It will start early and end late.

The racing season at Brown County Speedway has a schedule second to none and it is about to get underway.

“This will be the biggest season that we’ve ever had as far as number of races, starting early and going late,” said Terry Voeltz, one of the track partners. “I think we’ve got 21 nights. That’s a lot.”

The season usually gets going in mid-May, but the green flag will drop this Friday, just two days after the month of April ends.

“We’re pretty early,” Voeltz said of the season’s opening race. “I don’t know if that’s good or bad. I guess we’ll find out.”

Voeltz said the drivers always want to race regardless of the elements.

“Drivers want to run,” Voeltz said. “They don’t care if it’s 40 below.”

Voeltz said it’s different preparing the track for racing in the current conditions as opposed to mid-summer races.

“It’s different, especially the watering part,” Voeltz said. “You don’t have to water nearly as much because it just stays there when it’s cool.”

While the season doesn’t start until 7 p.m. Friday, there was some action last weekend with a test and tune event. Voeltz said the track held up well.

“We went from 5 o’clock til 9 o’clock Friday night and we had about 80 cars there,” Voeltz said. “It was a tremendous turnout.” And by the end of the event, Voeltz said, “You could still feel moisture on the track.”

This year’s schedule is full of lots of doubleheaders and specials, concluding with the Winter Nationals in late September.

Among the biggest shows will be the two-night Andy Daly Special in July, which will feature the Legends cars. Last weekend in Mandan, N.D., there were 48 cars in that particular class alone.

The doubleheader will mark the first appearance at BCS for the Legends class.

“I think it will be fun,” Voeltz of the event which will feature racing in the regular Super Stock, Street Stock, Modified, Midwest Modified and Late Model divisions in addition to the Legends.

Voeltz said there will be a few other surprises at the local oval this year as well.

He said the track’s concessions stand is second to none in the area.

“We actually have in my opinion one of the best concessions stands around, including other sports,” Voeltz said, noting that the concessions feature a wide variety of hot items featuring “good quality food. We don’t buy any cheap stuff. We get good stuff.”

He said there will also be a few surprises on the track as well.

“We’ve got a some surprises I think people are going to be surprised and happy with,” Voeltz said of the addition of a several new Late Model drivers this season. “A couple of them are going to surprise the heck out of everybody.”

Time will tell if the weather will cooperate when it comes to getting all the shows in, but Voeltz is ready to go for the upcoming campaign.

“We’ve put a lot of effort into it,” Voeltz said. “That’s all you can do is just try to give it your best, work hard at it, and just hope for the best, I guess.”

If things go to plan, it promises to be a memorable year at Brown County Speedway.

“It’s got the potential to be the biggest and best year that we’ve ever had,” Voeltz said.