If the City really wanted a money maker for this area, they need to build a “RACE TRACK”. Just watch here in a few weeks with the City of Knoxville-IA coming together for 1 week for the NATIONALS.
With so many race fans in this “City” Why not build SIOUX FALLS REGIONAL SPEEDWAY and hose Sprint Car Races, Stock Car Races, Modifieds, and Other Special Events.
Even if all we do is host “special events” as we did with the Sioux Empire Fairgrounds prior to 1999, when the City and County decided to turn the track into a hot-blacktop Parking Lot, that property actually made revenues for the city, let alone the County Fair itself.
195,000 people in this town, plus the surrounding area, and nearly 30% of the population are race fans.
This area, once had 10 Tracks all within 50 miles of Sioux Falls:
Huset Speedway (Brandon)
Lake County Speedway (Madison)
Sioux Empire Fairgrounds (Sioux Falls)
Soo Speedway (Sioux Falls)
Saddleback Raceway (Renner)
Rapid Speedway (Rock Rapids-IA)
Worthington Speedway (Worthington-MN)
Jackson Speedway (Jackson-MN)
University Plains SPeedway (Brookings)
Warpath Speedway (Ellis-SD)
Turner County Fairgrounds (Parker-SD)
Build a track funded by taxes, host Special Events, Races, and Other Outdoor events, and watch the people come.
A race track is better than race stadiums. This fall at NFL games the Black National Anthem will be played after the Star Spangled Banner. Black Lives Matter but there should be one National Anthem representing all races.
Perhaps you may want to see the ‘support’ of this community who support I-90 Speedway and Huset Speedway nearby. The entire community has always been strongly in support of “Racing” in this area.
As for many the tracks I listed that no longer exist, predominantly SOO SPEEDWAY, LAKE COUNTY, and the SIOUX EMPIRE FAIRGROUNDS, you should look at the history to see why they closed in the first place, it was not due to lack of “Community Support”.
SOO SPEEDWAY – closed after a racers boycott over “Purse Funds”, while the racers banded together to create the Sioux Falls Stock Car Association, who then raised funds thru “bonds” to buy Huset Speedway, which later caused the Soo Speedway to close in 1959, other groups have since attempted to buy the track to host races in the 1970’s, but just could not drum up enough support, but some say the ‘group’ made bad decisions such as building a retainer wall vs adding new lights. Since then, POLITICS has gotten in the way as to why the track sits idle today, let alone the CITY just annexed the property, so its going to be Apartments and Condos soon.
SIOUX EMPIRE FAIRGROUNDS – the track was pretty successful from 1940 to 1999, if the COUNTY had invested a few tax dollars in the facility itself, it would have been much better, let alone could have hosted more events during a course of the year. Lack of Community Support for Racing was NOT the issue, and during the latter part of the 1990’s – the COUNTY made a huge push to close down the track, led by continued interests by City Hall begging to redevelop and zone the land for commercial use, eventually, it succumbed to those who wanted a “Parking Lot” rather than a race track. Looking back, it was the worst mistake made, cause look at the “FAIR” today as compared to what it once was when you actually held “races’ at the Fair.
And finally LAKE COUNTY SPEEDWAY (Madison) – it was very successful track that opened in 1960 shortly after OLD SOO closed in 1959; it had a large following of businesses, racers, and fans alike, it was very much supported, it was normal to see no less than 1,500 to 2,000 fans show up to attend races, but it met its demise due to the “new owner” (Lyle Howey) buying it predominantly to close it, to starve off competition to Hartford Speedway which he ownes to this day. There are plenty of community support to reopen the track, but at the moment it cannot be done due to a ‘clause’ in the contract agreed to when it closed.
Look around man, more than 30% of this community is very attached to the “racing” in this area, tons of money if flowing into the sport from not only Sioux Falls, but from neighboring states, and with the new ownership at Huset’s wishing to create a National Brand, the sky’ is the limit.
The COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS should have a ‘racetrack’ most do, and look at the local economies propped up by the sport, the likes of Huron, Parker, Rock Rapids-IA, Knoxville-IA, Jackson-MN and more.
What makes more money for the Local Government? A parking lot or a racetrack?
There’s a conflict city versus county. The city is starting construction this week on Madison St. such that north parking for the Sioux Empire Fair will be blocked.
I prefer public stadiums with nice siding. How about you?
Just curious about the video image
If the City really wanted a money maker for this area, they need to build a “RACE TRACK”. Just watch here in a few weeks with the City of Knoxville-IA coming together for 1 week for the NATIONALS.
With so many race fans in this “City” Why not build SIOUX FALLS REGIONAL SPEEDWAY and hose Sprint Car Races, Stock Car Races, Modifieds, and Other Special Events.
Even if all we do is host “special events” as we did with the Sioux Empire Fairgrounds prior to 1999, when the City and County decided to turn the track into a hot-blacktop Parking Lot, that property actually made revenues for the city, let alone the County Fair itself.
195,000 people in this town, plus the surrounding area, and nearly 30% of the population are race fans.
This area, once had 10 Tracks all within 50 miles of Sioux Falls:
Huset Speedway (Brandon)
Lake County Speedway (Madison)
Sioux Empire Fairgrounds (Sioux Falls)
Soo Speedway (Sioux Falls)
Saddleback Raceway (Renner)
Rapid Speedway (Rock Rapids-IA)
Worthington Speedway (Worthington-MN)
Jackson Speedway (Jackson-MN)
University Plains SPeedway (Brookings)
Warpath Speedway (Ellis-SD)
Turner County Fairgrounds (Parker-SD)
Build a track funded by taxes, host Special Events, Races, and Other Outdoor events, and watch the people come.
if there were a demand for racing, those tracks would still be in business.
A race track is better than race stadiums. This fall at NFL games the Black National Anthem will be played after the Star Spangled Banner. Black Lives Matter but there should be one National Anthem representing all races.
Perhaps you may want to see the ‘support’ of this community who support I-90 Speedway and Huset Speedway nearby. The entire community has always been strongly in support of “Racing” in this area.
As for many the tracks I listed that no longer exist, predominantly SOO SPEEDWAY, LAKE COUNTY, and the SIOUX EMPIRE FAIRGROUNDS, you should look at the history to see why they closed in the first place, it was not due to lack of “Community Support”.
SOO SPEEDWAY – closed after a racers boycott over “Purse Funds”, while the racers banded together to create the Sioux Falls Stock Car Association, who then raised funds thru “bonds” to buy Huset Speedway, which later caused the Soo Speedway to close in 1959, other groups have since attempted to buy the track to host races in the 1970’s, but just could not drum up enough support, but some say the ‘group’ made bad decisions such as building a retainer wall vs adding new lights. Since then, POLITICS has gotten in the way as to why the track sits idle today, let alone the CITY just annexed the property, so its going to be Apartments and Condos soon.
SIOUX EMPIRE FAIRGROUNDS – the track was pretty successful from 1940 to 1999, if the COUNTY had invested a few tax dollars in the facility itself, it would have been much better, let alone could have hosted more events during a course of the year. Lack of Community Support for Racing was NOT the issue, and during the latter part of the 1990’s – the COUNTY made a huge push to close down the track, led by continued interests by City Hall begging to redevelop and zone the land for commercial use, eventually, it succumbed to those who wanted a “Parking Lot” rather than a race track. Looking back, it was the worst mistake made, cause look at the “FAIR” today as compared to what it once was when you actually held “races’ at the Fair.
And finally LAKE COUNTY SPEEDWAY (Madison) – it was very successful track that opened in 1960 shortly after OLD SOO closed in 1959; it had a large following of businesses, racers, and fans alike, it was very much supported, it was normal to see no less than 1,500 to 2,000 fans show up to attend races, but it met its demise due to the “new owner” (Lyle Howey) buying it predominantly to close it, to starve off competition to Hartford Speedway which he ownes to this day. There are plenty of community support to reopen the track, but at the moment it cannot be done due to a ‘clause’ in the contract agreed to when it closed.
Look around man, more than 30% of this community is very attached to the “racing” in this area, tons of money if flowing into the sport from not only Sioux Falls, but from neighboring states, and with the new ownership at Huset’s wishing to create a National Brand, the sky’ is the limit.
The COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS should have a ‘racetrack’ most do, and look at the local economies propped up by the sport, the likes of Huron, Parker, Rock Rapids-IA, Knoxville-IA, Jackson-MN and more.
What makes more money for the Local Government? A parking lot or a racetrack?
Another track would be fun, but I heard the pandemic has caused a shortage of true trophy girls. #ReliefChecks&Cookies
There’s a conflict city versus county. The city is starting construction this week on Madison St. such that north parking for the Sioux Empire Fair will be blocked.