The Scoop
CHRIS BUDZBAN – “DR. LOVE” DITCHES WEEKLY RACING, FOCUSING ON SPECIALS IN ’25
Posted on: Tuesday April 15, 2025
“Dr. Love” Chris Budzban poses next to his IMCA northern sportmod.
Chris Budzban’s 2025 racing schedule mirrors that of many race teams in the modern day dirt track ranks.
That means hitting specials and abandoning the often brutal grind of the weekly racing schedule.
The 38-year-old Luxemburg native is a second-generation driver. Like many, when he started racing some 15 years ago, before a wife and kids, it was all about racing darn near all the time.
Chris Budzban in victory lane at his home track in Luxemburg. (danlewisphoto.net)
Last year, Budzban took the year off from battling in the local IMCA northern sportmod car fights. He did that to enjoy a lot of family stuff – stuff that often gets abandoned when one is knee deep in a weekly points battle.
“We went to the races for a couple of nights just to watch last summer, and I’ll admit I did miss it a little bit,” Budzban admitted. “I enjoyed watching, but it was hard not racing. I have two kids and two stepkids, and we did a ton of stuff last summer and it was mostly non-racing stuff centered around family activities.”
Across the region, drivers on dirt in all divisions are ditching chasing that weekly racing – opting instead for a shorter schedule, lured by the bigger paying shows that allow a driver and his or team a little bit of a break when it comes to shop time. “We’ve got 12 night scheduled and they are all the bigger paying sportmod races in the area,” Budzban explained. “That way, we are racing roughly twice a month. That gives us some time to regroup a little bit, and stay on top of the regular maintenance on the cars in between that time.”
Of the dozen shows Budzban has scheduled, eight of them are at 141 Speedway in Francis Creek; Two of them are at Outagamie Speedway in Seymour, and he has one race scheduled each at The Hill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay and one solo shot at his hometown track Luxy Raceway in Luxemburg at the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds. All of those special events pay a minimum of $1,000-to-win, with the highest paying event being 141’s September 13 race which will dole out $5,000 to the winner. “We’re going to give it a shot, and see if we can win one or two of those shows,” Budzban said. “We made the big shows at 141 in recent years, and I feel we have as good a shot as anybody to win one of the big races.”
Budzban remains one of the elder statesmen of the division. While many sportmod racers move up the proverbial racing food chain to a stock car, modified, sprint car or late model, Budzban has always kept things “real” and he races on a limited budget compared to many of his competitors. “I’ve always raced with used equipment, and truthfully many of us just don’t have the time nor the money to race weekly anymore, anyhow,” Budzban admitted. “It just doesn’t make sense financially anymore to race weekly. When we all started out racing, many of us were in our early ’20’s. We weren’t married and didn’t have kids. Things have changed now.”
Chris Budzban at speed at The Hill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay. (@KaylaLyn)
Last year, Budzban obtained a “new-to-him” 2020 Razor IMCA modified from Lance Arneson. “We had to change some of the brackets and put in a different rear end to make this car sportmod legal,” Budzban explained. “We took the drivetrain from my old car and whatever other parts I had leftover and we finished it.”
While Budzban remains busy being a father to his four kids, he’s got a true ace-in-the-hole when it comes to wrenching on his race car. “My dad is retired, and the car stays out by him out in Luxemburg,” Budzban explained. “He’s the main guy to maintain it and work on it. I just don’t have the time between work and the family stuff we have going on. I’m pretty fortunate for that. He’s my main pit crew guy, too.”
Budzban continues to have a well-earned reputation for being a driver who races on a tight budget. “Everybody knows that I run all used stuff and that hasn’t changed,” Budzban admitted. “I still buy runoff tires from the modified guys after they use them for a night or two. I pay maybe $30 a tire and brand new, they are now close to $170. I cut corners a bit financially there. Plus, I design all my own lettering schemes and apply the decals onto the car myself. Those are just two examples of things I do to help cut corners a little bit.”
Because he’s a lower budget racer, Budzban’s sometimes conservative racing style remains the same as it has been 14 or 15 years ago. “My mindset on the track really hasn’t changed much at all over the years,” Budzban explained. “I still feel I’m the same driver from probably my 2nd or 3rd year of racing. When I’m on the track, I like to keep my nose clean, and I’m really careful not to force the issue out there. I’ll take the edge when I can get it.”
Budzban estimated that a driver could crack into the sportmod division locally for between $12,000 to $13,000 for a gently used, race ready car.
Budzban’s 2025 marketing partners include Matzke Chiropractic, Specialty Auto Sales, REB Electric, Gnome Games, 920 Sheds, Outback Tavern, Swift Springs, Shawn Dockry – State Farm Insurance Agent, Jerovetz Motorsports Shock Service, Pit Viper Lights, Noonan Industries LLC, XR Events, 1330 Wraps and Nicks Bumper to Bumper.