Tom Savage

For the Argus Leader

Park Jefferson International Speedway, near the Iowa-South Dakota state border, plans to hold an auto racing event this Saturday, whether Gov. Kristi Noem likes it or not.

That may sound like a bold strategy given the current state of the COVID-19 crisis in South Dakota and around the country, but organizers say they are taking safety precautions in order to host the event, which would include a maximum crowd of 700.

If the race does happen, it could be one of the first live sporting events in the country since the coronavirus outbreak brought the sports world — from March Madness to Major League Baseball to high school activities — to a halt last month.

During her news conference Tuesday, Noem was asked about the event and advised people not to attend due to federal and state guidelines calling for no public gatherings of 10 or more people.

"I'm going to strongly recommend to the people of South Dakota that they not go and that they stay home," said Noem. "We're asking that they be wise and smart to continue on the path and plan we’ve laid out for South Dakota for several more weeks."

The Park Jefferson track, located just outside Sioux City in Jefferson, South Dakota, is owned by Adam Adamson, who also owns A to Z Promotions. Saturday’s race, known as the Open Wheel Nationals, is being co-promoted by Terry McCarl, who has promoted races in the region for many years and also has the most feature wins as a driver in Huset’s Speedway history.

The grandstands hold 4,000 spectators, but Adamson said they have capped the capacity at 700 for Saturday’s event so fans can create appropriate space. All tickets have been pre-sold, and Adamson said the entire event will be cashless. There will be no ticket booth, and concessions will all be done via credit card transactions.

The only building on the grounds that holds more than 10 people – a clubhouse behind turn No. 1 – will be closed for Saturday’s event, he said.

“We intend to go overboard on following CDC guidelines,” Adamson added. “We’re just a small race track in rural South Dakota trying to give some entertainment and a little bit of a break from some of this madness that’s going on right now. We think we can do so in a safe environment.”

Noem has advocated for South Dakota residents to practice social distancing and avoid large gatherings, but she's one of the few governors who hasn't issued a statewide stay-at-home order or other enforceable restrictions. That has opened the door for Park Jefferson to accelerate the pace of re-opening the racing schedule.

“Dirt track racing is a niche sport, but there’s a lot of passion out there from fans," Adamson said. "We’re really just one of many small businesses in the state of South Dakota trying to operate.”

Saturday’s date is traditionally a big one for Park Jefferson as they host the annual South Dakota Sprint Car Nationals, which features the MSTS 360 sprint cars and the IMCA 305 sprint cars. That event typically brings in many more cars, which is why Park Jefferson switched to a smaller format and limited it to 64 cars.

Adamson said he and McCarl have been working on the event for some time and are in constant contact about what they can do to make sure it is a safe environment for race fans, teams and employees. He said one of McCarl’s race team sponsors is working to get face shields for all fans and employees.

“What should we be concerned about and what can we do to address it?” Adamson said about his conversations with McCarl. “How do we come up with the best, safest way to make this event happen? We’re trying to go above and beyond to provide a safe environment for both our spectators and competitors.”

Park Jefferson isn’t the only event on the racing schedule for this summer in the area. Chuck Brennan, owner of Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, announced last week that he is planning a two-day show at some point this summer with a $100,000 payout.

Brennan said in a press release that they will hold the event in 2020 “if permitted by various government entities.”

“We do not care if it is in June, July, August, or September, whenever we get the all clear from local, state, and federal authorities,” the press release said.