Racing At Pecatonica

[CIRF]

Last Spring it was made public that promoter/promoters were possibly going to attempt to stage some racing in 2015 at the Winebago County Fairgrounds in Pecatonica, Illinois. According to their Facebook page there was insurance and lighting concerns that needed to be worked out to have any racing activities take place in 2015. Obviously that didn't happen.

We were curious if anyone here knows whether there is any possibility of racing taking place at Pecatonica in 2016. We attended a couple of dirt late model races and a Badger Midget show and the place seemed to be a decent venue if memory serves me.

[Krooser]

I thought the facility had been stripped of most of it's fences, walls, etc. after the last show there several years ago... if not there's always hope.

Here in N/NE Wisconsin two WISSOTA have new owners and will be back in operation (Spring Lake @ Unity) and Tomahawk. But two more are in real danger of not running in '16... Luxemburg (one I formerly promoted) and Sturgeon Bay. Another of my old haunts, the neat little banked short 1/4 miler at Chilton, shuttered for good last fall after recently running just a couple specials each season. And the track at Manitowoc looks like it will be sold to build a new Meijer grocery store.

Things are always changing.

[WisWildManFan]

Watched flat track bikes there a couple summers ago during breast fest, walls and fencing still there. Don't believe they have any lights though. Kind of a unique track would be cool to see some cars back on the track.

[CIRF]

Watched flat track bikes there a couple summers ago during breast fest, walls and fencing still there. Don't believe they have any lights though. Kind of a unique track would be cool to see some cars back on the track.

WWMF, unless they've been taken out there were operable lights about 10 years ago. We went to a
Badger Midget show at Pecatonica and it was a night race. Also went to a couple of dirt late model races there prior to the Badger show and those also were at night. Not saying the lights weren't taken out or rendered inoperable but they were there at the time of the race I mentioned.

The late model shows we attended were pretty good races. Steve Boley was driving the 26 car at that time and Boley and Kevin Weaver put on a show for the win. For some reason I don't remember much about the Badger midget races except Kevin Olsen was still running pretty good at that time.

IIRC it's a pretty decent facility and there was a football field laid out in the infield of the racetrack, goal posts and all.

There is a river pretty close just behind the grandstands and it sure looked as if flood waters would get onto the track. We asked a couple of the locals if that was a problem and they didn't recall that it was.

[dirt33]

As far as fences and walls being removed, perhaps you are thinking of Freeport?

[bullring]

Used to have lights but for some reason they don't now. The races they were going to run last year were going to be day or late afternoon races. I believe the guys trying to do it had good intentions but my guess is the old money issue is the problem.

[Krooser]

Dirt 33... you are correct. Alky induced alzheimer'
s...