Racing fans at Huset's Speedway, Sioux Falls, SD, are the beneficiaries of a South Dakota beef checkoff promotion aimed at getting the racing public to eat more beef.

Sue Sibson, South Dakota Cattlemen's Auxiliary (SDCA) treasurer, says the summer-long promotion in cooperation with Huset's Speedway and the South Dakota Beef Industry Council, is aimed at the up to 5,000 people who line the oval on racing nights. Throughout this season, any attendee purchasing a $10 South Dakota Beef Buck gets free admission to the races on Beef Night, Aug. 13 -- a $20 value, she says. South Dakota Beef Bucks are checks redeemable for retail beef purchases anywhere in the U.S.

SDCA will staff a special booth during some of the racing events, offering checkoff-funded beef info and recipes, Sibson says. Racing fans can also purchase Beef Bucks at the racetrack's souvenir stand. Plus, a billboard touting beef also is visible to fans in the stands.

Mark Tassler, Huset's promotions director and announcer, who approached SDCA about the cooperative program, says the track also is offering special buys on its race-track burgers this summer.
-- Joe Roybal