Sometimes it takes a while for an attraction to gain some momentum and become a place to be.
That wasn’t the case with the Estevan Motor Speedway. It was a hit, even before that first race program was held on Canada Day in 2000.
More than a thousand people showed up to watch the first practice session in June 2000. It shows how popular motorsports are in Estevan, and how much demand there was to have live racing return to the city.
The grandstand was packed once again for that first live race program in 2000. And the drivers were eager to put on a show that day.
The opening day of the speedway will go down as one of the best sports days in Estevan in recent memory. The crowd was great, the drivers were pumped, and it was a celebration of the volunteers who dedicated so much time to making that first program happen.
The Estevan Motor Speedway is going to celebrate its 20th season this year. For those who were involved in making the track happen, it’s likely hard for them to believe that the track is in its 20th season already. They can still remember all of the work that went into Year 1.
They can recall hauling the grandstands to the track’s location southeast of the city. And they can tell you about the changes that have happened at the track over the years.
They remember how they couldn’t have evening races at first because they didn’t have the necessary lighting. They recall the expansions, the additions and the creature comforts that were brought in over the years to create a more enjoyable racing experience for the fans.
Sure, there have been challenges along the way, and ideas that didn’t pan out. The long-time fans can tell you about the efforts to get the leaderboard up and running.
Volunteers can vouch for those days in which they spent hours during the week to get the track ready for a great night of racing, only to have a thunderstorm rumble through and dash those hopes.
But there have also been those nights in which the volunteers jumped into action to get the track ready after a late afternoon storm, and had it ready to go for 7 p.m.
The modifieds have always been there; the hobby stocks and stock cars have almost always had a presence at the track. Other classes have come and gone, ranging from the mini sprints to the pure stocks to the late models.
We have seen drivers and volunteers come and go. It would be interesting to find out how many drivers have competed locally, and how volunteers have been there to make the program happen.
But some things have never changed. The excitement provided by the drivers has remained a constant. They still put on a great show, even if there are few racers remaining from that first season.
The hard work of the volunteers has never wavered. They work hard before, during and after the event to make sure that the drivers can put that great show.
And the speedway remains a great tourist attraction for the city. Many of the drivers are from out of town; they bring their families with them to the city for race nights. And for the big events, such as the Dakota Classic Modified Tour, we have a significant influx of competitors from the U.S.
The 20th anniversary of the speedway is a great opportunity to recognize what we have here. If you haven’t been there before, now’s a chance to check it out for the first time.
