About Dacotah Speedway
Dacotah Speedway is a high banked 3/8 mile clay oval at 2500 Longspur Trail in Mandan, North Dakota, and it is the busiest dirt track in the state. It races Friday nights from April through August with five weekly divisions, it seats 4,000 in a modern grandstand, and it posts the highest car counts of any North Dakota track. The facility is run by the Bismarck-Mandan Stock Car Association in partnership with the Mandan Board of Park Commissioners.
Built by Racers in 1990
Auto racing in the Bismarck and Mandan area goes back to the early 1950s, but the current facility came out of a specific effort. The Bismarck-Mandan Stock Car Association was founded in 1980 to represent the interests of the people actually racing. After several years at the old Bismarck Raceway, members concluded they needed a modern facility rather than a patched up one.
In 1989 the association partnered with the Mandan Board of Park Commissioners on a plan that worked for both sides. Mandan would move its century old rodeo grounds to a new site that would also include auto racing, which offset the cost of a project projected at a million dollars. Volunteer labor filled the gap, and Dacotah Speedway held its first race on June 8, 1990.
The first season carried three classes, WISSOTA Street Stocks, WISSOTA Modifieds and Hobby Stocks, along with the Dakota Classic Modified Tour and a sprint car race. It finished in profit, and the association put the money straight back into the track. Improvements followed steadily: a concession stand with indoor plumbing, restrooms, scales, parking pads and better maintenance equipment. In 1995 the association and the park board invested in a grandstand seating 4,000, which opened the door to monster trucks and other major special events.
Car Counts Tell the Story
The weekly card runs five divisions: IMCA Modifieds, WISSOTA Street Stocks, Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compacts and INEX Legends, with Sport Mods and Slingshots also appearing on the schedule.
The numbers behind those classes are what make this track notable. Dacotah posts the highest car counts of any track in North Dakota, the highest average IMCA Modified count anywhere in IMCA, and the highest WISSOTA Street Stock count anywhere in WISSOTA. For a track in a metro area of around 130,000 people, leading national sanctioning bodies in car count is a real achievement and it says a great deal about how the association runs the place.
Race Night
Racing runs most Fridays from April through August, starting at 7:00. Championship night falls in late August, closing the points season.
Advance discount tickets have been available at local businesses around Bismarck and Mandan, which is cheaper than paying at the gate. The track phone is 701-425-6470.
Governor's Cup and Oktoberfest
The special events calendar is as strong as the weekly program.
The North Dakota Governor's Cup is a two day stock car race and one of the most prestigious titles a driver in the state can win. The Dakota Classic Modified Tour, which the track has hosted since its first season, brings the region's modifieds through in July. The Mandan Meltdown is another marquee date.
Oktoberfest closes the year in early October, running well past the end of the regular season and drawing drivers from across the Dakotas, including racers coming straight off the Jamestown Stock Car Stampede the week before.
Beyond racing, the speedway hosts the Mandan Team Demolition Derby, monster truck shows with tuff trucks and trailer races, and tractor pulls.
Getting There
The track is at 2500 Longspur Trail in Mandan, across the Missouri River from Bismarck, in the center of the state just off I-94. Bismarck and Mandan together form the largest population center for a long way in any direction, so this track draws from a wide area.
Schedules, results, points and ticket information are on the track website and its Facebook page, both of which are well maintained.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the track?
It is a high banked 3/8 mile clay oval.
What night does Dacotah Speedway race?
Most Friday nights from April through August, with racing starting at 7:00 PM.
What classes race weekly?
IMCA Modifieds, WISSOTA Street Stocks, Hobby Stocks, IMCA Sport Compacts and INEX Legends, with Sport Mods and Slingshots also on the schedule.
Is it really the biggest track in North Dakota?
By car count, yes. Dacotah posts the highest counts of any North Dakota track, along with the highest average IMCA Modified and WISSOTA Street Stock counts anywhere in those sanctioning bodies.
When was the track built?
It opened on June 8, 1990, built through a partnership between the Bismarck-Mandan Stock Car Association and the Mandan Board of Park Commissioners.
What are the big events?
The North Dakota Governor's Cup, the Dakota Classic Modified Tour, the Mandan Meltdown and Oktoberfest, plus demolition derbies, monster trucks and tractor pulls.
How big is the grandstand?
It seats 4,000, built in 1995.
Where is Dacotah Speedway located?
2500 Longspur Trail, Mandan, North Dakota 58554, just across the river from Bismarck. The phone number is 701-425-6470.
More information on Dacotah Speedway; Click here https://dacotahspeedway.com/
For more venues click here: https://www.plainspowersports.com/category/auto/