A lifetime of racing

BROWNSDALE — The Friday night lights that shine at 56 Speedway are all thanks to Mike Schubert. About a mile outside of town and surrounded by cropland, Schubert operates a dirt go-kart track in his backyard. His crew is made up of family members, both young and old. Together, they bring fun to drivers on the first and third Friday of each month.

“We race wing carts, flat carts and slingshots,” Schubert said. “The motors are restricted differently, so as the person gets older, the restrictions become less and the karts get faster.”

Permitted by the county to host go-kart races, Schubert opens the gates at 5 p.m. on race nights, and people start showing up, he said. Hot laps, which are practice laps, start at 6:30 p.m., and races begin at 7 p.m.

Registration for youth starts at age 5 and goes until age 16, which kicks off the adult class. The classes are based on age and cart type.  There are also retired men and women who still come out to race, Schubert said.

“After selling our last stock car track, my children and I were traveling all over to other tracks, racing go-karts,” Schubert said. “So my wife, who passed away in 2022, and I decided to put in our own track.”

Schubert’s entire family has grown accustomed to their race weekend routines, and they all play a crucial part in the operation. His three children come every weekend to work at the track. Schubert also has nine grandchildren, and most come either to get in on the fun or help out when their schedules allow.

Schubert’s significant other, Cheryl Hedman, primarily takes care of the speedway’s apparel line, and Schubert said she is always willing to lend a hand wherever needed. Michelle Wollenburg, Schubert’s sister, runs concessions, and their mother, Judi, also helps out. Schubert’s daughter, Kristin, and her significant other, Dalton, help with registering drivers and pit passes prior to the race. Once the race begins, Kristin runs the lapping, meaning she scores the karts each lap as they cross the start and finish line. Both Kristin and Dalton help monitor the race while it is underway.

Schubert’s son, Jeremy, helps out in all aspects, wherever his assistance is needed, Schubert said. His youngest daughter, Kayla, also assists with the back gate and pit entry.

Attendance varies some nights, Schubert said, but there are many families who come every time. Included in that group are his three granddaughters, Claire, Ava and Lexi, along with their mom, Kayla, and dad, Ben, who is the girls’ pit guy.

Competitors race for trophies. Some families are really into the racing lifestyle and have procured sponsors, while others are not quite as invested, he said. Participants continue to be a good mix of boys and girls who come out to the speedway to race every year, and there are only two rules when it comes to being on the grounds.

“Rule 1: We’re here to have fun,” Schubert said. “Rule 2: If I’m not having fun because you’re here, you’re going to leave, and we’re going to revert back to Rule 1.”

Mother Nature is often the biggest problem, Schubert said, but he only cancels when he has to. Maintenance is the biggest factor that the weather impacts.

“If we get really heavy rains, that washes out the track,” Schubert said. “Then, you have to blade it all back up and disc it and run it back in.”

Schubert does all the maintenance himself with the use of road graters, water trucks, rubber-tire rollers and tractors –– the same equipment used on a big track, just on a little smaller scale, he said.

“On a normal race night with decent weather, I can get everything ready to go in two days usually,” Schubert said. “It’s a lot of upkeep, … mowing, trimming and maintenance of equipment that I do throughout the week.”

The speedway looks like a mini Nascar setup from the aerial picture taken by a local photographer. Whatever attendees could want, Schubert has it covered. The venue has all the raceway amenities, including bleacher seating, custom apparel and a concession stand, which offers burgers, hot dogs, chips, candy, pop, water, Gatorade and popcorn.

“Once in a while, we’ll have cotton candy, a fan favorite,” Schubert said. “Other than that, we kind of limit it to the basics.”

Attendance is free for friends, family and community members who want to watch, but a pit pass costs $10. Schubert said that it is mandatory for insurance. Ron Johnson is the speedway’s official. His job is to make sure all rules are being followed and each racer is entered into the correct class.

Prior to running go-karts, Schubert and his family were involved in the stock car business, so not only does he know firsthand how things operate, but so do his children, as they were around it constantly growing up. In the 1970s, Schubert’s dad owned stock cars, and though he did not drive stock cars himself, they were always kept at the family’s home.

“Racing was life,” Schubert said. “We were at races every weekend and always doing car maintenance around home.”

Since Schubert’s retirement in 2023, he said he has a bit more of a relaxed schedule than when he was working full time and racing three tracks a week.

Growing up enthralled in the industry is how Schubert became involved in other aspects of the racing world, like demolition derbies and enduro racing. He became a large promoter for the local county fairs, and that led him to buy his own speedway in 1993. At times, Schubert and his family were running stock car tracks in St. Charles, Lansing, Kasson, Owatonna and Spring Valley, where they lived for a period of time.

Owning and operating the tracks became stressful, Schubert said. Things were beginning to unravel, and promoting the tracks was costing major time and money. They were no longer having fun, he said. In 2006, Schubert and his family sold the last track and moved back to his hometown. It was not long before the need for speed reentered their lives, he said.

“Racing is in the blood,” Schubert said. “So, after (selling the track), we started racing go-karts, … and the next thing we knew, we had our own dirt track.”

Schubert had the concession equipment from his previous businesses, his family had the know-how and, now, he had the land. All that was left was to obtain the permits.

“When we went to build the new house, … the equipment was here,” Schubert said. “So, we put in the track while we dug the basement.”

Now, when Schubert sees people out in the community, they come up and want to talk racing. It is an outlet for people to do something they enjoy, he said.

“Realistically, this is what we’ve done our whole lives,” Schubert said. “I enjoy it, and that’s why I do it. I definitely don’t do it for the money; … the money I make gets put back into it.”