4/3/2025
Rice Lake Speedway
Rice Lake Speedway Opener Planned For April 19th
Rice Lake Speedway Opener Planned For April 19th
By Ed Reichert
Rice Lake WI -
The recent return to near Winter like conditions has not helped the pre season preparations of the staff of the Rice Lake Speedway but with a promise of warmer weather in the coming days, the ownership team of Kolby and Dean Kiehl along with Dick Kalow remain optimistic that their goal of opening up the 2025 racing season, on April 19th can be accomplished.
After the very successful car show recently held at the Cedar Mall, enthusiasm for the second season of racing at the Rice Lake Speedway under the new ownership team is high.
“This stretch of cold and wet weather has not helped our construction work at the track,” stated co owner and promoter Kolby Kiehl,, “but we have used the time to get some inside projects completed and make other preparations for the coming season.”
Not individuals to sit idle after last year's remake of the facility, they ownership team has continued on with more new improvements for this coming season. “The old white metal fence that ran up the drive way and separated the grandstands from the driveway is gone and entering the track, it now provides a totally different feel. The grandstand entrance will have a new walk in ticket area and our Hall of Fame pictures and other memorabilia will be on display there,” according to Dean Kiehl.
Construction crews have been busy replacing the steps to the suites along with building new ones and the track infield has been completely redone to improve track drainage with all new infield signage and victory lane. The owners are anxious to get the first drivers on the track to check out the completely re engineered track with up to eighteen inches of clay moved last Fall so that the racing surface is progressively banked right from the inside of the track all the way up to the concrete walls that surround the third mile oval, allowing the drivers even more room to race side by side.
“It will be tight, but we believe that we can have everything done and ready for the first night of racing on April 19th,” said Kolby Kiehl. “We want to race if at all possible, but we need some cooperation from Mother Nature.”
The first on track activity is scheduled for Wednesday night, April 16th with a practice session slated from 6-9 pm and all divisions of race cars are welcome. The rain date for this practice is the following night.
And then, on Saturday night, April 19th, the seventy third consecutive opener for the longest running dirt track in Northern Wisconsin will take place. Racing will be held in five divisions with WISSOTA sanctioned Modifieds, Super Stocks, Midwest Modifieds, Street Stocks and Pure Stocks all running full racing programs. A select panel of judges will be observing the race cars on opening night with the presenting of the Best Appearing car in each class announced the following week. Admission prices will be unchanged from 2024 and some new concession items will be offered to satisfy the race fans taste buds.
Pit gates will open at 3 pm on the 19th with spectator gates opening one hour later and the first green flag of 2025 will wave at 6 pm.
Follow the speedway website at www.ricelakespeedway.net or the track face book page for further updates as the season opener approaches.
Article Credit: Ed Reichert