Need For Northern Speed

July 9, 2015

Two Area Racetracks are Sights, Sounds to Behold

The scene at either of northern Michigan’s two racetracks on a summer night can cause sensory overload. The scream of tunedup engines, the sweet smell of burning rubber mixed with the occasional waft of beer, gasoline or sweat. And the sights? Some of the most colorful, creative — and very, very fast — cars and trucks around.

Northern Michiganders love cars and speed, which makes Fife Lake’s Cherry Raceway and Kaleva’s Northern Michigan Dragway two very popular weekend destinations.

The Express visited both venues for insight into the action.

Built in 1979, the Cherry Raceway is a steeply banked, three-eighths-mile dirt track near Fife Lake that draws between 1,200 and 1,600 spectators for weekend races during the mid-May to Labor Day season.

There are six competition classes: Late Model, Modified, Stock Car, Lightning Sprint (small specialty cars that use motorcycle motors), Warrior (four-cylinder) and a category that might surprise newcomers to the sport — Young Guns, for kids ages 12 to 15 driving four-cylinder cars.

“Young Guns has become a really big deal,” said Michelle Steig, who owns the track with her husband, Roger. “When we first bought the track, both of our daughters raced in Young Guns. That lasted until our youngest one rolled and we said ‘oops, you’re done.’ Now we push them towards the medical field.”

While there’s never a dull moment in racing, the Steigs still organize a number of special events to keep the excitement at its highest level. For example, on Saturday, July 25, pre-race festivities will feature a car and truck show, a flea market and mixed martial arts fights.

Still, the focus remains on racing and, according to Michelle, the competition is intense.

“We don’t have demolition derbies,” she said. “At least not on purpose.”

Off the track, she explained, competitors are “like a big family.”

Recently, a racer lost his car, trailer and tools in a fire. The racing community has come together to donate money, equipment and even another car.

Moving southwest to Manistee County, just three miles north of Kaleva, the Northern Michigan Dragway is gearing up for one of its biggest competitions of the year, Mopar Against the World. The July 25 event pits Chrysler (Mopar) cars against other brands. A total of $25,000 will be awarded.

Brian Ledford manages marketing for his parents, track owners Tom and Sharon Ledford. Brian says drag racing at the amateur level is a “labor of love,” but that doesn’t make it any less exciting. One local dragster covers the one-eighth mile in five and a half seconds and reaches a top speed of 130 mph.

“This is not your typical Friday night baseball game where you wait and wait for something exciting,” Ledford said. “You get to see cars going really fast, much faster than on the highway.”

In fact, he believes the one-eighth-mile drag strip — half the length of a standard track — has many advantages for spectators and drivers. It makes for a more intimate setting; while some spectators sit in the stands, many prefer to line both sides of the track to get as close to the action as possible. According to Ledford, this is what “makes races very exciting to most folks.” The shorter track “also let fans see the whole race better” from start to finish.

There are also advantages for race car owners. “The owners typically prefer oneeighth-mile tracks because they can get more races out of an engine than on quartermile tracks.”

For more information and specific event details, visit cherryraceway.com and northernmichigandragway.net.