After a long off-season of upgrades, track improvements and deafening silence, the roar of engines return to the river's edge this Friday, April 14, for the 2017 season opener at the Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.

Featuring USRA Modifieds, Holley USRA Stock Cars and Out-Pace USRA B-Mods plus Grand Nationals, Factory Stocks and E-Mods, the historic half-mile presents Cancer Awareness Night to raise money and awareness to help fight cancer. Every ticket sold will generate $1 to cancer research, and the first 1,000 fans will get a lavender cancer awareness wristband.

There will also be an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids and other games.

The pits are slated to open at 4:30 p.m., with spectator gates open at 5. Following a 6:45 drivers' meeting, hot laps start at 7 with racing action at 7:30.

General admission seating is $12 for adults, $6 for kids ages 7-12 and children ages 6 and under get in for free. Military personnel, students and seniors over 62 get in for $10 with proper ID. Terrace admission is $15 for adults, $8 for kids ages 7-12 and children ages 6 and under get in for free while military personnel, students and seniors get in for $12 (must have terrace voucher to purchase terrace ticket). Suites are $20 for adults or $10 for kids ages 12 and under. Pit passes are $30 for ages 7 and older or $10 for kids 6 and under.

Fans will notice many new features and improvements since the final event of the 2016 racing season.

New sound equipment and speakers are in place for spectators, and we've upgraded the front straight-away speakers with bigger and louder ones. A new mixing board has also been added to the media center, which will allow staff members to better control the sound in the grandstands and the terrace. The amplifier has also been refurbished to add a little kick to the entire system.

The concessions has several new items on the menu and new kitchen equipment, including two new fryers with the help of our friends at Zaxby's at The Legends. We welcome back Thrill's Kettle Corn and Christy's Tasty Queen again in 2017, with the addition of Zaxby's which will be cooking up awesome chicken fingers at four events this season. Dippin Dots ice cream has been added to the lineup and Kona Ice will bring out the their truck and serve sno-cones. Budweiser and Coke also have plans to add items to the drink menus as well.

Finally, the addition of FM radio to the track will allow fans to listen to play-by-play in your car, on your smartphone or with a radio. Terrace fans can have their car radios on or have a boom-box-style radio. Pit crew members can have a radio on in their trailers and spectators can use headset radios or the radio app on their phones. All you need to do is tune to the FM station we announce and listen in.

We hope to see you this Friday, April 14, for the start of something big.

The Lakeside Speedway is located 1.0 mile west of I-435 (exit 18) on SR 5 (northwest of Kansas City). For more information, call (913) 299-9206 or visit www.lakesidespeedway.net.