In Front Wheel Drive action Rice Lakes Steve Miller took off from his front row starting position and looked to be the eventual race winner leading laps one trough nine. Steve Hallquist started fifteenth in the field and slowly picked his way through traffic making it up to second place when the caution flew on lap nine, bunching the field and giving the blazing fast Hallquist the break he needed for the first checkers of the season. Mike Schnider finished third ahead of Brooke Fairbanks and Jon Wigchers.
Powder Puff drivers were next in line, a new twist for the 2009 season in which the class will join the rotation of the other classes. In previous years the Powder Puff drivers were the last on the track, meaning they usually had unfavorable track conditions after the three other classes glazed the ice. Sheila Cook lead the first couple laps with Jill Amundson in tow. Amundson inhareted the lead on lap three after Cook spun with Missy Hallquist in the second spot. Amundson did not keep the lead long though, spinning herself out giving the point to Hallquist. It was all Hallquist from there, Deb Cimfl stayed out of trouble for second with Cook third.
After bad luck and a dry spell the previous year, Tadd Davis had luck on his side this year. The Chetek driver lead all but the first lap in the COMP4 feature after winning a heat race as well. Davis had Karen Koltunski hot on his tail for the early part of the race, but she was eliminated from the race after a lap 10 mishap which brought out the caution. Davis now had another Koltunski on his tail, this time it Karen's husband, AL. Davis was able to hold off the couple and drive on for the win. Al finished second ahead of Ken Hansen, Marcus Simonson and Chase Kreier.
The 6/8 Full Size class was last out in the day's lineup and 15 drivers took to the ice oval with heavy hearts in the absence of a fellow racer and friend, Joe Rowan, who passed away unexpectedly just days before the season opener. Jarrod Amundson drew pole position and held off heavy pressure from Jim Cimfl and Steve Hallquist for the win. Hallquist passed Cimfl late in the race for the runner up spot with Brandon Davis and rookie Jim Demars rounding out the top five.
FWD
Heat 1: 1~Mike Schnider, Rice Lake; 2~Karen Koltunski, Cumberland; 3~Brent Good, Birchwood
Heat 2: 1~Steve Hallquist, Eau Claire; 2~Mark Lawrence, Cumberland; 3~Steve Miller, Rice Lake
Heat 3: 1~Brooke Fairbanks, Spooner; 2~Karen Koltunski, Cumberland; 3~Jerret Hamilton, Chetek
Heat 4: 1~M. Schnider; 2~S. Miller; 3~B. Good
Feature: 1~S. Hallquist; 2~S. Miller; 3~M. Schnider; 4~B. Fairbanks; 5~Jon Wigchers, Rice Lake
POWDER PUFF
Heat 1: 1~Missy Hallquist, Eau Claire; 2~Jill Amundson, Barron; 3~Sheila Cook, Barron
Feature: 1~M. Hallquist; 2~Deb Cimfl, Clayton; 3~S. Cook; 4~J. Amundson
COMP4
Heat 1: 1~Al Koltunski, Cumberland; 2~Tadd Davis, Rice Lake; 3~Karen Koltunski, Cumberland
Heat 2: 1~T. Davis; 2~K. Koltunski; 3~A. Koltunski
Feature: 1~T. Davis; 2~A. Koltunski; 3~Ken Hansen, Webster; 4~Marcus Simonson, Milltown; 5~Chase Kreier, Cameron
6/8 FULL SIZE
Heat 1: 1~Jarrod Amundson, Barron; 2~Steve Hallquist, Eau Claire; 3~Brandon Davis, Chetek
Heat 2: 1~Jim Cimfl, Clayton; 2~Bill Crapser, Eau Claire; 3~Don Cook, Barron
Heat 3: 1~S. Hallquist; 2~J. Amundson; 3~B. Crapser
Heat 4: 1~Scott Miller, Rice Lake; 2~J. Cimfl; 3~Steve Davidson, Richland Center
Feature: 1~J. Amundson; 2~S. Hallquist; 3~J. Cimfl; 4~B. Davis; 5~Jim Demars, Rice Lake