SPOONER, Wis. — What has become a very impressive spectating history for Ed Reichert might not have every started if it wasn’t for his parents’ interest in dirt-track racing.
Mom and Dad were both race fans, but it was his mother that was the big fan. She was a farm girl and liked cars and mechanical things. At the age of six months, Ed made his premier appearance at what is referred to as the old Rice Lake Speedway. In 1952, the new Rice Lake Speedway was built. It is still operating.
Reichert held various positions in the school system in Spooner until retiring in 2011. Prior to retirement his highest race count for a year was impressive at 170. In 1976, he reached 100 races for the first time, came up short in 1977 with excessive rainouts, and from the following year until now has seen 100 races or more every year.
But it was last year that proved to be his personal record when 209 races, helped by a lower rainout total, erased any doubt of the Super Fan title.
It helps to live where numerous tracks are within a reasonable distance, but to reach last year’s level takes hours of driving to expand the list of tracks visited.
Ed’s wife, Linda, is also a race fan but is more in the 50 races a year range. Ed explained, “Linda is kind of picky and won’t go to every Tom, Dick and Harry race like I do.”
An example of what would be considered an acceptable distance, Spencer, Iowa, is a six-hour drive and Reichert made the trip several times this year. He also drives home after the races and usually writes an article right after some sleep.
If it is an Iowa race, then Reichert’s writing effort goes to the Positively Racing website while more Northern tracks means his articles appear in “All The Dirt,” which is the Wissota paper.
The local newspaper in Rice Lake runs his articles from that track to continue an amazing streak.
Reichert has not missed a race at Rice Lake Speedway for the last 58 years.
That track also provided the launching pad for his writing career when, at age 16, he felt badly that nobody was writing a race story for the local paper in Rice Lake and giving drivers recognition, so he started his writing career.
A weekend trio of covering tracks was established with Red Cedar on Friday, Rice Lake on Saturday and Eagle River on Sunday. He wrote for all three tracks for ten years but has more travel freedom now with only Rice Lake on the must go list.
Attending 209 races means putting on some miles and Reichert offered a guess of 60,000 miles to get to 209 races. In some areas the night drives include a risk of deer. He figures he has hit a deer 10 to 20 times and where he lives virtually everyone has had an encounter with a deer.
He once drove a Lumina with 600,000 miles that met a deer and that ended its travels.
Reichert has been recognized for his dedication and many years ago Ron Hedger wrote a story that appeared in Speedway Illustrated. He has a bunch of plaques for being awarded the Gary Jacob Super Fan of the Year honor, a contest created by Hedger.
But it isn’t about awards, avoiding deer and how many hours it took to get there. It’s about being a dedicated race fan who will put in those hours behind the wheel, attend races in hot, cold, and sometimes comfortable weather. Get to the track early enough to spend time in the pits talking with racers, but sit in the stand when the races begin.
Reichert notes that he is not as critical as he used to be and is more likely to give the track the benefit of the doubt.
He stated that, “Now I’m glad that someone is keeping racing alive.”