WEST SALEM, Wis. — For the first time in 21 years, Chuck Deery did something that went against his philosophy. He called off the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway race program when it wasn’t raining. And he did it at 9 a.m. Saturday, which also is against his wait-into-the-late-afternoon approach before canceling a program.

A temperature in the high 30s, and strong winds that made it feel even colder, made conditions simply too miserable to expect fans to come to the track, said Deery, the Fairgrounds Speedway’s general manager.
“By the time the race program would have started, it would have been really cold. We are in the business to have fun and provide fun for families, race fans and race teams,” Deery said. “This doesn’t look like too much fun for anyone tonight.”

Just four days before May 1, there were snow flurries at the track Saturday morning, Deery said. That, coupled with winds that were predicted to stay steady, or even gust to 15-20 mph, was enough to keep the gates closed.

The Fairgrounds Speedway wasn’t the only regional track to cancel its race program on Saturday. Golden Sands Speedway in Plover, Wis., also canceled its show, as did Elko Speedway in Elko, Minn.

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