EAGLE, NE – Roger Hadan and Eagle Raceway are in a race for survival.

If not for the coronavirus pandemic,  sprint car racing would have already started the third week of April at the raceway east of Lincoln, which is known for its high-banked, third of a mile dirt track. The high banks allow cars to run laps in half the time they would elsewhere and speeds reach 100 mph.

Hadan says right now, it might be hamburgers, rather than horsepower that puts people in the stands.

 

Hadan: “Basically our Sprint Car racing is the biggest thing and the competitiveness of our track. It’s kind of a different track than most, but honestly what we’re thinking about doing now, you know with some of the guidelines that have been out there, we are a restaurant, so there may be an outdoor restaurant out here for a month.”

Hadan posted on Facebook that the race track can not survive if it does not do some kind of business soon. He said they have cut back where they can, but taxes and utilities and bank payments still come due.

He is able to earn something from renting out the track for private practices and hopes to hear good news from the governor concerning outdoor events on Tuesday.

Hadan: “We’ve been in some talks with the people at the governor’s office and it sounds like there’s a chance that we may be able to re-open here in maybe three or four weeks. I’m hoping that is how it all plays out. If we can do it in three or four weeks, I think we’ll make her.”

 Hadan said the drivers are ready to go and he thinks racing fans will not be dissuaded by the coronavirus.

Hadan: “Hang on, we’ll be back hopefully within a month. When we get going it’s probably going to be on a limited basis as far as how many people can be here, but we’re going do our best to take care of the people who have taken care of us in this time where we’ve – everybody is struggling, it’s not just us, it’s everybody around the world.”

 

Even  if Eagle Raceway is able to have spectators in the stands, there will be social distancing this racing season.