On typical Thursday nights at Dill Street Bar and Grill, crowds huddle around a giant table to yell at a confused group of crabs scuttling nonsensically.
Crab racing, paired with 25 cent bottles of beer, have been a weekly Thursday night tradition at Dill Street for a little more than two years.
“It seems to be a lot of fun for people,” said manager Angie Busch, an alumna of Ball State. “Everyone seems to love it.”
Participants purchase a crab for $1 that will be their racers for the evening. The shells of the crabs are painted with the theme of the night, which have ranged anywhere from superheroes to major league baseball teams.
When a race starts, all of the crabs are gathered on a theme-decorated table. The crabs are then detained under a giant container that holds them in place before their first bout. As the anticipation level of the audience rises and the cheering grows louder, the container is lifted and the crabs take off.
According to traveling crab race host Sonny Strack, who goes by stage name “Sonny Starr,” the race consists of 16 preliminary races that funnel into four semi-final races that ultimately determine the four crustaceans that will compete in the final race. The first crab to crawl its way over the black line, which is placed in the middle of the table, wins.
Prizes for the holder of the winning crab consist of gift cards for businesses around campus or the usual gift card to use for drinks at Dill Street.
Busch said the crowd for crab racing usually peaks around 10 p.m. The races are held until 11 p.m., which is when the disc jockey performs for the remainder of the night.
Those who purchase crabs at the beginning of the night also get to name their crab for the duration of the race, normally being something clever or vulgar. One crab called “herpagonasyphilaids” — a nickname comprised of the names of several sexually transmitted diseases — provoked laughter from the crowd as it was announced as the winner of the final round.
Strack and crab racing host partner Jay Jackson encourage audience participation by talking with their audience before and between the races. Their approach is similar to that of stand-up comedians by cracking jokes at whatever the conversation may spiral toward.
Crab racing has a broader history that extends beyond the walls of Dill Street. Strack first started hosting crab races at bars in 1981 around Fort Wayne, Ind. Jackson came along 10 years later and started providing background music and sound effects for the races. Although Strack is the main host of the races, Jackson chimes for support while Strack is conversing with the audience.
Jackson streams live video footage of the crab races using UStream. This allows viewers to watch the races on their computers, phones or other digital tablets while the races are underway, as well as go back and re-watch previous races that have already occurred.
Strack and Jackson regularly bring crab racing events to bars all throughout Indiana, most being in Fort Wayne. Jackson said the crowd at Dill Street is a little more “rowdier” than some of the other bars.
“Ball State’s crowd is more enthusiastic,” Jackson said. “I think the quarter beers special has a lot to do with that, also.”
