The owners of Big Ed’s BBQ have two passions, barbecue and racing.

Ed and Hanna Dowd own Big Ed’s BBQ at 104 First Ave. E.

They close on Sunday and Wednesday night to watch the races at the Southern Iowa Speedway. They also travel to tracks in Cordova, Ill., Cedar Falls and Eddyville to sell barbecue.

“The only time Big Ed’s is closed is to go racing,” Hanna said.

For Ed, it’s the best of both worlds. He gets to prepare and sell a lot of barbecue and he sets up right next to the track with his trailer and watch the races.

Ed said the speed, the noise and the smell of fuel draw him to the track.

“It’s just the thrill of racing,” he said.

Hanna said she gets an adrenaline rush at the racetrack.

“You have to go to understand,” she said.

The excitement of the track is captured in photos and banners displayed throughout the dining room of Big Ed’s BBQ. Pictures of local and national drivers adorn the wall alongside flags for the Talledega Superspeedway and the Daytona International Speedway. There is also a photo of Ed and Hanna with Kasey Kahne during Kahne’s stop in Oskaloosa last year. There are also several photos of Brad Pinkerton, a local driver that Big Ed’s BBQ sponsors. They’ve picked up some of the memorabilia from attending races and some has been donated.

When Big Ed’s first opened his store in 2004, Hanna and Ed didn’t close early on Wednesday. Business was slow Wednesday nights because of church events and the races. On those nights, Hanna wanted to go to the races, while Ed wanted her to stay and keep the store open. Eventually Hanna won the argument and now they both go to the races on Wednesday nights.

Big Ed’s first experience in barbecue began at the Rib Shack in Galesburg, Ill., while attending high school.

“The first job I had was cooking ribs at a rib joint in Illinois in ‘77,” Dowd said. “It was a good job.”

Each day he would load the meat in the smoker before attending classes, then return to the Rib Shack after work. In addition to classes and working at the Rib Shack, he said he also competed on the track team, setting a school record for the 220-yard dash.

His boss at the Rib Shack told him he was going to become a barbecue man someday, but Big Ed had other plans at the time.