Madeline Zukowski

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

A half-mile oval snowmobile racetrack, one of the finest for racers in America in the 1970s, will be open to riders for one day, Jan. 30, in Kiekhaefer Park this winter season.

The caveat, though, is that only riding, not racing, is allowed.

The track's revitalization is thanks to a dozen members of the Holyland Snowflyers, a non-profit organization in Mount Calvary that operates and maintains 68 miles of snowmobile trails in eastern Fond du Lac County. Members did the heavy lifting and paperwork to re-open the track, known as the Aeromarine Sno-Bol.

"It's a lot of history that we want to bring back (so) it doesn't just get shoved under the carpet," Travis Fowler, a Snowflyers member, said. "If you talk to snowmobilers and you mention Eagle River, everybody seems to know about Eagle River races. Back in the day, the Aeromarine Sno-Bol was the big talk as well."

The Sno-Bol racetrack hosted the annual Midwestern Snowmobile Championship for the United States Snowmobile Association from 1971 to 1977. The races were part of a three-day winter festival, with a night torch parade on Friday night and snowball dances on Saturday and Sunday.

Carl Kiekhaefer, the owner of Kiekhaefer Corporation, now known as Mercury Marine, donated the land that became Kiekhaefer Park to the town of Taycheedah in 1969. He also asked if he could build an oval track for snowmobile racing there. During the 1970s, Mercury Marine's products included the manufacturing of high-end snowmobiles.

After Kiekhaefer left Mercury Marine in 1970 and the company stopped making snowmobiles in 1977, the races at the location abruptly stopped and the track disappeared into the wilds of nature.

Thirty-eight years later, the Holyland Snowflyers decided to bring it back. But the task was formidable, as trees and brush covered much of the historic track. After presenting clean-up plans to Taycheedah's town board, members spent 20 to 30 hours in 2015 from May 17 to June 23 bringing back the track - cutting down trees, digging up stumps and clearing brush.

In honor of the racetrack's revitalization, the organization is hosting a winter show and ride from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 30 at Kiekhaefer Park, W4235 Kiekhaefer Parkway. The event is free for spectators.

Vintage snowmobiles, those 35 years or older, will be on display and judged in a contest. Snowmobilers can also ride, not race, on the oval track, which has straightaways 50 feet wide and turns 100 feet wide.. In addition, there will be games, food and drinks in a heated tent. Sledding and cross-country skiing will also be happening.

After the event, the track will again be closed by the town of Taycheedah and Fond du Lac County because it is an unmarked trail. (The county only allows riders on marked trails.)

The trail was opened for the Jan. 30 event because the Holyland Snowflyers paid for insurance for that day, then showed proof of insurance to the town of Taycheedah.

As for the track opening again for races, that is not likely to happen anytime soon due to the high insurance costs and organizing hurdles, said Snowflyers member Darrin Lefeber. But it remains a goal, though probably five to 10 years down the road, he said.

Even so, Snowflyers members want to have one or more track openings next winter season. Until then, the members are hoping the event and the re-opening of the track for a day will spark interest and memories from the snowmobile community and other people in the area.

"We'd like to bring back the history (of racing on the track) and see where it leads us to," Fowler said.

Reach Madeline Zukowski at 920-907-7968 or mzukowski@gannett.com.