By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune managing editor
Officers from eight regional law enforcement agencies will compete and test their stock car racing skills in NASCAR Racing Experience racecars during the sixth Top Cop Challenge at Kentucky Speedway Sept. 6, from 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Officers representing the City of Cincinnati, Butler County, Ohio, Hamilton County, Ohio, Jeffersontown, Kentucky, Gallatin County, Kentucky, Oldham County, Kentucky, Kenton County, Kentucky, and the Kentucky State Police will participate in a two-officer team competition that will ultimately determine three officers who will have the chance to become Top Cop.
Last year, representatives from the Bluegrass state dominated the competition.
The Oldham County, Kentucky tandem of Sergeant Neil Johnson and Detective Todd Lindner took team honors while Kenton County Police Chief Spike Jones raced to the individual title.
Lindner paced team Oldham County to its second event title with a 159.51 mph. lap and joined Johnson in posting a best combined speed of 315.21 mph. Chief Jones emerged atop a field of 16 officers representing eight jurisdictions with a 158.19 mph. lap to defend his individual title.
Maj. Lee Meredith of the Jeffersontown Police Department is among those representing the Commonwealth this year. Meredith also competed last year and said there is some good-nature ribbing among the participants, but it is all in the spirit of friendly competition.
“It was a lot more fun than I expected,” Meredith said. “You’re on a closed course and they let you go as fast as you want to go and I did really well. It’s a blast.”
The speedway created the friendly competition to thank regional law enforcement for its efforts toward making the venue’s race events successful in addition to officers’ year-round public safety initiatives.
Each team member will race an eight-lap driving session around the speedway’s 1.5-mile tri-oval. The fastest team score will be the Top Cop Challenge Team Champion. The winning team will be awarded tickets to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 Saturday, July 13. Tickets will be distributed to needy families in the team’s community.
The three highest-ranking Top Cops will advance to a final round in which they will drive an eight-lap driving session. The officer with the best time (fastest single lap) will be crowned Top Cop Challenge Champion.
The Gander Outdoors Truck Series 225 starts the weekend Thursday, July 11, and the Xfinity Series Alsco 300 is Friday, July 12.
Tickets, Fan Zone passes and campsites are on sale at http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com, by calling (859) 578-2300 or visiting our speedway ticket offices at 1 Speedway Drive, Sparta, Kentucky 41086, just off Interstate Highway 71 Exit 57 and Kentucky Highway 35 N.
Contact Mark Hansel at mark.hansel@nkytrib.com