WEST FARGO, N.D. (Dec. 21) – Friday night racing is back at the Red River Valley Speedway.
JS Bitker LLC reached a 3-year agreement with the Red River Valley Fair Association to hold a full schedule of races starting in 2016. JS Bitker LLC will be operating the track with the first race slated for Friday, May 6 with a start time of 7 p.m.
Thirteen race dates are scheduled for the 2016 season with the following tentative classes: Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modifieds, Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMods, IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stocks, Pure Stocks and INEX Legend cars.
Modified points will apply in IMCA’s Belleville Motorsports North Central Region, Hobby Stock points in the Big Daddy Race Cars Northern Region. Allstar Performance North Dakota State points will be given in all three IMCA divisions.
One of the season’s highlights will be a special race during the Red River Valley Fair on July 17 featuring the Northern Outlaw Sprint Association Sprint Cars presented by the Red River Valley Fair Association and Buffalo Wild Wings.
Red River Valley Speedway opened in 1972 as a ½-mile dirt track on the Red River Valley Fairgrounds in West Fargo. In 2010, it was reconfigured to the current 3/8-mile track. The last race held at the track was on Aug. 25, 2012.
Nick Skalicky has been named chief operations officer and competition director of the speedway.
“We’re looking forward to working with Bryan Schulz and the Red River Valley Fair Association on this project,” says Nick Skalicky. “We’ve had a great working relationship over the past six years with the Red River Kart Club.”
The Red River Kart Club is a non-profit go-kart racing group formed in the spring of 2010 by Skalicky. It’s a 1/10-mile asphalt race track located on the Red River Valley Fairgrounds.
“The future of racing starts with go-karting and we want to provide the next step in racing for those kids just starting out in the sport,” said Jake Bitker of JS Bitker LLC. “The Red River Kart Club is where they learn the fundamentals of racing and the Red River Valley Speedway will be the perfect place for them to grow further into the sport in their own backyard.”
JS Bitker LLC is owned and operated by Bitker and his wife Sharnel. The Bitkers have four daughters, Lillian, Elzetta, Sharlet and Adeliza and farm near Halstad, Minn. They also operate the Norman County Raceway in Ada, Minn., and own Performance Auto located in Fargo, N.D.
Skalicky has two daughters, Kaitlyn and Emily, and co-owns a plumbing and heating business with his brother.
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