River Cities Speedway

About River Cities SpeedWay

River Cities Speedway is a high banked dirt bullring at 2300 Gateway Drive on the Grand Forks County Fairgrounds in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It races Friday nights from late April through mid September, and it is the only track in North Dakota that runs 410 Outlaw Sprint Cars and Late Models on the same weekly card. The grandstand it sits under was dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the whole fairgrounds complex is on the National Register of Historic Places.

A Grandstand Dedicated by FDR

Racing in Grand Forks goes back further than almost anywhere in the region. The city’s first formal racing association formed in 1882, and the current fairgrounds opened in 1903 with horse races and a two mile automobile race on the program. In 1909 the famous trotters Dan Patch and Minor Heir ran an exhibition here, and over time cars and motorcycles took over the half mile oval.

The biggest day in the facility’s history came on October 4, 1937, when Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the new grandstand in person before a crowd estimated at around 20,000. It was built as a Works Progress Administration project, and the stone arches from that era are still standing. In April 2009 the fairgrounds, the WPA stone structures and the grandstand were all placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In the late 1950s the half mile was cut down to the current bullring. The shorter track changed how the cars were driven, since there was no longer time to shift gears on the straights. Super Modifieds and a hobby class came first, then Late Models and Sprint Cars in the 1970s. The track took the name River Cities Speedway in 1999, after the two cities on either side of the Red River.

The Premier Racing Series

The weekly program runs four classes: NOSA 410 Outlaw Sprints, NLRA Late Models, WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds and WISSOTA Street Stocks.

Having 410 sprints and late models on the same night every week is rare anywhere in the Midwest. The track notes that the nearest weekly 410 sprint programs are at Jackson Motorplex in southern Minnesota and Knoxville Raceway in Iowa, both hundreds of miles away. That is why the track calls its weekly show the Premier Racing Series.

The tight, fast layout gets the attention of people who have seen a lot of racetracks. A longtime World of Outlaws sprint car announcer has called it his favorite of the hundreds of tracks he has visited worldwide, and a former World of Outlaws Late Model announcer who started his career here in 1982 ranks it among the top five in the country.

World of Outlaws History

Both World of Outlaws series have left their mark here. Jason Meyers set the World of Outlaws Sprint Car record on August 21, 2009 with a 9.269 second lap, averaging 116.517 miles per hour. In 2011 Donny Schatz and Steve Kinser swapped the lead nine times in one main event before Kinser won it with a last corner pass. In 2012 Darrell Lanigan passed Clint Smith on the final lap in what the track records as the closest finish in World of Outlaws Late Model history.

Race Night

Racing runs Friday nights through the season, weather permitting, with hot laps at 6:00 and the green flag at 7:00. The grandstands fill quickly, so arriving early is worth it on a nice night.

Families get a good deal here. Kids 15 and under can get in free to regular race programs with an adult, using a coupon available through Visit Grand Forks. Special events are priced separately.

If you cannot make it in person, races are streamed live through the track’s own streaming site.

Getting There

The fairgrounds are at 2300 Gateway Drive in Grand Forks, on the North Dakota side of the Red River across from East Grand Forks, Minnesota. Grand Forks sits on I-29 about an hour north of Fargo.

The track phone is 701-780-0999. Schedules, tickets, results and rain calls are posted on the track website and its Facebook page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What night does River Cities Speedway race?

Friday nights from late April through mid September, weather permitting. Hot laps start at 6:00 and racing at 7:00.

What classes race there?

NOSA 410 Outlaw Sprints, NLRA Late Models, WISSOTA Midwest Modifieds and WISSOTA Street Stocks.

What makes the weekly show unusual?

It is the only track in North Dakota that runs 410 sprint cars and late models together every week, and one of very few in the Midwest.

Is the track historic?

Yes. The grandstand was dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937, and the fairgrounds, grandstand and WPA stone structures are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Do kids get in free?

Kids 15 and under can get in free to regular race programs with an adult, using a coupon from Visit Grand Forks. Some restrictions apply.

Has the World of Outlaws raced there?

Yes, both the sprint car and late model series. Jason Meyers holds the World of Outlaws Sprint Car lap record at 9.269 seconds.

Can I watch online?

Yes. Races are streamed live through the track’s streaming site.

Where is River Cities Speedway located?

2300 Gateway Drive, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58203, at the Grand Forks County Fairgrounds. The phone number is 701-780-0999.

More information on River Cities Speedway; Click here https://www.rivercitiesspeedway.com/

For more venues click here: https://www.plainspowersports.com/category/auto/