| New Egypt, New Jersey |
Skunk drag racing is star attraction at Farm FairBy By David Levinsky Friday, July 23, 1999 5:01 PM |
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There is definitely something in the air at the Burlington County Farm Fair. At 2 p.m. an absolute mob of children drag their parents to a 25-foot roped off ring located next to displays of antique farm equipment. In the center of the ring is a 10-yard mini drag racing strip. It’s the perfect size for four stinky speedsters named Orville, Peppy le Pew, Pu-Pu and... Jennifer. “Named after an X-girlfriend,” explained Jackson, NJ native Timothy Feimster, who devised and operates Farm Fair’s star attraction— skunk drag racing. Soon Feimster and his traveling partner Kentucky native Eric Dingus have their large crowd laughing and cheering with anticipation thanks to pre-race antics involving skunk cheerleaders, handcuffed volunteers, and big-wheel races— the loser has to kiss a skunk. Feimster throws in a few skunk facts just for education’s sake. “If we just brought out a skunk and lectured to the kids for 20 minutes— they’re not going to learn,” he said. “This lets them have fun and learn a few things at the same time. Most people’s knowledge of skunks is simply that they smell bad and the only contact people have is usually with dead ones in the middle of the road. Of course we want to be entertaining but at the same time we’re dispelling a lot of misconceptions about the animal.” Skunks misunderstood? “There’s an association with skunks that they’re a bad animal because of they’re odor. People don’t understand that the only time they spray is if their lives are in danger.” Feimster, however, plays up the potential danger by informing the crowd that skunks can spray accurately up to 25-feet— the exact size of the ring. The handcuffed volunteers act as decoys so the crowd can run. He warns the crowd, “You know they’re about to spray if they get up on their front legs and wave their tail in the air. You’ll have about two-fifths of a second to get away.” Not to worry though, these skunks have been bred in captivity by Feimster and his family. After the show he divulged that they never have sprayed anyone. Up close they actually look sort of...cute. “They’re great but here in NJ it’s against the law for people to keep skunks as pets,” Feimster said. “They’re not like a cat or dog. You got to raise them so they learn to like humans; so we try to discourage anyone who’s not prepared to really make a commitment to taking care of them.” Feimster’s commitment came with his family which has been raising a menagerie of unusual animals for years. “ My dad’s a school teacher and he used to always bring in kangaroos and lizards to show the kids,” he said. “We used to have races with them and also pigs but I came up with skunks because they’re an animal that everyone’s curious about.” For the last five summers skunk racing has been booked solid at various fairs and carnivals across the east coast. During the Fall, Feimster attends college in Kentucky. His dad is planning a west coast skunk tour. “It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “You come out here and see the kids laughing and smiling and having a good time plus learning. It’s the best. I could do this for another 10 years.” As for the skunks, Feimster said that they have their good and bad days of racing. “I’d say Jennifer and Orville are the consistent fastest but it all depends on how the skunk feels on a given day.” Thursday’s 2 p.m. races came down to a “Battle of the sexes” between Pu-Pu and Jennifer. The winner— Pu-Pu by a half a skunk. |
