no stranger to law enforcement. Many of the police officers in the Benton community wave or flash their lights when they see Hunter Madison.

“We live in a small town so we’re friendly with everyone,” Brad Madison said. “Hunter says hello to all the police officers and they all know him. It’s good because I know that if he ever was in a situation that he needed help, an officer would help if they could.”

Hunter Madison is 15 years old and is going into ninth grade at Benton Community schools. Diagnosed with a rare chromosomal disorder as a child, he is now 4-feet 4-inches tall and weighs 50 pounds. For 30 years, Brad Madison has been a race fan. The family started going to the Iowa Speedway and camping at the KOA in Newton four years ago.

“I was happy as heck that they did that for Hunter at the last race,” Brad Madison said. “I don’t know if the ride around the track meant as much to Hunter as it did to me, but it was just such a cool thing for the deputies to do.”