HURON — So just how will a turbo shaft engine, which is normally used in helicopters, work in a WISSOTA modified race car?
That question will be answered today during the Dakota State Fair Speedway car show and test-n-tune event on the South Dakota State Fairgrounds.
Students from the Lake Area Technical Institutes aviation program installed the engine in the car, which was donated to the school by DSFS track promoter Orville Chenoweth in 2001.
“It’s going to start with the show, the students will be her and the car will be on display,” Chenoweth said. “When the test-n-tune starts we’ll try to get it out on the track. Getting dirt in the blower could cause some problems, so they are trying to work with a good cleaner to get good air for it. They think they have it figured out, so they are going to try it out.”
The car show portion of the event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in front of the grandstands. Fans will have the opportunity to get an up close look at the cars of their favorite drivers before they hit the track for the test-n-tune. Both events are open to the public and concessions will be available.
“So far it looks like we have a good count,” Chenoweth said of participants in the car show. “We’ve had a lot of drivers calling and you never know how many are out there that haven’t pre-registered.”
While a lot of the past drivers will be back in the same class as they’ve competed in before, a number of them have made switch and will have their new rides at the car show and test-n-tune.

“There’s been some switching around,” Chenoweth said. “There will be four or five new late models that will be showing up and a couple new modifieds that we haven’t seen before.”
Following the car show, the cars will take to the track for test-n-tune.
The 2017 season opener at Dakota State Fair Speedway is scheduled for April 29. It will be the first of 15 scheduled nights of racing during the local points season.
Included in the 2017 schedule at DSFS are four special events
The first special is May 20, when the sprint cars will make their lone stop at the 3/8-mile oval. The MSTS 360 Sprint Car Series  will be joined that night by the WISSOTA street stocks, super stocks and modifieds.
Next up is a doubleheader special held in conjunction with the Wheel Jam festivities on the South Dakota State Fairgrounds.
The Iverson’s Dakota Challenge, which pays $5,000 to win for the WISSOTA late models, and the Challenge Cup XVII presented by Prostrollo Motors, which pays $10,000 to win, will be held June 1 and 3, respectively.
“Last year we had like 50-some late models for the $5,000 to win and about the same for the $10,000 to win,” Chenoweth said.
The late models will be joined by the street stocks and super stocks on Thursday night, and the Midwest modifieds on Saturday night.
The final special will be held July 15, when the Mod Dirt Tour will roll into Huron. The area’s top modified drivers will be joined that evening by the street stocks and Midwest modifieds.
The Race of Champions qualifier will be held Aug. 5 at DSFS, with the season championships to follow on Aug. 19.
The 2017 racing season at DSFS will conclude with the Speedway Motors WISSOTA 100, which is slated for Sept. 13-16.