The Estevan Motor Speedway is looking forward to what it expects will be the largest event in its history.
The speedway confirmed at a press conference Thursday that it will host a weekend doubleheader July 11 and 12 to open the Dakota Classic Modified Tour. The speedway has hosted double-headers for the tour in the past, but not on a weekend. Also, this marks the first time the tour has opened with back-to-back races at the same track on a weekend.
“This two-day event will bring in somewhere between 80 and 100 race teams,” said speedway president Byron Fichter. “Some as far away as Texas will be attending, as well as many other national competing races teams. Not to forget our own home-grown talent, which we proudly boast are competitive on this grand stage.”
Traditionally Estevan’s stop on the tour has been held on a Monday or Tuesday night. But due to scheduling conflict with the North Dakota State Fair in Minot and a rodeo in Mandan, Minot can’t host its tour stop in 2020.
Fichter noted the director of the Dakota Classic Modified Tour John Gartner holds a meeting each year with all of the tracks to plan for the upcoming tour. The speedway decided that if Mandan or Minot couldn’t run, then the speedway would seek the doubleheader.
When Minot said they wouldn’t participate, it opened up the start of the tour.
The speedway is looking to bring marquee events to the track, and this was one of them.
He predicts the double-header will also have a major impact on the region. Thanks to the influx of racers, team members and fans, local hotels, restaurants and service stations will be busy.
And since it will be on a weekend, other special events in the community are planned. The speedway will have entertainment for kids and pit tours in the afternoon of July 11. After the program that night, there will be a party in the pit concert that will give drivers the chance to interact with each other and fans the chance to meet the racers and their teams.
“When you get on these touring series, you race, you pack up, you drive to the next town, you fix your car, you race, you pack up, you go to the next town. It’s just rush, rush, rush,” said Fichter. “Having a two-day event gives the opportunity for drivers to have a social event of their own, and that’s how you grow this tour. That’s how you grow racing, is you develop friends from other track and other areas.”
A pancake breakfast will open the day on July 12. Then there will be a golf tournament, downtown shopping and entertainment.
He hopes the children who accompany the drivers will also be entertained for the two days they are here.
“We want them to be entertained, and not just bored sitting around for the next race.”
Fichter noted the tour is the largest for modified cars in North America.
Mayor Roy Ludwig said the city is excited this two-day event will be coming to Estevan, and there will be events that attract people to the city.
“We’ll showcase the many amenities that we have in our city, so I think this will be great,” said Ludwig.
The mayor predicted this would be one of the biggest and best events of the year for the community and everyone involved at the speedway.
“We know it will be a truly great event for the city of Estevan,” said Ludwig.
Fichter expects sponsorship opportunities will fill up quickly and he anticipates they will need volunteers. He’s also hopeful the weather will co-operate.
“What we really want to do is take this from a race to an event. We’re going to have all of these race teams in town from out of country and out of town, and they’re going to have their families and they’re going to have their race crews and they’re going to have all of these folks touring. We want to give them something to do, and we want to expose them to what Estevan’s really like.”
In the past, when the speedway has hosted doubleheaders for the tour, it has had a problem with splitting the crowd, with fans attending one race or the other, but not both. He’s confident it won’t be an issue this time because it will be on a weekend instead of on weekdays, and this time they’ll have tickets for both events at a discounted rate to reduce the financial burden.
“We have a world-class facility. We have drivers who compete on a national level. And I think it’s important for us to promote this event in a proper way to get even the most casual fan to come out and really fall in love with the sport.”
