Lafayette County Speedway
- What: Four divisions of stock car racing.
- When: Saturdays. Gate opens at 5 p.m., with racing at 6:30 p.m.
- Tickets: Adults $10; Seniors/Students 6-17 $7; Children 6 and under free.
DARLINGTON - The car count has nearly doubled at the Lafayette County Speedway early this season due in part to the demise of another racing venue in the region.
Jay Ethridge, the track's race director and promoter, said the speedway has seen an influx of drivers coming from outside Wisconsin since Freeport Raceway Park was demolished last fall. The car count has averaged 70 to 80 per night compared to 43 per night in 2011.
An Orangeville resident, Ethridge raced and worked as a promoter at Freeport Raceway Park before making the switch to Darlington.
"A lot of the Freeport guys have followed me to Darlington," Ethridge said. "It has definitely helped this year."
The Lafayette County Speedway has made other changes to attract drivers and fans.
"It's not all tied to the Freeport track closing," Ethridge said of the race track's growth.
The speedway unveiled a new rules package this year that puts it more in line with regulations at other tracks, Ethridge said.
One of the biggest differences is the change to Saturday night racing from Friday programs last year.
The order in which cars are lined up before the race also has been altered. Ethridge said the track is using a draw system to line up cars. In the heat race in each division, the lineup is determined by a draw. The feature race lineup is then determined by the performance of drivers during each heat race.
Ethridge said last year the track used a point average system that penalized drivers new to the speedway.
"They had to start at the back of the race until they had their point average and worked their way up," he said. "Now you can be a first-time driver to this track and be in the front."
The track closed after an accident during the 1970 Lafayette County Fair that killed three pit crew workers. Ethridge said the track reopened in 1999 and was moved further from the Pecatonica River. In addition, two corners were shortened and the backstretch was reconfigured to make a 3/8ths mile dirt track.
Darlington resident Arnie Miehe was at the fair but not in the stands the night of the accident in 1970.
"After it happened it got very quiet," Miehe said.
Miehe said the pits at the time were on the outside of the track without any guard rails to protect crew members from race cars.
Racing still draws a crowd in Darlington.
"Different fans go for different reasons," Ethridge.
"Many go to watch a relative race. Your more novice fans go to spectate the wrecks and for the drama."
Jay Ethridge, the track's race director and promoter, said the speedway has seen an influx of drivers coming from outside Wisconsin since Freeport Raceway Park was demolished last fall. The car count has averaged 70 to 80 per night compared to 43 per night in 2011.
An Orangeville resident, Ethridge raced and worked as a promoter at Freeport Raceway Park before making the switch to Darlington.
"A lot of the Freeport guys have followed me to Darlington," Ethridge said. "It has definitely helped this year."
The Lafayette County Speedway has made other changes to attract drivers and fans.
"It's not all tied to the Freeport track closing," Ethridge said of the race track's growth.
The speedway unveiled a new rules package this year that puts it more in line with regulations at other tracks, Ethridge said.
One of the biggest differences is the change to Saturday night racing from Friday programs last year.
The order in which cars are lined up before the race also has been altered. Ethridge said the track is using a draw system to line up cars. In the heat race in each division, the lineup is determined by a draw. The feature race lineup is then determined by the performance of drivers during each heat race.
Ethridge said last year the track used a point average system that penalized drivers new to the speedway.
"They had to start at the back of the race until they had their point average and worked their way up," he said. "Now you can be a first-time driver to this track and be in the front."
The track closed after an accident during the 1970 Lafayette County Fair that killed three pit crew workers. Ethridge said the track reopened in 1999 and was moved further from the Pecatonica River. In addition, two corners were shortened and the backstretch was reconfigured to make a 3/8ths mile dirt track.
Darlington resident Arnie Miehe was at the fair but not in the stands the night of the accident in 1970.
"After it happened it got very quiet," Miehe said.
Miehe said the pits at the time were on the outside of the track without any guard rails to protect crew members from race cars.
Racing still draws a crowd in Darlington.
"Different fans go for different reasons," Ethridge.
"Many go to watch a relative race. Your more novice fans go to spectate the wrecks and for the drama."
