How Gondik Law Speedway Prepares it’s Dirt Track Ahead of a Race

SUPERIOR, Wis. — Since the middle of May, cars having been tearing up the dirt on Fridays at Gondik Law Speedway in Superior.

The cars put on quite a show, but as soon as they’re off a different kind of operation begins.

“It kind of starts on Saturday, really, sometimes even Friday night, after the races,” said Joe Stariha, Gondik Law Speedway Owner and Promoter.

Gondik law Speedway is on their 62nd season of races this year, and the routine for preparing the track for the tires has become a well-oiled system.

“The grader comes out after the races, and starts to prep the track for next week already. And so they take off everything that kind of happens  from the races that night. And then we take our power rake either that night or the next day on Saturday, and we more or less, grind everything up, kind of get things back to where we can get more water in the surface,” said Stariha.

The dirt of the track requires thousands of gallons of water each week.

“Two, three nights a week, we’re putting on six to eight thousand gallons of water onto the track and let it sit overnight and soak in,” said Stariha.

Often times in the summer the speedway gets hit with lots of rain. If it is early in the week, it can be good for the track.

“So we kind of call that free track prep,” said Stariha.

Sometimes luck runs out and rain pours on the track during a race day.

“Our track can handle pretty much decent amount of water. And if it’s Wednesday, especially because it’s got time to, you know, soak in and dry up and do all those things. And we can work the track without having to put our own water on it,” said Stariha.

Multiple car models race at the speedway for the Friday Night Races, and each need practice before the main event to warm up their tires.

“Around 5:30-6:00 o’clock our trucks get out there start running the track in and getting it ready for hot laps. And it’s kind of it’s kind of a four to five day, you know, four or five hours a day type of work for our track workers that handle that,” said Stariha.

It’s a long and demanding process from start to finish, but the eventful races make it worth it.

The main season at Gondik Law Speedway has wrapped up, but the track will be hosting the Northern Nationals starting on September 7.