Tonight will kick off the opening weekend for the 2023 race season, and after a long winter, this night couldn't come soon enough! This weekend there are three tracks looking to kick off their seasons, and we give a brief breakdown of the exciting storylines and aspects to follow along potentially.
Dacotah Speedway
It's the last chance for the Mandan Meltdown and Friday looks to be a gorgeous night for racing. However, Saturday could be plagued by potential weather. However, the Dacotah Speedway track crew has a few tricks up their sleeves and are willing to put in the work to make sure that weekend goes off without a hitch.
Legendary Outbreak: the legends continue to grow, and there doesn't appear to be an end to continued growth for the class. With no other tracks running this weekend, it isn't far-fetched that the track could see 40 to 50 legends attend this weekend.
Street stocks need to shine: Again, with no tracks within three hours of Dacotah Speedway racing Wissota-sanctioned classes, Dacotah Speedway should have one of its best street stock car counts for the year. This will be a very telling weekend for the class as the numbers have fallen off a bit over the past couple of years, and to prevent further rumors of a class change, it needs to be a strong opening weekend for the class. Look for a strong field of hopefully 20+ and some of the better drivers in Wissota to attend.
Modifieds mix-up: There is some fresh blood coming to the Dacotah Speedway and the IMCA modified class for the western part of the state. The Weekes have made the jump to the IMCA modified division, and the fresh faces will inject some new life into the division. Car counts have been solid the past couple of years, but adding some new faces to the mix gives the division a facelift and a potential for a change in the landscape for the division. Don't be too surprised to see a few big names make the trek down to Mandan to kick off their season.
Estevan Motor Speedway
Oh Canada!: Our friends to the North look to start their season off in a strong manner as the border is finally open to allow American drivers to cross and compete. Yes, the border was open last year, but this is different, as it should lead to a surplus of drivers heading north!
American Invasion: For the past couple of years, it's been all Canadian drivers, but now that the border is open, the Americans are bound to invade Estevan Motor Speedway. This is going to be a joyous occasion, and fans will be chomping at the bit to see their hero's taking on the incoming Americans!
Familiar names to return: After listening to "The Dirt Weekly" show, one name that was brought was Joren Boyce, whom people were looking forward to seeing return. Most notable for his bright green car, Joren is a fan favorite and puts on a great show. He is one of many drivers that the fans and fellow drivers are looking forward to seeing again.
Nodak Speedway
Track Facelift: The track received a facelift this year as a number of changes have been made to it. New clay, a reconfiguration of the track, and a few other changes will put weekly combatants to the test.
Modified mania: The IMCA modified division is going to be insane this year at the Playground of Power. There are a ton of shakeups that are going to wreak havoc on the division. Defending points champion Marcus Tomlinson has some of the toughest drivers in the Midwest to compete against, and the incoming drivers are not going to make his life any easier. With the addition of Erik Laudenschlager, Dalton Flory, and returning Brady Bjella, the division suddenly becomes a shark tank of talent. However, a revitalized Jason Wolla is rumored to be returning to one of his stomping ground tracks. The former national champion isn't the only familiar name that Tomlinson will have to be defending, as regular front runners Travis Hagen and Wayne Johnson look to continue their dominance in the class as well. Finally, the word on the street that IMCA modified standout "Hot Rod" Hellebust has found a car for the 2023 season. If it happens to be in the modified division, it is going to be an absolute slobber knocker of a season for the modifieds.
Sport Compact Resurgence: There has been a sudden resurgence in the IMCA sport compact division at Nodak. The number of competing cars for this class has been speculated at about 18. If this is true, the division will have finally found its footing and will have a competitive field of drivers. This is a class that will have a lot of fresh and new faces, so hopefully, it can get a footing and it can grow.
Canadian Invaders: Much like with Estevan, the border is fully open again, and that means the Canadian invaders will be on their way back down to the Playground of Power. There are a lot of drivers that the fans are looking forward to seeing again. For example, to further strengthen the IMCA modified division, the Turnbulls would add another level to the competition. To say it lightly, business is about to pick up!
There you have it, race fans! Here is a quick list of the exciting storylines that you can look forward to following going into this opening weekend! Get out there if you can, and have a great time!
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