Fully-vaccinated people can exceed limits at Red Cedar Speedway
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By LeAnn R. Ralph
MENOMONIE — If you are fully vaccinated, you can go to the races at the Red Cedar Speedway regardless of the capacity determined by the infection rate of COVID-19 in Dunn County.
There are four major changes to the resolution setting standard operating procedures and polices for the 2021 racing season at the Red Cedar Speedway, said Charles Maves, county board supervisor from Boyceville and chair of the facilities committee, at the Dunn County Board’s May 19 meeting.
The changes would be the current cases per week level, people who have been vaccinated can enter the races and not be counted against the total number allowed in the grandstands, there can always be at least 100 people at the races because the outdoor gathering recommendation has been increased to 100 and the facilities committee can make changes to the operating procedures and guidelines based on the numbers of COVID-19 cases, Maves said.
Nothing else would change on the original protocols for automobile races at the Red Cedar Speedway, he said.
Steve Jenson, county board supervisor from Elk Mound, said he did not see a need to have any rules for the Red Cedar Speedway and wondered why the county board is micro-managing the race track.
Tim Lienau, county board supervisor from Menomonie, asked about the case status of Dunn County as of the day of the county board meeting.
The total number of cases of COVID-19 over the past week has been 12 or 1.7 per day, said KT Gallagher, director of the Dunn County Health Department.
The number of cases puts the grandstand at 75 percent capacity — or 1,098, plus 250 in the pit area, she said.
People who are fully vaccinated would not be included in the 1,098, noted David Bartlett, county board supervisor from Boyceville and chair of the Dunn County Board.
The main grandstand at the Red Cedar Speedway in the Dunn County Recreational Park has a capacity of 1,134 people and two auxiliary bleachers with a capacity of 165 people each for a total of 1,465.
The Red Cedar Speedway’s racing schedule runs from April 9 through August 27 and September 23 through September 27.
On the Wednesday before the Friday race events, the new cases of COVID-19 in Dunn County for the previous seven days will determine the capacity of the grandstands.
If there are 9.1 cases from the previous week, the grandstand can be at 100 percent capacity. If there are 18.06 cases in the week, the capacity will be at 75 percent or 1,098.
If there are 22.6 cases, the capacity will be at 60 percent or 879 people. If the cases are 27.16 for the week, the capacity will be at 50 percent or 732 people.
If there are 36.2 cases in the past week, the capacity will be 35 percent or 513 people, and if there are 45.36 cases over the past week, the capacity will be 25 percent or 366 people.
The resolution regarding standard operating procedures, policies and guidelines for the 2021 racing season at the Red Cedar Speedway was approved by the Dunn County Board on a voice vote with one supervisor voting “no” on the motion.
The resolution also authorizes the facilities committee to approve any future changes or amendments to the standard operating procedure for the 2021 racing season that have been approved by the resolution or changes to the Red Cedar Racing Association’s policies, procedures, guidelines and protocols for the 2021 racing season.
The Dunn County Board initially approved the resolution for standard operating procedures for the Red Cedar Speedway on March 17.
The Red Cedar Racing Association worked with the Dunn County Health Department to to make changes to the procedures and policies, which the facilities committee recommended for approval by the Dunn County Board at the committee’s May 11 meeting.
