It’s a big weekend for residents of Shelby County, as this Sunday they’ll gather along Interstate 64 to compete in the fifth annual Peytona 500. The race will consist of 500 laps around both sides of the interstate at exit 43.

It’s never too early to start preparing for the race, which is why many competitors have already begun making modifications to their cars, including early favorite Jimmy Dale Gordon Junior, who’s already added a restrictor plate to his 1983 El Camino.

Gordon Junior, a two-time winner of the event, takes the race very seriously.

“This is the Super Bowl of racing for cars that can also pull a boat,” he told us. “Some people might just see it as an unnecessary spectacle that’s needlessly dangerous, and those people are absolutely correct, but that don’t mean I’m not gonna give it all I got.”

The Peytona 500 has not been without controversy over the years. The first annual race saw an unfortunate collision with the mythical Waddy Werewolf, resulting in several caution laps. To avoid history repeating itself, the race has since removed the Ditto Road portion of the track.

The race is also known for some of its unexpected finishes over the years. Three years ago the race was won by a Lexington man who just happened to be traveling to Louisville at the time.

“Yeah I was on my way to Louisville when I saw the Waddy-Peytona exit. I had never stopped at that exit before, even though every time I pass I say ‘Waddy-Peytona’ out loud to myself and start laughing. This time I decided I would check out the exit, but when I pulled off there were El Caminos and Ford Probes driving recklessly everywhere, so I immediately turned right back around and just headed back toward Lexington. A sheriff pulled me over about a half mile up the road to tell me I had just won the Peytona 500. The prize package included a lifetime supply of showers at the Flying J, so that’s been nice.”