If it isn't broke, why fix it?

The big news in local racing came on Thursday evening, with the Red River Valley Speedway promoters – Jake and Sharnel Bitker and Nick Skalicky – announced that Friday night’s program would be their last after a 10-year run operating the track.

The Red River Valley Fair, on its Facebook page, posted an announcement that it will be taking over the racing program at the fairgrounds starting in 2026.  In the post, the RRVF stated it was “renewing our commitment to affordable, family-friendly racing right here in West Fargo.”

The news was a bit stunning. At the pit meeting Friday night at Red River Valley Speedway, Jake Bitker said that they’ve been operating on one-year contracts the past four years, which was at the request of the RRV Board. If there was some major dispute behind the scenes, the Bitkers and Skalicky didn't mention it at the pit meeting, nor did the RRVF in its Facebook post.

Let’s state this first: The RRV Fair Board has every right to make the decision they did first of all. Maybe there are legit reasons for it.  But based on social media posts, several folks aren’t happy, especially several drivers who have raced weekly at RRV.

Here is my reaction to the RRV Fair folks – if it’s not broke, why fix it?

There is reason for skepticism in the Fargo-Moorhead racing community, based on the last time the RRV Board oversaw racing years ago. It bordered on a cluster from what many folks told me. It’s been many years since then, though and there are new people running the show since then.  But some of the decisions the RRV Fair have made in recent years – like spreading out the fair over a bunch of weekends in 2024, when it lost more than a $1 million – bring me some pause. That, the the idiotic decision to build a building in the middle of the infield so some fans couldn’t see the backstretch (thankfully the building was moved).

I could understand this better if the track was running six classes and drawing 45 cars a night with 10 people in the stands, but neither are true.

Of eight shows I chose to average for 2025, RRVS boosted by strong INEX Legends numbers, averaged 100.3 cars in 2025. That included the Howie Schill Memorial but did not include the two WOO Sprint Shows. The high, which included the late models, was 127 cars.

If you average 100.3 cars a night in today’s racing climate, you are doing pretty darn good.

I realize it was the Friday before Labor Day so I might not hear anything, but I did send emails to the RRV Fair seeking comment but didn’t hear back.

Of all the tracks I cover regularly for the blog, RRVS has the most consistent weekly program. Their track prep is lauded by many (when there isn’t a lot of rain, the track is hard, smooth and slick for the features). The show is usually done by 10:15-30. Car counts are steady every week. They’ve established steady, consistent relationships with sponsors, some of which had been with RRVS for the whole decade.  From an operational standpoint, I think it has been one of the most consistent tracks around. Is it perfect? No. No track is.  But it's been pretty good.

I’d say the current management is doing just fine. Why mess with what is working?

If the RRVF is unhappy with a particular issue or situation with the Bitker/Skalicky partnership, then find a way to work out the issues.  If the RRV Fair thinks it is a piece of cake to run a racetrack and that anybody can do it – well, they are in La La land and this will be a flop.  You need someone who understands racing: the clientele that attends shows weekly, the type of businesses that sponsor the sport, what attracts drivers to your track each week, etc. If you put a number cruncher who sits behind a desk who has never been to a race in charge, I don’t foresee that working well.

One theory I surmise is the fair wants its own promoter/manager running the show and they will hire a race director/manager type person. I heard a couple of names of some folks who might potentially be interested and frankly, they were laughable and would be disasters.

Don’t get me wrong. There are some tracks within a 250-mile radius of Fargo that I think new management based on how their weekly programs operate. RRVS isn’t one of them.

I’ve had a consistent professional relationship with the Bitkers since I started the blog in 2017. They have sponsored every year I have had track sponsorships. They have always treated me fair, given me pit access and been supportive of what I do. Do I agree with everything they do at their tracks? Nope. Never have, probably never will. Do they always like everything I write about their shows? No. But I’d like to think I am fair at the least.

Maybe the RRV Fair will take over, and things will continue as they are at the West Fargo track or perhaps grow. That certainly is possible and frankly I think local racing folks should pull for that. RRVF stated on its post that kids 12 and under will get in free next year, there will be lower gate prices for everyone, more promo days and special offers, a new season pass, and an elevated fan experience. All sound like good ideas and maybe after 10 years with the same management some changes wouldn’t hurt.

But there is also a risk here.

If things go south after this change, RRVF officials will get some heat, and deservedly so. If car counts plummet and the track prep doesn’t measure up weekly, folks won’t be happy. Jake Bitker did say at the pit meeting that the board plans to run IMCA classes for the 2026 season. But running a track is about more than choosing the classes you run.

The Bitkers and Nick Skalicky should be thanked for a decade of hard work, bringing back a racing program from a track that had sat idle for a few years.  They got a rousing ovation at Friday night’s pit meeting.

We will see what this change brings to racing at West Fargo next spring, and it’s OK to have some concerns.. But at least the result is good news – there will be racing at the track next summer.