Eric Veralrud: WISSOTA and IMCA

Dirt track racing is the single most common form of auto racing in the United States and especially in the upper Midwest. There are hundreds of tracks in the upper Midwest stretching from Montana to Wisconsin and reaching up into Canada. The Wissota organization currently has control of most of the tracks in the upper Midwest but the IMCA organization is making its way to northern tracks. The two organizations differ in the way they allow the cars to run. Each organization has similar class types but the rules on the speculations of the cars are different.

[endif]--Wissota and IMCA are similar in ways but have many differences. Each organization follows different rules that the cars and drivers must follow. Wissota is known to have much more flex in what kind of parts the cars can use, with more options means more money that drivers can spend. IMCA classes are thought to be a little less expensive because there are more restrictions on what the drivers can use. Having different rules make the cars different. A car from IMCA and a car from Wissota may look similar but they are different. For example one class in Wissota is called a Midwest modified. A class that is nearly the same in IMCA is a northern sport mod. Minor differences in each car make it either IMCA or Wissota. Most tracks will usually only run Wissota cars or IMCA cars.

Race tracks are spread across the Midwest and North Dakota and Minnesota are two states with a large quantity of tracks. North Dakota currently has 9 tracks and Minnesota has 15. Each track has its own qualities and this may cause drivers to keep returning to the track or avoid it. Track size is one main difference between tracks. Tracks can be many different sizes including 3/8 of a mile, quarter mile, and a half mile. Some of my favorite tracks to visit are Buffalo River Race Park in Glyndon Minnesota, I94 speedway in Fergus Falls Minnesota, and River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks North Dakota.

For new comers to a race track they may not know that there are many different types of classes that the track runs. Wissota tracks currently have 8 different classes. The classes from smallest to largest are hornets, pure stocks, mod fours, street stock, Midwest modified, super stock, modified, and late model. Sprint cars are often ran at Wissota tracks but are not included in the Wissota organization. The IMCA classes are sport compacts stock care hobby stocks modifieds and late models and sprint cars.

Money becomes are large part in the sport of racing. Bigger cars mean bigger money. Tracks give each driver a check at the end of the night and the amount is up to how the driver did. The smaller cars are typically less expensive to own and run so the top payout is much less than the pay out of the bigger cars. Payouts can range anywhere from $50 - $10,000 to the winner. A $10,000 pay out is usually a special event. The bigger classes like Sprint cars, late models, modifieds and super stocks have bigger pay outs often and the smaller classes like pure stocks may have a special race that pays the winner $1,000.

The fans are an important part of the sport of racing. It is often the proceeds from the fans that pays the drivers. Without the fans the tracks would not last like any other company. Tracks try to keep their fans involved by doing activities with kids during intermission and having 50/50 raffles.

I have been a fan of racing my entire life and have traveled to other states to watch my dad and family members’ race. It has allowed me to meet many people and make new friends. I hope to one day own my own car and carry on the tradition of racing in my family.

Picture retrieved from WISSOTA.org

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