The roaring sounds of the Muscatine County Fairgrounds speedway will be a lot quieter this year as fair director Kelsey Meyers reports there will only be one speedway race this season.
Compared to having eight auto races a year ago, this year’s feature attraction for race fans will come with the opening day of the Muscatine County Fair on Wednesday, July 17, in West Liberty.
Meyers reported that last year’s promoter. Bud Kile of Kile Motor Sports, retired last year and was not replaced, so races that once were the highlight of a fast-paced Saturday night in West Liberty or Maquoketa will no longer happen, although it hasn’t been official that Maquoketa will not hold races.
Meyers says the half-mile dirt oval in West Liberty is nostalgic, but she hasn’t been able to attract a new promoter for the 2024 season, although Darkside Promotions of Southeast Iowa will be helping the fair board with the one race this season, which will feature a number of classes.
“We’re known for our half mile track,” said Meyers, hoping to attract other races and a full schedule in the future. Kile had been hosting races on the fairgrounds track since 2022.
The races were a prime tourist attraction to West Liberty, bringing hundreds of speedway enthusiasts to town.
Meyers said the fair, slated for July 17-21, will also host a demolition derby for crash enthusiasts as well as the always popular “trailer races,” where vehicles race around a figure eight with trailers, hoping to avoid crashes.