Holiday Weekend Sees Sprint Cars and Late Models at Rice Lake Speedway
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI – The Memorial Day holiday weekend will be a special one indeed at the Rice Lake Speedway in 2022. For the first time in a number of years, the track will run a doubleheader weekend of racing with races on both Saturday night, May 28th and Sunday night, May 29th .
But even more importantly, two classes of race cars that seldom get the opportunity to race at Rice Lake, The 410 winged Sprint Cars and the Late Models, will each get the chance to headline one of the holiday shows.
On Saturday night, the 410 winged Sprint Cars of the Interstates Racing Association(IRA) will be running in a full point program at Rice Lake. The 410 Sprints last appeared at Rice Lake on July 13, 2013 with Billy Balog winning that event. Balog is now traveling the country racing with the All Star Sprints and is not expected to be available to race at Rice Lake, but around two dozen drivers are expected to be on hand as the fastest cars on dirt return to Rice Lake under the direction of IRA President Steve Sinclair.
The most recent IRA point standings, pending three races over the weekend of May 20th find Scotty Thiel from Sheboygan, who also races with the World of Outlaw Sprint Series on occasion, leading the point standings. Jake Neuman from New Berlin Illinois is currently second with Jordan Goldesberry from Springfield Illinois third. The highest ranking area racers with the IRA are Hunter Custer from Chippewa Falls and Jack Berger from Lake Elmo Minnesota..
The IRA will participate in a full program of qualifying time trials, heats and a feature race. Along with the Sprint Cars, the WISSOTA sanctioned Pure Stocks, Street Stocks and Super Stocks will participate in a full racing program also.
On Sunday night, the Late Models will be on hand for their first of thee appearances during the 2022 racing season. Loren Miller will present the Trackside Collectibles 40 for the WISSOTA Late Models. Last year, Sam Mars won his first ever WISSOTA Late Model feature at this event and he will return as the defending champion, along with a fine field of other area and regional drivers as this event will be one of the few in the area for the Late Models over the Memorial Day weekend.
Miller has stepped for this event with the Late Models earning at least $300 to take the green flag for the forty lap feature and the winner to take home two thousand dollars.
Along with the Late Models, the WISSOTA Pures, Streets and Super Stocks will also run a second full program for them during the weekend.
Both programs are scheduled for a 7 pmgreen flag with IRA qualifying to precede the races on Saturday night. For more information on ticket pricing and other race details, see the speedway website at www.ricelakespeedway.net or check the facebook page. Track owners Dave Adams and Mitch Hansen are available at 715-205-2861 and 715-205-1122respectively.
