The Scoop
JERRY GUNDERMAN – MILWAUKEE AREA CAR OWNER ALLOWED DRIVERS TO RACE FOR A LIVING
Posted on: Monday April 26, 2021
While driving for Jerry Gunderman’s All Star Racing team in 1995, Green Bay native Scott Hansen scored 27 wins out of 68 races. A whopping winning percentage of 40 percent. He’s shown here winning the National Short Track Championships at Rockford (Il.) Speedway. (Jeff Arns photo)
When it came to the popular pavement, late model short track scene in the ‘80s and ‘90s perhaps no other car owner provided more opportunities for drivers to race for a living than did Jerry Gunderman and his All Star Racing team.
With the team shop located at 29th and Ryan Road in Franklin, Wisconsin, Gunderman fielded cars for several dozen racers, many of whom raced for a living battling in the American Speed Association (ASA) and ARTGO circuits. A good number of them went on to achieve fame in NASCAR, including Mark Martin, Bobby Allison, Ted Musgrave, Ken Schrader and Matt Kenseth among others.
When promoters such as ARTGO’s John McKarns or Slinger Speedway’s Wayne Erickson needed a top-flight ‘ride’ for a Cup driver for a big paying special, Gunderman’s phone number was one of the first ones dialed. With as many as seven race cars in the team shop at any given time All Star Racing frequently put hotshoes in their cars for one race deals. The list of stars that raced in Gunderman’s equipment reads like a ‘who’s who’ in the sport.
Gunderman’s contributions as a Milwaukee-area race car owner were recognized in 2016 when he was inducted into the Southeastern Wisconsin Short Track Hall of Fame.
Gunderman’s racing career got started as a sponsor in 1979 for one of his employees Larry Miller, who owned a sprint car team. Gunderman owned and operated an extremely successful business in G & G Trucking. Franklin’s Al Schill was one of the first drivers to race for Gunderman.
Jerry Gunderman’s All Star Racing team with Mark Martin celebrating a win at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna, Wisconsin in the mid 1980s. (Dave Drews photo)
The team was a proving ground for Milwaukee native Jimmy Fennig, who Gunderman credits for being the most helpful person in his racing career. Fennig went on to become a most successful of Cup crew chiefs down the road.
Green Bay native Scott Hansen estimates Gunderman had provided race cars for close to 50 drivers over the years. Some were one race deals and others were for several seasons. Gunderman is credited with helping to resurrect the career of Mark Martin after his first attempt at racing NASCAR faltered. Mark Martin was the 1986 ASA champion driving for Gunderman.
“It was around 1989 or when I had moved to Milwaukee and I was driving for Terry Baker,” Hansen recalled. “I was racing a special up at WIR (Wisconsin International Raceway) in Kaukauna (Wisconsin). (Ted) Musgrave was driving for him at the time. Jerry and I just sort of started chatting small talk. It wasn’t much really at first.”
Hansen and Gunderman stayed in touch with each other during the next two years. “It wasn’t a real personal relationship to be honest at first,” Hansen said. “In 1991 I went to race for Jerry and All Star Racing. Keep in mind I had been racing full time already since the mid-1980s and we had the best crew chief in the business Howie Lettow working with us. It was one of the sweetest deals I could have walked into at the time, hands down.”
With All Star, Hansen had a nearly unlimited amount of equipment at his disposal. “We did not do any weekly racing by then and just chased big dollar specials and different sanctions all across the country,” Hansen explained. “At the time there were three full time crew members on board. We had a semi-tractor which was a three-car trailer. We had a Featherlite 5th wheel. We had seven cars and 12 engines at our disposal at one time. It was as first class of an operation as you could ever ask for. I was damned lucky.”
According to Hansen, he raced for 30 percent of the race winnings at each event. “It’s easy to figure out why I raced 55 to 70 times a year. That was the only way I was I was getting paid.”
1995 proved to be Hansen’s most successful season driving for Gunderman where he won 27 out of 68 races entered – a whopping 40 percent winning average. “We won a race in all five major touring divisions that year,” Hansen said. “That included ARTGO, ASA (American Speed Association), All Pro, Hooters Cup and the NASCAR Southwest Tour. Everything clicked that year, and it was great to make a living just racing short track stuff.”
During Hansen’s winning season Gunderman had three full time paid crew members on the payroll plus additional crew members who would assist during exceptionally busy weekends.
While some bosses in the modern age can tend to be ‘micromanaging’ in nature Gunderman was just the opposite according to Hansen. “Jerry had a trucking company to concern himself with, so he was busy but still managed to make it to quite a few races,” Hansen said. “But Jerry never told us what we could or couldn’t ever do that I can recall. There was no expense spared in that entire operation. If I said I wanted to run a Volkswagon he would have gone out and bought it for us.”
Jerry Gunderman and Scott Hansen remain great friends to this day.
A little-known fact about Gunderman is that while serving in the United States Army, he went through basic training with none other than “The King” himself Elvis Presley. “I bunked right next to Elvis and he was a great guy,” Gunderman said. “One time he tried to drink beer with us guys from Wisconsin. He couldn’t hang with us and we had to stop at a bus stop so he could puke. He was just a regular guy who didn’t want any extra special treatment.”
According to Gunderman there was a period in the mid-1980s where Alan Kulwicki and Mark Martin both worked out his shop, which was separated by a wall. “Alan (Kulwicki) was a great guy and 100 percent focused on winning,” Gunderman recalled. “But he could be paranoid sometimes too. One time Mark (Martin) and his team were practicing pit stops. Alan drilled a hole in the wall so he could watch those guys. Mark was another determined guy and both did everything possible to win.”
While Gunderman was uncertain just how much cash he had spent over the years with All Star Racing, Hansen estimates that figure is likely well into the ‘tens of millions’. “If you factor in the semi-tractors and trailers, including fifth wheelers, toter homes and the planes we used sometimes it’s likely all of that amount,” Hansen estimated. “We ran Nashville (Tennessee) then Winchester (Indiana) for example on the same day with night and day races and we’d use the plane to fly back and forth. We’d do the same thing with same day races at Lakeland, Florida and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I was very fortunate in that regard. I drove the truck out with one or two guys. Jerry would bring the crew on the plane. 99 percent of the time I’d fly back on the plane.”
Hansen left Gunderman in the late ‘90s to pursue racing full time in the NASCAR truck series for his friend Kenny Schrader. “Looking back on it all it was likely the worst mistake I ever made in my racing career,” Hansen admitted. “I had it really good with Jerry doing the short track stuff which was profitable for us at the time. I was used to winning a lot and when you’d run 12th or 15th in a NASCAR truck, for example, that felt like a huge letdown. Nothing beats winning and don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise. The goal when I drove for Jerry was to put trophies on the shelf at whatever cost it took.”
Gunderman sold off his operation after the 2012 racing season. He spends his winters in Arizona.
Bobby Allison (22) was one of many NASCAR stars who wheeled cars for Jerry Gunderman over the years. (Dave Drews photo)
A LIST OF SOME OF THE RACERS WHO DROVE FOR JERRY GUNDERMAN OVER THE YEARS
Mark Martin
Dale Earnhardt
Alan Kulwicki
Ted Musgrave
Bobby Dotter
Scott Hansen
Ken Schrader
Dave Feiler
Matt Kenseth
Al Schill Sr.
Al Schill Jr.
Todd Kluever
Jimmy Spencer
Darrell Waltrip
Kenny Lund
Bill Elliot
Harry Gant
Sterling Marlin
Mike Garvey
Jeff Storm
Bobby Allison
Mike Garvey
Jeff Storm
Rusty Wallace
Dale Earnhardt
Jimmy Johnson
Neil Bonnett
Tony Raines
Jim Sauter
Tim Sauter
Jay Sauter
Jeremy Lepak
QUOTES FROM OTHERS ON JERRY GUNDERMAN
“I raced for Jerry from 1996 to 1998. My deal with Gerry came about because Matt Kenseth was driving for Jerry and then he got the Busch Grand National ride with Robbie Reiser. So Matt recommended me to Jerry. Jerry was a great car owner, a true racer. I enjoyed every minute that I drove for him. I am very honored to be on list of people who has driven for him. Jerry Gunderman is a true icon in short track racing. I am proud to call him a friend.”
Mike Garvey
Pensacola, Florida
“I raced for Jerry in 2000 and 2001.
I had basically been bothering him for probably a year to let me do one race for him to show him I was worthy. I won a big race at Lake Geneva Raceway against Al Schill – it was the October Classic. After that Jerry called me and had me run his car at Rockford (Il.) Speedway in the Fall race. It was the 400 lapper. We finished 4th and he was pretty happy with that.
It had been my dream to be able to race for him. He was a fair guy to work for and we are still friends and get along well to this day. Jerry held me to a high standard, as he should. I mean, look at the names that drove for him.
It may have been tough at times, but I cherish them memories more than any other throughout my career.”
Jeff Storm
Waterford, Wisconsin
“The first race I drove for Jerry was a deal that Dave Stammer had a hand in setting up. It was the number 67 car at the Dixieland 250 at WIR in Kaukauna. We finished fourth.
The following season in 2003 I practiced the All Star ride for Jerry at Slinger Speedway the Saturday night before the opener. I shook the car down for Mike Garvey who was running an ASA race in another state. Mike wound up winning the race and didn’t get out of tech on time to catch his flight. Jerry told me at Slinger ‘make sure you have your phone on you’ and sure enough I got the call back home in Wausau at 7 a.m. the next day. Mike wasn’t going to make the opener at Slinger so we turned right around and made the long trek back to Slinger and ran the opener that year. Over the years I raced on and off for Jerry. I ran a lot of shows for him in 2006 and 2007. We raced in Florida and Irwindale, California.
When I drove for him, Jerry was at every show. He provided the best equipment hands down. He was demanding as a car owner and wanted winners. He ran the entire operation like a mini-Winston Cup team. And it showed. Look at the big names who drove for him over the years.
In 2011 I was the last guy to drive for Jerry. We got him the Slinger Speedway track championship. I think it was just time for him. I think the racing part of it he had done everything he had wanted to do and it was time to relax and enjoy his grandkids. He did it for so long. Jerry was always very professional and he went out a winner. I’ll always be thankful for the years I raced for him. He was a class act top to bottom.”
Jeremy Lepak
Wausau, WI
“I didn’t meet Jerry until 1993 when I moved back to Wisconsin. I was a heavy equipment mechanic. Scott would let me come pit for him on weekends and I’d bounce around when they’d have tripleheader weekends. It was common for us if we were in Indiana for a day race, for example to bring along another car to run their local Iceman series, for example. We did that kind of stuff a lot. Some seasons Scott would run as many as 70 shows. Those were the best of times. Jerry supplied the absolute best in equipment, and he was an ARMY veteran like myself.
Jerry also helped other drivers who raced in their own programs. He wouldn’t think twice about loaning a motor to someone. He fielded a NASCAR Busch ride for Mark Martin too. Jerry was a very smart businessman and was very hands on in respect to paying the bills. With Scott’s Budweiser connections and sponsorship all races ended up with a loaded cooler at the end of the day.
I remember at the All American 400 in Nashville we had a fast car. We timed in fifth but 15 laps into it Scott lost brakes. He was cussing us out, screaming on the radio. He pitted and we fixed a brake line. He went back out and as mad as he was he drove his ass off to a decent finish with no brakes. The madder Scott got he got up and wheel and drove the hell out of the car.
On the road we’d always give Jerry and Don Fanetti (another car owner) a lot of shit because all they’d have on them were $100 bills. So when we’d win a race they’d think nothing of whipping out $500 worth of $100 bills to all the pit crew members – even us weekends warriors. That was classy. We’d fly to some shows. Hotels were paid for. Everything first class – especially for a short track deal.
I worked for NASCAR for a lot of years but at the big leagues you just become a standardized person like a robot. But to be honest the short track days racing with Gunderman were the best. I’ll always remember them as my best days of racing ever.”
Danny Ecklund
Green Bay, Wisconsin
“Those years I raced short tracks for Jerry (Gunderman) with Jimmy (Fennig) as crew chief were some of the best memories I’ve ever had from my career. When we were based out of Wisconsin there were times you could race five nights a week and twice on Sundays. (Jerry) provided us with top notch equipment.”
Mark Martin
Batesville, Arkansas
“I ran quite a few times in the ’90s for Jerry and All Star Racing. I remember one night at the Dixieland 250 at WIR in Kaukauna we qualified terrible. We started way in the back and the crew and driver kept digging and we still wound up 4th.
We won one of the Slinger Nationals Twin 100s one year with Scott (Hansen) finishing second. We were both real fast that night.
One time Jerry flew me up to Cayuga (Canada) for a big special and we had to run the semi because I had gotten there late from a Cup race in Bristol, Tennessee. We got in and started in the back of the feature. It was a deal where Junior Hanley would have gotten a $50,000 bonus if he won. We could not have won but we gave Junior one helluva run and finished second to him.
I’m a big Jerry Gunderman fan to this day. Jerry was fortunate enough to be involved through his business and got to play and provided drivers with some opportunities to make a living doing the short track thing and have fun.
Kenny Schrader
Fenton, MO