It has been a long off-season, but racing will finally return to Humboldt Speedway on Friday, May 22.
Competition has been on hold since its first event was canceled due to rain on March 14. From there, the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the rest of the Speedway’s plans.
Ryan Whitworth, Humboldt Speedway general manager, has been keeping in touch with SEK Multi-County Health Department officials as to when the track can open. If all goes according to schedule, racing can resume on May 18.
Whitworth said he had no issue getting the OK to go green, but admits health officials did have some worries going forward.
“Mainly their concerns were the front gate, where people are lined up,” Whitworth said. “They know in the grandstand area, it’s no different than every Friday night, everyone has their group of friends who they sit with. It is not like the stands are going to be packed full.”
The Speedway will be doing all it can to provide spectators with the safest environment. Sanitation stations will be provided in the grandstands, groups will be limited to 30, and 6-foot social distancing rules will be in effect.
For drivers, an empty pit stall will be placed between occupied stalls, and the Speedway will utilize a computer draw to limit contact between drivers and create the lineups.
While the track has these guidelines in place, Whitworth said it is important for racing fans to take their safety seriously.
“We are going to have a few extra people on hand, but they are not going to be enforcing the rules like at Walmart — so it’s hard to draw the line when to kick someone out for something,” Whitworth said. “We really want people to social distance, and do things right so we have no issues.”
Losing six weeks of business has taken a toll, Whitworth said, noting it makes 75% of its revenue during the month of March. Whitworth doesn’t expect to be able to make up for the loss.
“Every race track is facing the same issue, and has had to alter their schedules,” Whitworth said. “Those events that were lost at the first part of the year are when we get our fans from North Dakota, South Dakota, and other cold-weather states. Once their race tracks open, there is no point in trying to get them to come down and spend the weekend here.”
Whitworth said his family’s construction business has helped keep the Speedway afloat through the rough patch.
The Speedway’s first event of the year was the Battle of the Bullring on March 14, which would have hosted the USRA Modifieds. Two Fridays later, the United States Modified Touring Series was set to make a visit.
“A lot of them went racing last weekend in Missouri because it was their first opportunity to go race,” Whitworth said. “Normally they have got 15 races in, so they are itching for sure.”
