RAPID CITY - Race fans could get their first chance to see cars turning test laps on the newly-refurbished half-mile oval at Black Hills Speedway this weekend.
After moving an estimated 70 truck loads of dirt from the old three-eighths-mile oval to rebuild the larger track, the speedway will host a car show Saturday at 10 a.m. followed by a test-and-tune session about 1 p.m. Weather permitting, of course. If rain intervenes, track manager Bill Keester said they'll try again on Sunday.
"It's just a chance for the fans to mingle with the drivers," Keester said. "They can vote on their favorite cars in all classes."
Bill and Amy Keester, named by speedway owners Floyd and Patty Weisz to manage the facility earlier this month, set an ambitious schedule to resume racing for the 2008 season.
They originally planned to open the season tonight (May 30), but last week's heavy rains put a severe crimp in the schedule. The first race night is set for June 6, at 7:30 p.m.
"The rain has put us way behind," Bill said. "Without that, we'd have been racing on the 30th, no doubt in my mind."
Earth-moving came to a stop for five days and Keester had to contend with more than three feet of water in the track's infield.
"The drain wouldn't keep up. There's only an 18-inch culvert going out on the south end of the track," Keester said. "There was four feet of water coming in and only 18 inches going out.
"It took us all weekend to pump it out," Keester said. "We got it all dried up and then the rain hit again."
Saturday could see drivers take their first laps on the half-mile since late model driver John Bey of Sturgis used his race car to pack the track for an American Motorcyclist Association Grand National motorcycle race on Aug. 11, 2004, the last time the half-mile has been used for any type of competition.
Keester plans to run six divisions on a weekly basis, including a BHS Stock Car class, Wissota-sanctioned Midwest Modifieds, "A" Modifieds and Late Models, along with an unsanctioned Super Stock class, and a 360 Sprint Car class.
"Time limits have been set on the features so we can get the show done by 10:30 p.m., 11 p.m. at the latest," he said.
"We want people to come out and enjoy the races and then be able to go and do what they have to do the rest of the weekend."
Many believed, given the late start this year, that racing should continue on the 3/8ths track, with any major changes taking place in preparation for 2009.
Keester said fan reaction dictated an immediate change.
"The decision to go back to the half-mile was strictly fan-related," Keester said. "There's no question about it. It's not even close, like 99.99 percent of people want to see racing on the half-mile.
"I thought the place needed a shot in the arm. Hopefully the fans respond and will be there to basically save the speedway in their community. That's what it's going to take, is the support from the fans and the racers to make it work," he said.
"If it doesn't work this time, I don't know what the life of the place is going to be after that," he said.
"I hope fans will bear with us as we continue the remodeling process. This is going to be a work in progress," said Keester. "Fans can expect to see improvements every week."
