Sep. 1—The sweet ride at the center of our new "The News-Gazette Tailgate Show" drew a crowd at last weekend's Mahomet Music Festival.
Credit goes to Kirk Leman, owner of Leman Paint Works in Forrest. He turned an ordinary golf cart into an orange-and-blue thing of beauty. The details are impressive, all the way to Block I logos on the centercaps.
"I said, 'If we're going to do this, let's do it right,'" Leman said. "I had a vision and I ran with it. It's pretty slick."
That it's being used for our expanded Illini pregame radio coverage sits well with Leman, a former Prairie Central football standout (Class of 2005). He has game experience at Gies Memorial Stadium, the Hawks losing to Addison Driscoll in the 2003 state championship game in Champaign.
On Thursday, he'll return as the golf cart makes its debut. Our Hayden Rook will use it to scoot around tailgate lots to interview Illini fans. The 60-minute program (WDWS, WSOY) starts three hours before kickoff and follows the fast-paced format used on "News-Gazette Radio." It also includes visits with University of Illinois police, the Marching Illini, Illini athletics student ambassadors and game-day celebrities.
Interested in having our crew stop by your tailgate setup? Email me at .
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