SPRING VALLEY, Minn. -- Deer Creek Speedway is proud to release their most aggressive Special Event calendar with something to entertain every style of race fan in the upper Midwest. In preparation for the upcoming season the track crew at Deer Creek has been working hard on the racing surface and facility. During the month of November an extensive reconfiguration project occurred at the track. During the month every inch of the racing surface was removed to allow the crew to get to the sub soil underneath. The crew worked the ground removing all the silt and poor fill material that was found and have used some of that to prepare and improve the entrance and exit to the racing surface. This work included changing the width of the racetrack with heavy emphasis on the entry and exits in each corner. In some spots the track was widened a full 12 feet as the corners were fixed to allow better two and three wide racing around the track. With the shape of the track completed the crew went to work on reshaping the banking of the track to make better use of the added width and to eliminate any potential bad spots. When all of the shaping was completed and the infield cut down and modified to fit the new racing surface the crew began to slowly apply the clay racing surface back down. As the clay was laid down they continued to shape and contour the track, increasing the banking slightly in the corners and drastically increasing the banking on the straights. With the track all rolled back into place the crew began work on the front straight wall and the old post and guardrail system The system has taken its abuse over the years and as the first snow flew this fall all of the guardrail was removed. About half of the posts have been removed and a new concrete retaining wall is ready to go into place as soon as the weather warms.

Featherlite Trailers returns as the main track sponsor of the facility along with Pepsi Bottling and many others. Deer Creek is also proud to welcome Gillund Distribution and J.B. Enterprises on board for the 2004 racing season.

Deer Creek will kick off the 2004 racing season with an open practice on the 7th of April. The practice session is open to all classes and types of cars with a free grandstand for those interested in seeing all of the new equipment.

On Saturday April 10th Deer Creek Speedway will open its gates to the drivers and fans of Southern Minnesota for their first weekly racing action of the season. Each and every Saturday night the fans will be treated to the high speed racing action on the high banks of Southern Minnesota's Speedplant. With racing action starting at 6:00 and ticket prices of $10.00 for adults and $4.00 for youth 6-12 years of age. The standard Saturday night racing action will feature the Modified Lites, WISSOTA Street Stocks, Midwest Modifieds and Super Stocks. Also on hand for the weekly racing action will be the USRA modifieds and the WISSOTA Late Models will be returning to highlight the weekly racing action.

On Saturday May 29th the United States Modified Touring Series rolls into town for their first race of the season at the track with the 3rd Annual Southern Minnesota Spring Challenge. Last year Darrin Walker took the $2,000 first place money to his home in Missouri. The event will pay $2,000 to win and also on the card for the night will be the WISSOTA Super Stocks for $500 to win, $300 to win Midwest Modifieds and $300 to win Street Stocks. The Late Models and Modified Lites will have the night off.

On Tuesday June 15th the USMTS roll back into town with the 3rd Annual Ack-Attack event. Last season Kelly Shryock took home the title during a caution free race. Also on hand for this midweek special the WISSOTA Super Stocks will be racing for $500 to win and the WISSOTA Street Stocks for $300 to win.

The fans and drivers will come right back on Saturday night with the third race at the speedway for the WISSOTA Sprint Cars. The $1,200 to win WISSOTA Sprint Car race has had some great races in the first two years with Jimmy Kouba of nearby Byron MN taking home the inaugural event title. Last year young Dustin Lindquist took home the win after a race long battle with John Nelson, Roger Rager and Kouba. Also on the card for this Saturday night of racing action will be the WISSOTA Super Stocks, Midwest Modifieds and the Modified Lites. The Late Models and Street Stocks will take the weekend off.

On July 3rd the fans and drivers will celebrate Independence Day with the 3rd Annual Firecracker 40 Late Model - Modified Special. The WISSOTA Late Models will do battle for 40 laps during the $1,200 to win special event. The USRA Modifieds will battle for the $1,000 to win portion of the event. All 6 classes of cars will be on hand during the evening's racing action.

July 22 the Combines roll out on the track for the 2nd Annual Combine Demolition Derby Nationals. Last years event saw the largest crowd ever come through the gates at the racetrack as local racers, fans and area farmers took to the track on their combines. The event was an overwhelming success and many racers and area fans are already working on their combines for next season.

Deer Creek will continue to roll out the specials with their very popular Kids Free program during the month of August. During the month of August all kids 12 and under will receive a free admittance into the racetrack for all regular Saturday night racing action and all special events.

Tuesday August 3rd will find the PolyDome World Dirt Racing League rolling their traveling Late Model series into town. Last season the WDRL events averaged 42 Late Models as the drivers raced all over the Midwest battling for the prestigious title. 244 different cars raced with the series in 2003 representing 14 states and Canada. The series travels to Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota during the events. The stop at Deer Creek Speedway will be during a mini-tour swing through the Northern State. The event will be the third event during a five day swing. Some of the expected drivers who traveled with the series last year will be Dave Eckrich, Kevin Kile, Donnie McClellan, Kurt Kile, Ed Kosiski, John Anderson, Skip Frey, Joe Kosiski and two time Champion Kyle Berck. The series has a rule package that allows Open Competition, WISSOTA and IMCA cars all to compete during the same program. Each sanctioning body has their own concessions to allow the racing action to remain as equal as possible while running a certain tire to keep costs down for the racers. WISSOTA driver Pat Doar has won two events on his home tracks over the last couple seasons and many of the top running WISSOTA racers are expected to race the event with the local WISSOTA Late Model drivers. This event will pay $5,000 to win for the Late Model event and also on the card that night will be the USRA Modifieds running for $1,000 to win. The payout has gotten a little larger for the WDRL Event thanks to local race fans. Greg Parent of GRP Motorsports, Greg Hummel and Track Reporter Bill Nelson have put up $750.00 for a Hard Charger Award. The driver who passes the most cars during the feature event will collect the $750.00 Hard Charger Award from those three race fans.

The USMTS rolls back into town on the 4th of September for their fall tune-up before the 6th Annual Featherlite/USMTS Fall Jamboree at the end of the year. Kelly Shryock won last years event which will pay $2,000 to win this season, $500 to win WISSOTA Super Stocks, $300 to win Midwest Modifieds and $200 to win Modified Lites. The WISSOTA Late Models and Street Stocks will take the nights racing action off. This late season race was one of the best of the year as 50+ of the best Modified drivers battle the each other for the top prize.

One of the biggest events in the upper Midwest and one of the largest paying Modified events is scheduled for the 21st through the 25th of September. The 6th Annual Featherlite/USMTS Fall Jamboree rolls into town. During the first event held at Deer Creek Speedway Jason Hughes, Kelly Shryock and Mark Noble came home with the big nightly paychecks. Last year Corey Dripps came home with the opening night $2,000 payday. Tony Fraise came home with the $4,000 feature event on Friday as Dan Daniels took home the big $10,000 payday for his efforts on Saturday night. Last years event saw 360+ cars pull into the pit area as the Featherlite/USMTS show was a huge success. Featherlite, USMTS and Deer Creek pulled out all of the stops on last years event as the fans and racers were entertained with great giveaways and drawings. Entertainment in the pit area after the races, a pig roast and many other activities entertained the crowd. This year's event is already in the works and will be bigger and better as Featherlite and Deer Creek work with the United States Modified Touring Series to make this a must see event. Last season the USMTS Hobby Stocks, Stock Cars and the WISSOTA Super Stocks, Midwest Modifieds and Street Stocks all raced for some of the largest purses available to these classes during the season in support of the main Modified racing program. The $150,000 total purse is anticipated to be larger this season as the modifieds race for their $100,000 portion of the purse money. Tickets will be going on sale for this event as the final schedule gets set and in place.

Deer Creek will round out the season with the October 1, 2 running of the Fall Festival. This show saw 180 cars on hand to close out the season at the track last season and is always a popular event.

During the 2003 racing season Deer Creek Speedway saw 3345 cars hit the track with an average field of 140 cars for each event. A total of 332 heat races, 68 "B"-Features and 141 Feature events were ran at the track. Tickets for this year's racing activities are on sale with discount books available.

The racers are all busy preparing their cars for the 2004 racing season here in the Southern part of the state. Mark Teske has purchased a new Mastersbilt by Mars late Model, Paul Novotny has purchased the former Roger Torgerson Fegers Late Model and last years Super Stock champion Nick Herrick will be running Late Models full time. In the modified ranks Todd Klees, Jay Ihrke, Bruce Angst and Jay Poidinger all have new EZ-Chassis modifieds. Mike Sorensen has purchased a Skyrocket chassis. Neil Eckhart has purchased a new Specialty Fabricating car. Nate Wasmund is running the SunPlace Tanning modifieds this next season. Cole Queensland has purchased a new EZ-Chassis super stock and John Bushman purchased the former XLI chassis of Derrick Bridley. In the Midwest Modified class it sounds like the Siercks family is going to be extremely busy as the story goes Dave will be running a USRA Modified. There will be three Midwest modifieds also ran out of the camp along with the one street stock. I think this is a first for Dirt Track racing as they run a five car team. Speaking of Derrick Bridley he has purchased the Specialty Fab car from Neil Eckhart and is putting together a Midwest Modified. Jerry Young is moving back into the Midwest Modified class and teaming up with Brian Hernandez as part of the infamous Three Stooges Racing Team. Not much going on the Modified Lite and Street Stock camp around the rumor mill, although Jeff Brauer tells me that he has hung up the fire suit for the 2004 season and plans to return in 2005 with a Super Stock. Jason Gabrielson is getting a new car for the street stock class.

Here is hoping for the rest of the winter to be short and warm as we prepare for the 2004 racing season.