Dunn County committee approves one Wednesday night race at Red Cedar Speedway

The ad hoc Dunn County Facilities Committee voted to approve Red Cedar Racing’s request to hold a Wednesday, June 4 race at Red Cedar Speedway, with the motion made by Supervisor Lyon and seconded by Supervisor Bjork. Committee members said the approval was limited to that single date and noted the racing group had not followed the usual schedule-submission process required by the lease.

The item matters because the leased facility’s contract limits additional events and requires county sign-off. Under the lease’s Section 4.3, the racing association may hold up to two additional non‑Friday evening events and the September invitational only with “express written approval” from the Dunn County Facilities Committee and a letter of understanding that specifies times of use; Section 7.2 also applies. The lease requires at least 30 days’ advance notice to the county manager and the city of Menomonie administrator to obtain that approval; committee members said the notice was not provided for this event.

During the hearing John Johnson, identified as president of Red Cedar Speedway, apologized for the lapse and said the oversight was not intentional. “It was honestly just a mistake on my part,” Johnson said. He said the track had received late scheduling information from a national touring series and that recent personal losses affected his ability to follow usual processes. Johnson estimated the event could draw “between 3 and 5,000 people” and said qualifying hot laps would begin about 6:20 p.m., with the racing program expected to finish between 9 and 9:30 p.m. He added that the sprint cars slated for the program use mufflers.

Committee members voiced two main reactions: procedural concern and support for the economic benefits. Supervisor Lyon said he was “a little disappointed” because the permission process has been in the lease since 2020 and the track typically presents a full season schedule in advance. Supervisor Bebark urged a gracious approach and noted weather had forced multiple cancellations this season, saying the extra event could help the track’s revenue: “I think we should thank them … it’s a positive for our community.”

The motion on the table covered only the Wednesday, June 4 date. At the meeting’s close a county representative clarified the committee’s action did not automatically approve additional dates beyond that night; if the association seeks approval for other non‑Friday events outside the lease’s existing allowances, the committee must consider those separately. Committee members asked the track to return with proper advance notice in future seasons.

The committee set its next meeting for June 25, 2025, at 5 p.m.