The Estevan Motor Speedway has a full schedule planned for its upcoming 20th season.
The season officially kicks off May 4 with a regular program, starting at 3 p.m. Each of the five classes – sling shots, sport mods, hobby stocks, stock cars and modifieds – will be racing.
There will also be a regular program May 17. The May 25 program will be the annual Tougher than Dirt Tour, and June 1 will be a stock car invitationals. The 2 Strong Summer Dirt Series race happens June 15.
One of the annual highlights of the season, the Dakota Classic Modified Tour, will be July 8.
A Dirt Wards double-header will be July 20 and 21. Late models will make their annual appearance Aug. 2, a regular points night will be Aug. 10, and the season championship night will be Aug. 24.
All programs, except for the season opener, start at 7 p.m.
The annual year-end enduro will be Sept. 21.
Along with the modified tour, there will be a number of other highlights this season. The Tougher than Dirt Tour is starting to attract national attention, according to president Byron Fichter.
“It’s an exciting race, showcasing the best hobby stocks and sport mods from this region,” said Fichter.
A couple of drivers travelled from Iowa for the tour last year.
The 2 Strong Memorial Race is in honour of Rob Conway, a driver who died a couple of years ago. It’s happening throughout North Dakota this year, and the speedway is pleased to be part of the tour.
Also, the July 20 program will have a special 20th anniversary celebration. Details have yet to be finalized.
Fichter noted that this is the second straight year with five classes. Last year marked the first time in which the sport mods were a class, and it’s a beginner class that is starting to grow.
“We wanted some more options for our slingshot graduates to get into beginner classes, so that was the thought process of adding them,” said Fichter.
The car counts for the five classes look pretty good, he said.
The speedway is also bringing back the Eve of Destruction on July 26, which will be held in conjunction with the Rafferty Rumble. The Eve of Destruction attracted huge crowds when it was held from 2011-2014.
“The main event is going to be a (figure-eight) truck and trailer race. There is going to be a car rollover contest. There’s going to be a spectator eliminator. And then there’s going to be an IMCA modified Dirt Kings race,” said Fichter.
The dirt kings race will be a 10-car race. Each lap, the car in last place retires to the pits. When two cars remain, there will be a two-lap shootout to determine the winner.
The spectator eliminator will be a series of one-lap races pitting two cars in which the winner advances to the next round.
As for the figure-8 race, trucks will haul trailers around the circuit. Collision will occur in the middle. The objective is to dislodge the truck from the trailer.
Fichter said the track looks good for the upcoming season. The hail storm that tore through the region last June damaged the lights and the sound system, but those are being replaced.
The sound system will be ready for the season opener. Fichter noted they were using a rental system late last season.
As for the lighting system, upgrades won’t happen until June or July. The lights are being switched over to LEDs.
“The company that manufactures the system we’re buying actually specializes in race track lighting,” said Fichter. “They do the lighting for Daytona and all the superspeedways for NASCAR, so we’re pretty excited about that.”
