IBERIA PARISH — The Optimist Club of New Iberia is bringing back the Acadiana 500 — a tricycle relay race with roots in the 1970s — this Saturday at 9 a.m. at City Park. After a decades-long hiatus, this is their third year back.
The event raises money for youth programs and is designed to enrich community life. Each team builds its own tricycle and competes in the relay. The race went on hiatus before being revived in 2023.
Ray Escuraix was there when it all began, serving as the original race director.
"The commitment it takes to ride a tricycle 1.8 miles, and it is gruesome, just terrible... that's why I was in charge of it. I didn't want to ride either. I can see those guys getting off their trolley scars and everything else," Escuraix said.
The race was a serious undertaking. All teams had a pit crew, welders were on site for repairs, and medics were present. Before the internet, organizers had to recruit participants the old-fashioned way — going out and finding them in person.
"We probably appeared before 250 to 300 clubs. What I mean by that, is every year you had to go back. We'd have 30 teams... they would not come back unless you went over there and begged them to," Escuraix said.
At its peak, the event drew 31 teams. Escuraix said the laughs were his favorite part — because while a tricycle race sounds simple, covering 1.8 miles on a vehicle built for a child was anything but easy.
"The most fun to watch was all the people getting on and off the tricycles as you see this taking place right here. But if you take a look at some of them, you're gonna find some people lying on the ground," Escuraix said.
The Optimist Club is not just aiming to restore the race to its original form. According to Hanna, the club is working to build something bigger and better — surpassing what the Acadiana 500 once was.
