The Scoop
HOCKEY & RACING CO-PROMOTION A HIT IN GREEN BAY
Posted on: Monday April 7, 2025
Off Road Racing veteran Milan Mazanec poses next to his off road truck. Milan competes in the International Off Road Drivers Association (IODA) in 2025.
A highly-successful cross-promotional event showcasing both Tier 1 junior hockey and local motorsports took place Friday at the new Resch Center in Green Bay.
More than three dozen race cars from multiple disciplines in motorsports were showcased both outside and inside the building prior to the puck drop. Although the weather may have gotten a tad blustery, a solid turnout of fans were there and it provided a great get together for fans to mingle prior to the first green flags flying locally.
It was almost the perfect storm in terms of timing, too. With most local race tracks and series getting set to kick off their respective seasons within the next four to six weeks, this event provided the perfect chance for folks to get an up-close-and-personal look at the new machines, prepped for the 2025 season.
“It’s important to promote your racing series, and the sport is family-oriented in nature,” said Milan Mazanec. “This will be my 53rd year racing for me. This off-road stuff is a much safer deal. Our off road racing is part drag race, the vehicles are expensive to maintain and we often build some of the parts ourselves.”
Milan takes part in the International Off-Road Drivers Association, and that series home track is Gravity Park USA in Chilton, Wisconsin. In more recent decades, Mazanec has stuck to the off-road machines after years of competing in the moto cross world.
For crew-chief-turned-racer Shane Bahr, these shows are critical to keep promoting and growing the sport. “We have to keep everything in the public eye and promote is as much as we can,” Bahr explained.
Bahr’s focus in 2025 with his IMCA northern sportmod will be Friday nights at Outagamie Speedway in Seymour and also Saturday nights at 141 Speedway in Francis Creek.
West De Pere freshman Brooklyn Kelnhofer poses next to her Wisconsin sport truck. Brooklyn will be a rookie during WIR’s “Thursday Night Thunder” action in ’25.
For West De Pere freshman Brooklyn Kelnhofer, towing her Wisconsin sport truck to the event Friday drew it’s share of curious onlookers. “We got quite the number of looks from my classmates when I got picked up from school to come to this event today,” said Kelnhofer, who will be a rookie in “Thursday Night Thunder” action at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna this year. “We can’t wait to get back out to the track this year.”
Appleton’s Michael Anthony was one of a handful of drivers representing the FRRC’s Thursday night program. Anthony showcased his super late model at the show Friday. “I remember seeing cars at different places when I was a little kid,” Anthony said. “It’s very important to get our sponsors names out there and so they get more business.”
Appleton’s Michael Anthony is ready for Fox River Racing Club super late model action at WIR in Thursday nights this year.
In addition to every Thursday at WIR, Anthony has intentions to run at least some shows in the Alive For Five SLM series at Dells Raceway Park, or possibly an event or two at GSS at Plover.
Mac Miller is about to embark upon his third season of battling in the IMCA northern sportmod class locally. “I played hockey in high school, and co-promotional opportunities like this are really the way to go these days,” said Miller, who also had a tryout once upon a time for the Gambliversers Hockey program.
Green Bay’s Mac Miller is ready to embark upon his third season slinging clay locally.
As a business owner himself, Miller sees firsthand the value of getting your sponsors name(s) out in the public, and showing them that motorsports marketing always provides any business the biggest bang for their buck so to speak. “It’s critical now, more than ever to get out in the public,” Miller added.
ISS ENDURO –Richfield, Minnesota’s Jack Barta topped the 63 car field at Jefferson Speedway Saturday afternoon, winning the Impact Survival Series (ISS) 300 lap enduro at the paved, quarter-mile oval. Wausau’s Eric Breitenfeldt placed 3rd, Black Creek’s Frank Calabrese finished fourth with De Pere’s Isaac Bray took sixth.
The next ISS enduro race is scheduled for April 26 at Golden Sands Speedway in Plover. The 300 lap contest is set to get underway at 6 p.m.
GRAVITY PARK USA – Close to 40 racers spanning a number of different divisions were able to crack the throttle for the first time during a practice session at Gravity Park USA’s quarter-mile, clay oval on Saturday.
The season opening race at the Chilton, Wisconsin oval is set to kick off Friday, April 11 with the first green flag flying at 7 p.m.
IOWA TRAVELERS – A handful of Wisconsin racers headed south to Iowa to get some racing laps in this past weekend. In Saturday’s IMCA modified feature at Boone (IA) Speedway, Beaver Dam’s Skylar Woods placed 13th while Greenville’s Trevor Spaulding finished 18th.
In IMCA northern sportmod action at Boone, Eagle River’s Dustin White finished eighth, Appleton’s Cory Kemkes took 14th while Gillett’s Dustin Marquardt finished 20th. In Friday night’s action at Marshalltown Speedway, White finished 3rd in the sportmod main with Kemkes taking fifth.
ALBURETOR 28 – Baril Engine Rebuilding has stepped to the plate – and the Pro late models will race for a $1,000 top prize in the Alburetor 28 in support of “The Bear” 96” TUNDRA super late model series opener at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna Saturday, May 17. This race honors the late Al Golueke. The long time local racer and former Fox River Racing Club champion passed away last year. Golueke built carbs for many racers on both dirt and pavement, and was highly regarded in the local and regional motorsports community. Qualifying is set for 12:30 p.m. with the first green flag flying at 2 p.m.
Remember to get out and support your local short track whenever possible IN PERSON. Nothing wrong with the multiple online streaming services out there. But remember, tracks cannot sell concession items to someone who’s sitting at home on their couch, watching a race on his or her mobile devices.