Manitowoc Expo Forced to push season opener back one week.

May 10, 1998; Manitowoc, WI. -Track work done during the weeks leading up to the scheduled season opener at the Manitowoc Expo Raceway forced the cancellation of Sunday night's racing program and pushed first show of the year back one week.

"We put a lot of work into the track during the past month or so, and found out that what we did wasn't the right thing," said track promoter John Martin Kwitek, "We didn't want the surface to break up on opening night so we worked on compacting the straightaways. What happened was that we got them so tight that the 30,000 gallons of water we put on the track didn't do a thing. Bascially, with the banked track like we have, the water ran right off the top."

Drivers at the track were given an extended practice session on Sunday and also awarded for their time with three pit passes per vehicle.

"We hated to make the decision but with the way the track was someone could have been seriously injured," Kwitek said. "The dust was really unbearable with more than three or four cars on the track, It definitely wasn't what we had planned."

Action is slated to commence Sunday with 360 sprint car qualifying at 5:30 pm and racing at 6:00 pm. Other divisions on the card will be IMCA-style modifieds, dirt sportsman, and two-man cruisers.

Manitowoc Expo Raceway is located just off of 1-43 and Highway 151 at the Manitowoc Expo Grounds. For further information contact the track at (800) 999-3818. For raceday weather information, fans can tune into WCUB 980 AM in Manitowoc. For information during the week, call (414) 684-3028 or (414) 775-4879.