Late Models Set To Invade Rice Lake Speedway

By Ed Reichert

Rice Lake WI – The Late Models will be making their second visit of the 2019 racing season to the Rice Lake Speedway. On Saturday night, July 27th, the Wollak Construction WISSOTA Challenge Series Late Models will visit the speedway for their annual point event. The Late Models visited the speedway back in early May for the Trackside Collectibles 40, a very successful event from both a competitor and spectator stand point with Jesse Glenz taking the main event and more of the same is expected on July 27th.

The Rice Lake event will be the second race for the series on the last weekend of July, coming on the heels of the very popular Twin Ports 25's to be contested at the Gondik Law Speedway in Superior on Friday night, July 26th and the pairing of the races for that weekend provides for an incentive for both racers and fans to be able to catch a full weekend of racing action with only a short trip down highway 53 separating the two tracks.

The defending champion of this event, Jimmy Mars from Menomonie, may be out traveling with a national touring series that weekend and may not be available, but if plans change expect him to be in Rice Lake driving the potent Paul Gilberts' owned #28. A.J. Diemel is a multiple time winner at Rice Lake and won this event two years ago and will be a serious contender for the $2,000 top prize offered to the Late Models. However, at the earlier race here this Spring, Jesse Glenz drove by both Mars and Diemel to take the two grand win and Glenz is on a current hot streak, having won a Challenge Series race earlier this month at the Mississippi Thunder Speedway in Fountain City.

Other top contenders expected to be on hand include Pat Doar, John Kaanta, Steve Laursen, Ben Hanke, Rick and Buddy Hanestad, Mark Hessler, Mike Keller, Mike Prochnow, Randy Gullixson, James Giassi, Chad Mahder, Jake Redetzke, Darrell Nelson, Jeff Massingill, Marshall Fegers, Don Shaw and a host of other top drivers from the Wisconsin and Minnesota area. Lance Matthees is expected to test out his injured foot for the first time since his injury also. With no other local tracks running Late Models in July 27th, a fine field of cars is expected to test out the track which provides no “home field” advantage to anyone.

Along with the Late Models, race fans will get extra bonus entertainment as a full program will be contested in the five divisions that regularly race at the track including WISSOTA sanctioned Modifieds, Super Stocks, Midwest Modifieds, Street Stocks and Pure Stocks and with the Street Stock Little Dream race being run three short days after this event, there may be quite a few extra Street Stocks on hand testing out the track.

Pit gates will open at 4 pm on July 27th with the spectator gates open at 5 pm but the grandstand will be open earlier for those fans that want to secure prime seats earlier. Warm ups begin at 6:30 pm with racing to follow directly.

The Rice Lake Speedway in located one mile North of Rice Lake Wisconsin directly between state highway 48 and Barron County highway SS. The track phone number is 715-236-2002 and for more information, contact either Dave Adams at 715-205-2861 or Mitch Hansen at 715-205-1122. The website at www.ricelakespeedway.net and the track's face book page will provide the most current information also.