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The New Granite City Speedway Set To Rock In 2012

Race fans in central Minnesota have waited long enough. The dirt is set to fly once again at the 3/8 mile clay oval formerly known as the Golden Spike Speedway just northeast of the metropolis of St. Cloud, Minnesota. The newly named Granite City Speedway, located at 2540 Golden Spike Road NE in Sauk Rapids, MN, has been purchased by GCR Properties LLC and is set to re-open bigger and better than ever before this coming May.

Fans will notice immediate improvements to the facility including a completely new racing surface, a newly remodeled restaurant building, a renovated Wild Country press building, the removal of a non-used building as well as general clean up, beautification and modernization to the overall facility.

Along with the new name and new ownership will come a new management team to oversee and operate the day to day events held at the speedway. Longtime area promoter, St. Cloud resident, and FYE Motorsports owner Chris Stepan has been hired to serve as the General Manager and Promoter of the Granite City Speedway and will be in charge of all events that take place at the facility throughout the year.

Plans are to race on the customary Sunday nights at 5pm throughout the 2012 season and although the schedule is still pending approval from WISSOTA, the goal is to race WISSOTA sanctioned Modifieds, Super Stocks, Midwest Modifieds, Street Stocks and Mod Fours weekly with the sixth class of cars nightly to be rotated between Pure Stocks, Hobby Stocks and Hornets along with the Northern Vintage Stock Cars, UMSS Wingless and Winged Sprint Cars and possibly USMTS Modifieds tentatively dotting the schedule as well.

A 22 race schedule is planned with a tentative open practice session set for Sunday, April 29th as long as the track and facility is ready depending on the weather in the spring. If things go as planned, the new grand opening is set for Sunday, May 6th with racing action occurring every Sunday – with the exception of Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, where the track will run on Mondays those weekends and the 4th of July weekend, where the track will run on Wednesday, July 4th instead of Sunday, July 8th. Once the regular season concludes on Labor Day Monday, the track plans on racing on Sunday, September 9th, then will host a 2-day special on Saturday and Sunday, September 22nd and 23rd and then will wrap up its inaugural season on Sunday, September 30th.

A new website is currently being designed and more information will be released as soon as things get a bit more firmed up regarding the exact schedule, competition divisions, employment, payouts and other track related items. For more information, please contact Chris at chris@fyemotorsports.com.