Rice Lake Speedway Opener Now May 7
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI – Perhaps the old saying that the third time is the charm will hold out to be true, but in the meantime racers and fans of the Rice Lake Speedway are looking at the harsh reality that the opening night program for the seventieth consecutive year of racing at the third mile track on Rice Lake’s North side has been postponed once again.
It was another cool and unproductive week for drying and the track is still very wet and “punky”, according to track co-ower Dave Adams. Practice for Thursday night, April 28th was cancelled after Adams and co-owner Mitch Hansen felt that trying to have a practice with the existing track conditions would be “non productive for the racers” and likely do some long term damage to the track’s surface, a problem that they might have to fight for weeks in the future.
And with the horrible forecast for Saturday’s opener, it was a relatively easy decision to make to postpone everything for one more week, despite the anxiousness of everyone to get the new season started.
Practice is now slated for Thursday night, May 5th from 6-9 pm with the season opener set for Saturday night, May 7th. The practice night will be free for the fans and they are welcome to come out and watch the racers shake down their cars.
Saturday’s program will find the pit gates opening at 4 pm, the spectator gates at 5 pm with the cut off for racers at 6:30 pm and hot laps and racing to follow immediately.
The first special event for the 2022 season will be a blockbuster weekend of racing over the Memorial Day holiday with the 410 Sprint Cars of the Interstates Racing Association making their first appearance in a number of years on Saturday night and on Sunday the Late Models will be the featured attraction with Loren Miller presenting the Trackside Collectibles 40 with Miller going all out on the payoff this year in hopes of attracting a stellar field of racers.
Check for all updates on the speedway face book page or the website at www.ricelakespeedway.net or give Adams a call at 715-205-2861 or Hansen at 715-205-1122.
