Badlands Motor Speedway

Badlands Motor Speedway (formerly known as Huset's Speedway) was an American dirt track racing complex located in Brandon, South Dakota. Its name was changed in 2015 when it was sold to Chuck Brennan, the owner of the Badlands Entertainment Group.[1][2] The track opened in the 1950s.[2] In the 2016 season, the track was also used as a concert venue as well as hosting monster truck, tractor pulling and Endurocross events.[3][4] The track hosted a 2015 World of Outlaws Sprint car tour race.[5] In 2016, the tracks hosted a $100,000-to-win 410 Sprint car show[6] and a $250,000 Gold Cup sprint car race.[7]

Upper grandstands

Entrance

The flagstand, lower grandstands, and infield

Ticket booth

In 2016, Badlands Speedway underwent a $6 million renovation including new suites, concession stands, restrooms, updated seating area, HD video boards and lighting system. Tom Savage was hired as one of the track's assistant General Manager in 2015. He was later promoted to General Manager in 2016. [8]

Badlands hired the owner and manager of the I-90 Speedway near Hartford, South Dakota, which had closed. Lyle Howey, its owner for the last 10 years along with his wife Dawn, has become assistant general manager of facilities at Badlands instead. Howey will handle track preparation and Dawn will also be an employee. He was rookie of the year at Huset's Speedway in 1995.[9]

According to long-term owner Steve Rubin, "All of the senators have been here, the governors, many dignitaries" have attended races or other events. The raceway hosted big concerts in the 1970s and 1980s. Per Rubin, "When we had the Beach Boys here in 1982, we had over 14,000 people then. Willie [Nelson] drew 12,000 and there were over 10,000 for Ricky Nelson".[1]

The youngest winner in the track's 60+ year history is Jayden Larson, who won a B-Modified feature race in September 2015, as a 12-year-old. He had obtained clearance from the United States Racing Association to race without having a driver's license.[10]

Badlands Motor Speedway is no longer in operation as of May 18, 2017[11] and on June 11, 2018, Minnehaha County Planning and Zoning informed Brennan that the conditional-use permit that allowed the racetrack to operate over the years has now expired, which may well hinder the ability to sell the track to a new owner.[12]

The zoning issue was resolved, but at the end of 2018, the owner of Badlands Speedway announced plans to demolish the racetrack if a sale agreement was not reached by the end of the year. Those plans have since been put on hold to give time for the previous owner, Steve Rubin, to try and secure the needed financing to reacquire the racetrack. In the meantime, Lyle and Dawn Howey have announced plans to reopen I-90 Speedway in 2019, but under new management. In 2020, Brennan announced that he would like to host a two day show "if permitted by various government entities. We do not care if it is in June, July, August, or September, whenever we get the all clear from local, state, and federal authorities."[13]