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Princeton Speedway is a tight quarter-mile oval. It always has been a tough little elbows-up bullring and likely always will be. That is the beauty of this track and the action is nonstop.

With all of the rain that this region has had in recent days, we were lucky to be here watching racing on Thursday night. Nate Fischer and his crew did a great job preparing the track. It was bumpy and had some character but it was certainly raceable and the drivers put on a swell show.

The track appears to have some very good material in it and it didn't show any dust all night. Fortunately, the rest of the grounds including the pits is very sandy, so drainage in those areas was not a problem.

Five classes of WISSOTA (gee, it’s nice to say that here) racing were presented, with the Mods racing for $2,500. The Mid Mods, Supers, Mod Fours and Hornets also raced for extra money too. There is a strict 10:30 p.m. curfew enforced at Princeton, and it was a weeknight for most folks. Princeton Speedway used to be right on the west edge of town, but is now surrounded by community.

There were enough cars on hand for B features in both the Mods and Mid Mods. Only 20 cars started the main events because of the track’s size.

Racing started at 7 and we got through all the heat races with just two yellow flags.

The relative calm of the evening quickly ended with the drop of the green flag for the first feature race for the Mid Mods. Andy Jones took the lead on the opening lap but on lap two, a couple cars banged wheels coming down the front chute and the car of Eric Gruhlke was launched into the wheel fence. He got high in the air, cartwheeling and twisting down the track before he fortunately returned back to earth on the track, instead of vaulting over the fence. He was rattled but climbed out of the car.

The same couldn't be said for the fence on the front chute that was torn loose, had a couple of holes in it, and also had poles broken. For a moment I thought our evening was going to be finished prematurely. However, Nate and his crew, aided by many drivers from the pits and other folks, went to work immediately to replace and patch the fence. How many tracks have a roll of replacement fence on hand for such emergencies? Well, they did here, which they produced almost immediately.

The race resumed with Jones in the lead and he was not moved out of the top spot. Driving an unfamiliar car, he raced it like he owned it as he fought off a challenge from Jason VandeKamp. Jones was driving a back-up car for the Boston racing team, which was renumbered in the pits before the races. Joey Jensen finished third with Blake Adams and Zach Benson completing the top five.

The Super Stock field was smaller than expected but they put on a good show. Dexton Koch started on the outside pole and got the jump on Dylan Nelson, and they spent the entire race battling for the top spot. Koch was scored the leader for all laps but near the end, things were very close and Nelson nearly had the lead for himself. He ended up settling for a close second with Shane Sabraski third.

The Modifieds raced 30 laps for their main and that was a challenge, given that the track was starting to become challenging. Johnny Broking, who likely wouldn't even have been on hand for this race, had Grand Rapids not rained out, proved to be the driver to beat. In control most of the way, he never really got a serious challenge for the lead. However, there were good battles behind him for position, including one between Brandon Copp and Eric Lamm.

Bad luck struck Lamm when on lap 19 he spun while in that second spot and that gave Copp one last shot at the leader. But he had nothing for Broking. The driver who sparkled at the end was Modified rookie Travis Schulte. He started 14th, worked his way gradually to the front and then, in the last 10 laps or so, really picked up the pace running the low groove. He drove past Mike Anderson and then Copp to grab second near the end in an impressive run.

The other driver who seemed to have found a line that worked was Dave Cain. He started 10th and just after the halfway point was really coming on. He cracked the top five and looked to be a serious contender but the tricky track tripped him up. He was just inches too high coming off turn two and slipped over the edge of the track. He gamely kept going though, and did gain back a few spots as his maneuver remained under green.

For Broking, it was another solid run as he plans to split time between his Modified, which is his bread and butter, and the Late Model he’s running for Pat Kapella. Victory will likely come soon in that car, also.

It appeared that Tommy Pogones had victory in his sights in the Mod Four feature, as he took the early lead, earned by being the passing points leader in heat race action. He led the opening nine laps of the 15-lap contest, shortened as the curfew started to creep in.

A yellow for a spinning car set up a six-lap sprint to the finish and on the restart, veteran Dean Larson seemed to get a running start on Pogones. Alongside him and under power as the green waved, Larson grabbed the lead and at that point Pogones was powerless to reclaim the top spot. Larson drove on for the win ahead of Pogones and Tommy Bawden.

It's funny how that with so many calls rightly done, scrutiny always seems to settle on one call that comes under question. To me, as well as others, Larson had a running start on the restart and was ahead a car length or so of where he should be. Pogones seemed to think so, too. He waved in frustration to the crowd as he passed under the flagstand on the cool off lap.

Bobie Arnes led from start to finish to win the Hornet feature and wrap up the evening's racing. He had lots of pressure from Brandon Nyberg, who challenged him throughout the event. The Hornets were underrepresented on this night also, with only eight on hand.

They just managed to squeeze in that last race as the time limit gonged. Overall, it was a good night of racing. Thanks go out to the FYE and Princeton crews for doing a good job. The Mod Nationals will continue on Saturday night at Ogilvie for two more nights featuring the same five classes.

Saturday, May 25

Rice Lake Speedway hosted Late Models on May 25, for the first time this year. Along with the Late Models, the track’s normal classes were part of the program with the exception of the Modifieds.

Seventeen Late Models signed in to race Saturday, slightly less than I had hoped for. Appearances by Late Models at tracks that don't normally run them are always a crapshoot. Late Model drivers are also notorious for asking to have special events and promising that they will be there, only to come up with more excuses than Carter has liver pills as to why they didn't make it. I have some pretty strong feelings on this topic, based on experience.

The drivers who were on hand put on a pretty good show, and I know winner Dan Bargender was a happy guy. The second-year Late Model driver drove a strong race to get the win and the $2,000. Bargender deserved the win as he was clearly the fastest car on the track.

Also impressive was the run by Lance Hofer, who finished a strong third and gave James Giossi plenty of pressure for that spot. I don't know if Hofer has any previous experience at the track except for perhaps one USRA race in the past.

A couple of drivers were in different mounts on Saturday night. Chad Mahder was driving one of Jerry Brummond's cars, one normally driven by Chad's cousin, Cory. Chad blew the motor in his car winning the feature at Red Cedar last week, so that car was unavailable. It was unfortunate given how well Chad normally runs at this track.

Lance Matthees was driving Brummond's other car, as regular driver Mike Anderson was pounding the Modified wars this weekend. Matthees was curious to try out a Longhorn.

Mike Prochnow, who I presume has been busy putting in the crops as he usually is this time of year, made his first appearance for 2024 on Saturday.

The Late Models do draw a different crowd for sure than the normal Saturday night audience. I talked to some folks that hadn't been at the track in 25 years and were surprised to find how much it had changed, and for the better, I might add. Unlike some tracks right now that are slowly falling into disrepair, this is one track that has done a lot of upgrades to the facility with more to come.

I was glad to see Rice Lake Speedway Hall of Famer and (mostly) Florida resident Joe Lapcinski on hand for the races. He is a big Late Model fan and under his leadership — when the track was still run by a club — he moved the track ahead of the times when he brought in UMP Summer Nationals Late Models and drivers like Billy Moyer, Freddy Smith, Bill Frye, John Gill and others. He also held a Ken Schrader Modified special and was one of the first in the Midwest to offer financial incentives for some of the big name drivers in exchange for their appearances.

Rory Taber made his first appearance behind the wheel of a race car in nearly 40 years on Saturday night. Taber was one of the first superstars in the Modified class back in the 1980s when Rice Lake debuted the class. He won 11 feature races in 1984 but then shortly after that disappeared from the racing scene and retired from the sport. Saturday he made his first appearance, driving his signature No. 5 car, white in color as it always was. He didn't have the best of nights, retiring early in the Mid Mod feature with mechanical problems, but hopefully he will return to the track again next week.

Travis Loew, a Street Stock point champion, made his first appearance behind the wheel for the year on Saturday. The greatest thing that Loew did on Saturday was to sing the National Anthem. I had no idea that he had that kind of voice and his rendition was very impressive. Isn't that great when people surprise you with their talents? Now if I could just figure out what mine are!

The folks handling the 50/50 drawing at the track this year are doing a great job. So far every night has been close to $1,000 to the winner. That makes buying a ticket worth it.

Bryar Zimmerman made his first appearance with his Street Stock on Saturday. The driver with the most unusual number in racing, Ooze (00Z), had opening night trouble and didn’t take the green for the feature race.

Landyn Randt had his surgery recently and it was successful; he was back at the track, looking none the worse for wear as he hot-rodded around the pit area with his brother Levi on a four-wheeler, wearing his arm in a sling. Speaking of Levi, he put in a very impressive performance with his Street Stock, running a strong second in the main to Danny Richards and putting heat on him throughout the race.

I love the way Richards always moves to the second lane here and passes driver after driver on the top side of the track, where many fear to tread. Much of his success here, which has been considerable, is due to the fact that he isn't afraid to run that second lane and has the car to do it.

Let's talk about the track for a minute. Since the new owners purchased the track in February, they have done a number of remarkable improvements and upgrades to the track. However, the one thing that they couldn't do, based on availability and time constraints, is add clay to the track and reshape the corners. I don't think it’s a great secret that the track does need some new clay.

Kolby Kiehl, one of the track owners, will be in charge of track prep and is working to learn the craft from one of the former owners, Mitch Hansen, who did the track prep previously. He did a great job working with what he had.

The track conditions have been inconsistent so far this year. Opening night it was heavy and a bit bumpy for the first race, as many tracks are. Last week it was very dry, slick and took some rubber. This week they received their new piece of equipment from Heavy Hitch in Rochester and used it for the first time. That piece digs into the track like nothing they’ve ever had before and they used it extensively this week. And what it produced was a heavier track, but the surface was loose in the corners for the heats. Mitch bladed it at intermission, something they are hoping to not have to do during the show, and it made the track very passable for the main events. There was also no dust for the fans.

However, some folks are already whining. Patience is supposed to be a virtue but around race tracks, there are not very many virtuous people. They are working extremely hard to get the track in the shape that they want, but it is a learning process and weather and other factors can throw a wrench in the best-laid plans.

As the new ownership group invests heavily on track improvements and upgrades, doesn't that show that they are committed to providing a great track and experience for all concerned? Don't they deserve just a little time to get everything sorted out?

Back to the racing ... it was a very nice win for Kenny Kincaid in the Mid Mods. He is returning to the track after taking last year off. While his win was considered an upset to some, he has been remarkably consistent ever since he moved into this class. Nick Koehler had a nice second-place run. We don't get to see him race too often here, though he lives nearby, but he always runs strongly and cleanly. He raced Kincaid hard without using the “horn” as some might have.

I can not even begin to explain what happened to the Olsons on Saturday. Both Eric and Ryan won heat races, back to back, but then both were disqualified for not reporting to the scales.

This did help to make the Super Stock feature even more interesting, however. Both tore to the front after having to start in the back, with Eric finishing third and Ryan right behind him.

Austin Fencl has been racing at this track since 2018, but Saturday he finally won his first feature race. He led all laps in doing so, but things got dicey on the final tour. He pushed way up the track and opened the door to Bob Wahlstrom, who passed him down the back chute. Fencl responded by pulling what is classic strategy for NASCAR these days, the bump and run. It worked as Fencl pulled down and passed Wahlstrom for the win. It might be okay at Talladega, but I'm not sure how it played out in the pits at a local track. Fencl was obviously pleased, however, driving to his first win ever.

The next special event at the track will be on June 6, when Dennis McCauley and Chris Bretting bring the Fastlane Super Stock Series to the track. Last year, racing was good and the field of cars fantastic. The trick for management is to put a crowd in the stands on a Thursday night right before Aquafest, the local city celebration that makes Saturday night racing that week a financial non-starter.