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THE FASTEST PREACHER ON DIRT!


Spreading Gospel and Slinging mud in fast lane
Excites " The Flying Preacher "

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting Life." -- John 3:16 (KJV)

The Rev. Mike Rucker likes to get down and dirty when he's spreading the gospel.

Occasionally, there are a few bumps and bruises and even a mud bath -- along the way.

That's what usually happens when he flashes by--not From the pulpit -- in car 316.

But that's life in the fast lane for the "Flying Preacher."

Mike is a race-car driver and 316 (for John 3:16)
is the number on his race car. And dirt tracks throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska serve as his pulpit when he's not ministering to the congregation at his church, Bible Baptist in Wichita Falls.

Mike likes going fast and all the contact with the public at the tracks gives him the opportunity to talk about the Lord from a different aspect.

Mike picked up the nickname "Flying Preacher" at the race tracks. He was associate pastor of Central Baptist Church in Bowie in 1982 when four members of the church (David Richey, Don Richey, Ronnie Fowler and Ricky Fowler) coaxed him into traveling to Wichita Falls to watch them race stock cars.

"I went and then I started watching them and working on the car some. One night David asked me to hot lap (warm up) his car."

Mike insisted it was too muddy.

Then he decided to give racing a try. He got banged around a lot at first. Soon afterwards, Mike's brother Eddie, of Wichita, Kan., gave him an old 1972 Chevy Monte Carlo that he
converted into a race car.

He then moved to Cheney, Kan., where he became pastor of Cheney Baptist Church. The following week, he was herding the car (also 316) around the track in the street stock division.

Mike then tabled racing until 1985. That's when he and his brother started racing late-model cars at 81 Speedway in Wichita.

Success came quickly. He won the rookie of the year crown, and in 1986, he finished seventh in points at the track.

The family then moved to Lancaster, Texas. The itch to race surfaced again, and he soon was behind the wheel, banging fenders at the race track at Bellmead and in Wichita Falls. Then there was another hiatus from racing.

When the family moved to Wichita Falls in 1993, he Couldn't stay away from Col C's race track. But, as luck would have it, the track soon shut down.

He built a car and headed for the NCRA late-model circuit, which has races in nearby states. His wife, Sherrie, brother-In-law, Tom, and members of Bible Baptist Church serve as his pit crew.

If Mike is able to obtain a major sponsor, he plans to race in the events this season.

There won't be a conflict with the church schedule; he plans the church calendar first, then he looks at the race calendar.

At many of the tracks, Sherrie sings the national anthem.

His ministry at the tracks started when he was asked to pray before the races and at special functions. That led to brief services on Sundays while at the track. Most of his racing is done on Fridays and Saturdays.

He would like to keep preaching at the tracks. It is an open opportunity to reach people.


Story Written By: Lee Anderson





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