Rice Lake Speedway Returns July 25; Big Events Upcoming

By Ed Reichert

Rice Lake WI – While the Rice Lake Speedway was closed on July 18th as the racers took the night off, when the track roars back to life on July 25th, it will mark the start of some of the biggest races of the 2020 racing season.

Packed back to back to back, three events will then feature races that will please the kids along with Late Model and Street Stock fans alike.

On July 25th, it will be Kid's Night at the track along with Meet the Driver night. Before the racing program begins, all the drivers will bring their cars down to the front chute and kids, along with their families, will be allowed to come down on the track and meet the drivers, many of whom will have pictures and treats for them. This is always one of the best attended programs of the year and families are invited to come early to the track and secure their favorite seats.

Along with all the other prize giveaways, a highlight of this night is the bike drawings when somewhere in the neighborhood of seventy five bikes will be given away to the kids. In conjunction with that, race teams, businesses and fans who would like to donate a bike are asked to contact either Megan at 715-205-1101 or Crystal at 715-410-5550 to be a part of this amazing night.

The following Saturday, August 1st, will bring exciting news for Late Model fans. The 4th annual Mahder 55, a Late Model race run in memory of Duane Mahder, a former track champion here who was killed in a work place accident in November of 2016, has been moved from the now closed Red Cedar Speedway to the Rice Lake Speedway.

Event organizer Scott “Bulldog” Andersen is currently collecting funds to boost the purse for this race which is slated to run fifty five laps, in honor of Mahder with the winner to take home $5,555. Andersen, who has headed this event since its inception, arranged to have the race moved to the Rice Lake Speedway when the Red Cedar Speedway officially closed its doors for the season last week. The first three Mahder 55's were all run at Red Cedar with Jimmy Mars winning all three times. Along with the Late Models, WISSOTA sanctioned Modifieds, Midwest Modifieds and Pure Stocks will also be racing.

Andersen can be reached at 863-604-1245 for those businesses and individuals wishing to be a part of this event that honors the memory of a racing champion.

And then finally, the third event on the racing schedule may be the biggest of them all. The twenty sixth annual Street Stock Little Dream race is slated for Tuesday night, August 4th with a rain date of August 5th. Last year, local driver Jimmy Randall stunned the racing world when he went home with a record breaking twenty five thousand dollars for his victory in this Street Stock race, which may well have been a record winner's share for this class in the entire country. A record breaking purse and record car count all high lighted last year's twenty fifth anniversary of this race and while the record may stay intact, this year's race will again carry a considerable purse, again based on contributions from the fans and businesses that help out this great event.

Street Stocks will be the only class on the program that night with a double round of qualifying heats among other preliminary events before the thirty five lap main event. Drivers are expected from five states with the best Street Stock drivers in all of WISSOTA in attendance. FYE Motorsports Promotions will again administer this race while anyone interested in being a part of this race should contact Chris Stepan at 715-497-8916.

More information on these events can be found on the speedway's face book page or the speedway website at www.ricelakespeedway.net. Specific questions should be addressed to either Dave Adams at 715-205-2861 or Mitch Hansen at 715-205-1122.