RICE LAKE, Wis. — The 29th annual Street Stock Little Dream race is set for tonight (Aug. 1) at Rice Lake Speedway.
One of the highest-paying street stock races in the country the Little Dream is a unique short-track, dirt track race in that the purse is largely supported by fans and businesses making donation as either in person or online during the event.
The event will be broadcast live by SPEED SPORT affiliate DRC.tv.
Last year’s winner Nick Traynor, from Barron, Wis., earned a record $28,212.
Fifty-three drivers from four states and Canada attempted to qualify for last year’s event at the third-mile dirt track and with large street stock car counts at many WISSOTA tracks this year a record turnout is possible.
This race is for street stocks only and the one division program will feature double heat races for the drivers, followed by last chance races and the main event. This year, in anticipation of a large car count, there will also be a Non-Qualifier feature that will pay $500 to the winner.
The base payout for the 35-lap main event is $1,000 to win and $300 to start the 26-car feature.
Donations are taken throughout the night with the final purse announced shortly before the feature begins to a large roar from the crowd gathered in the grandstands.
Eric Olson won the first Little Dream in 1995 and earned $780. He earned $15,085 when he won it for the third time in 2016.
Chris Stepan has promoted the event since 2010 and the purse has increased every year since.
“I took the event over in 2010 and we have broken the prior year’s payout record every year since,” Stepan told SPEED SPORT on Monday. “It is getting increasingly tougher year after year, but the goal is to get it to at least $28,213 (ideally $29,000) this year to break last year’s winner’s record and then strive to get it to $30,000 next year for the 30th annual. The forecast looks great, so let’s hope we have bunch of folks willing to donate.”
The event is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. CT. Tune into DRC.tv or Fye.tv to watch.
The Little Dream Winners
2022 Nick Traynor
2021 Tim Johnson
2020 Nick Traynor
2019 Jimmy Randall
2018 Danny Richards
2017 Keith Tourville
2016 Eric Olson
2015 Jimmy Randall
2014 Tim Johnson
2013 Sam Fankhauser
2012 Jimmy Randall
2011 Tim Johnson
2010 Jay Kesan
2009 Jared Loos
2008 Scott Clark
2007 Cory Crapser
2006 Cory Crapser
2005 Royce Jawaski
2004 Scott Paulson
2003 Terry Sirek
2002 Scott Clark
2001 Myron Tschakert
2000 Butch Madsen
1999 Scott Lawrence
1998 Scott Paulson
1997 Eric Olson
1996 Gary Solum
1995 Eric Olson