ESTEVAN — After a four-year absence, the Dakota Classic Modified Tour is making its return to the Estevan Motor Speedway on July 10.
The tour had been one of the highlights of the year on the speedway calendar from when the track opened in 2000 through the 2019 season. But it wasn't in Estevan from 2020-2022 due to the border restrictions that were in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now that those restrictions have been lifted and cross-border travel is close to normal again, Estevan will be back on the tour, which visits six different tracks in six days.
Modified and stock car drivers from across southeast Saskatchewan and many American states will be competing.
"Everyone from our board to our racers to the fans seems to be super excited for it," said speedway president Brad Pierson.
Some drivers that he has met over the years have reached out to him to say they're excited to race here.
"There's just lots of talk, not only from our North Dakota drivers, but there's been a lot of hype about Estevan Motor Speedway over the past three years that a lot of these guys from further down south haven't been able to experience it," said Pierson.
There will be some first-time drivers at the tour stop. Other drivers who have been here in the past have advanced their careers in racing, Pierson said, but might be back in Estevan for the tour. One of them is Ricky Thornton Jr., who won both the stock car and modified feature races during the Estevan tour stop in 2019.
Another would be Tom Berry Jr., who swept the tour's six races last year.
"We get so many drivers from California, Arizona and Nevada," said Pierson.
Another one to watch, according to Pierson, is Kollin Hibdon, who is a really strong, young modified driver.
There will be a strong contingent of local drivers and American racers who regularly compete in Estevan. One of them is Estevan's Aaron Turnbull, who won the tour in 2013. Another is North Dakota's Travis Hagen who was the tour's runner-up behind Berry last year.
It's hard to know how many drivers they will have for the Estevan tour stop, but they hope to have a large contingent of both classes.
Pierson noted a doubleheader weekend on July 22 and 23 will also be a big deal for the track because it will be the annual Dirt Wars programs. The first night, they're going to announce the naming of the races in honour of Riley Raynard, who was a long-time racer in the hobby stock class. And they'll have their annual kids night on the second program.
