Lucas Punkari
With winter weather now but a distant memory, plans to get everything up and running prior the start of the racing season at the Emo Speedway is forefront on the mind of Borderland Racing Association president Anthony Leek.
“We’re pretty excited about it, especially with the weather being as nice as it is right now, as it felt more like May back in the middle of March when the snow melted,” he noted.
“We have a lot of capital projects that we are planning to do this year,” Leek added. “And the earlier we can get going on those things, the more time that we have to get it done.”
Among the projects the board plans to have done around the 3/8th-mile clay oval prior to the season-opener on Saturday, May 19 include new washrooms in the pit canteen, a new amp system in the grandstands, and a new lighting system for the frontstretch.
“The lighting system was something that we were hoping to get done last year,” Leek said.
“But this year we have a plan in place and someone who is wiling to put the work in for us, and that will be a key thing.”
As for action on the track this year, there have been no major rule changes of note in all three regular classes (WISSOTA Modifieds, WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds and Street Stocks).
But some new faces will be coming to track to compete.
“Brody Strachan, the son of 2010 [Modified] champion Glenn Strachan, will be running this year in the Midwest Modifieds, and we’re hoping to see Jake Rea come out and run this season, as well,” said Leek.
“Obviously with car counts, you never really know what you are going to get until the first few nights of the season,” he conceded.
“But right now, things are looking positive with new drivers and returning faces coming in.”
As for the schedule, the traditional big events—such as the mid-season shootout July 7 and the Emo Fair events Aug. 17-18—will take place once again, along with a soon to-be-announced special race night.
“It’ll be similar to what we did last year with the Super Trucks from Winnipeg, but it will involve a class that hasn’t been to the track in a while,” revealed Leek.
“We’re really excited about this event, and we’re hoping to make an announcement about that in the coming weeks.”
Prior to the season-opener, the track again will hold an open practice for all competitors on Saturday, May 12, which will give drivers a chance to shake down their cars prior to the first races.
“We found that having that practice session last year was a huge success towards having competitive racing in the opening nights of the season,” Leek noted.
“For new drivers and people with new cars, this is a night that is very beneficial for those drivers as they get a chance to shake down their car before the opening night.
“You don’t want to have your first time out with a car be in the middle of a race,” he reasoned.
In other news, a board meeting is set for this Sunday (April 22) to discuss plans for the season ahead, with the annual work bee taking place at the Speedway on Saturday, May 5.
“Although, if the weather keeps up like this, we will probably get out there early to work on some of the big items,” Leek said.
He also invited anyone who wants to help out at the Speedway during the lead-up to the season, or on race nights, to contact him at 482-1070 or via e-mail at emospeedway@gmail.com
