In the early 2000’s, the backstretch grandstands had groups of people that would sit in the same spot year after year. In 2006 we had a few new faces sit up there with some friends. (Obviously it’s the one typing this story). We all had such a great time and left knowing that we would do it all over again next year!!! In 2007 someone mentioned that we were like the only group back there being “row
dy/loud”. Then something was said about needing a name for our crazy crew. We were being “rowdie” and we were on the top row!!! BOOM – that’s the birth of the name TOP ROW ROWDIES!!!
2007 = TOP ROW ROWDIES are in the house!! For the first few years most of us only knew each other by nicknames that were given. Here’s a list of nicknames over time: Cye, Buckscrape, Lil Buck, Clean Air, Toe Head, Toad, Grass, Dude, Bone, Sooner Dust, Kev, Big P, Poppy, Big Chris, Wis-can-sin, Cookies, Sp**ge, PP, F*ckstick, Simple, Joe Dirt, Brandy, New York, Van & I know I’m leaving out some of them but you get the point, our nicknames were odd. About 7 of us from back then are still here!!! We’ve had many come and go, some we miss, some we don’t!! PRE BANNERS/HANDHELD SIGNS 2008 - 2010 – this started as handheld signs. And those, well, some were descent, most were not!!! One of the things started was “You Gotta Show OR You Gotta Go!!” (Pre TV) You can only imagine how much nudity/breasts were shown. I know there are some young kids who probably saw their very 1st b**b back there!! We had several other signs over the years (FUN fact, once a “SW?????L SUCKS” sign was used. It was seen by the driver, and they went to the office and told them about it. Shortly after that is when we started to acquire banners and hang them up. First it started with just 1 that was about 2ft by 6ft. We are now up to 10FT X 36FT!!! Who’s been on the banners?
1st driver was “Big Daddy” Dave Darland
2nd was Tracy Hines
JJ Yeley
Tim “Crawdaddy” Crawley
2013 is when we started having Donnie Ray Crawford as a permanent driver
Hunter Schurenburg
Bryan Clauson was added to the In Memory banner with Donnie Ray Crawford in 2017
Also in 2017 we hung a banner for Mr. Lanny Edward. He passed in 2016. Rico Abreu
Thomas Mez
Casey Shuman
Robert Bell “The Colfax Comet”
Johnny Murdock
Tony “Smoke” Stewart
Logan Seavey
Colby Copeland
Kyle Larson
Cannon McIntosh
Jeromy Bowers – Always with us (we walked around and gathered up donations for his family in 2018)
DO IT FOR GRADY Chandler (again, we gathered up a large donation in 2020 for him bc of his racing accident)
Jason McDougal
Brad Sweet
Tyler Courtney
Gavan Boschele
Ryan Timms
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PRE TV – 2012 Once the bowl decided to bring in TV, we were informed of NO MORE NUDITY!! As if anyone around there listened!! So we then realized that if we wanted to be seen on TV the nudity had to stop. (Even the blow-up dolls) Eventually all of that stopped. And then we started getting TV coverage!!! We made it into a video game version of the Chili Bowl in 2012. Soon to be famous Chili Bowl Bus
On the North side of the building used to sit a camper. It was called the Soon to be Famous Chili Bowl Bus!!! It was our hub center. We had it out there for a couple years in a row. They then busted down on dry camping in the parking lot. So the Bus rolled out one year never to return………
In 2016 We started throwing frisbees back at the drivers
One year one of us had said “What would they do if we threw frisbees back at them?”
That’s all that was said to get the frisbees flying. BOOM – frisbees became a Saturday night regular item!!! Confetti, I think it started in 2016 also. The frontstretch does confetti. Why don’t we? Again, BOOM – that’s how confetti started!!! Now we order huge cannons bc the best part about it all is the mess!!! We make it and don’t have to clean it up!!! (And if you think this is mean for the clean up crew, worry not. It has been said that they get a kick out of cleaning up back there bc they find all kinds of great things under the bleachers)
Boomsticks 2017
this came about the same way the frisbees & confetti did. Someone said that we needed to make more noise!!! BOOM – the start of the BOOMSTICKS!!! ((Side note, this has been funded by us rowdies. We bought and shared bc we want everyone to have a great time around us!!!))
So, since 2017 we have brought all kinds of ways to have a great time on the backstretch. All from our own pockets!!! Thank you and you’re welcome!!! As the years roll on, the people change, the banners change, and the drivers change. But one thing that doesn’t is the FUN HAD BY ALL!!! We may not go “rowdie” every night of the week but we do have a great time all week…………See you there!!!
01/16/2026
