Economy forces WIR changes

Kaukauna - Nothing was going to keep these WIR drivers away from tuning up for the oval tracks first race on May 28th.

"Tonight is our first practice session," says WIR owner Roger VanDaalwyk. "We start in three minutes, but they've been here for 30. They're excited."

In years past, the WIR has run races on Thursdays and Saturdays, but the recent recession has hit the track.

Because of the economy, the WIR has decided to do away with its super late model feature on Saturday nights, but that doesn't mean the long-time Red, White, and Blue State Championship series is going away.

"We started that (Red, White, and Blue races) in the early 70s," says VanDaalwyk. "In the past four, five years racing on Thursdays and then having just one day off and coming back we were dividing everything up. Crowds, cars, everything."

Jon Meidam has been racing in the super late model division for the past seven years. He supports the WIR's decision to move the racing to one night a week.

"I really think it's going to be good from a crowd standpoint and for drivers," says Meidam. "I think more drivers will make it because it's hard to get everyone at the same track at the same time."

30 year racing veteran Jim Duchow agrees.

"In my experience when the economy is bad people still come to local events like baseball games and races," says Duchow.

And if the crowds don't leave, neither will he. The love of racing is what keeps everyone coming back.