The Vault
2007 – MAHLIKS RELISH WIR ‘HOME GAME’ IN ASA MIDWEST TOUR
Posted on: Friday November 14, 2025
Green Bay’s Doug Mahlik (seeking photo credit)
MAHLIK BROTHERS WELCOME ‘HOME GAME’ AT WIR by Joe Verdegan
(reprinted from the Green Bay Press Gazette August 3, 2007)
The Mahlik brothers of Green Bay won’t have to worry about getting hotel rooms for their next race on the ASA Midwest Tour.
And pit crew help will be aplenty for the Factory Motor Parts 150 late-model event at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna on Tuesday.
Doug Mahlik has competed on the entire tour, racing in Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin, and is 13th in the series point standings. Brother Nick has competed in only a few series shows, opting to save his funds for a track much closer to home.
Nick Mahlik (seeking photo credit)
Doug has fared well in qualifying lately, timing in second at Madison International Speedway in Oregon and fourth at Grundy County Speedway in Morris, Ill. He has a pair of 12th place finishes.
“We will only have a 25 minute drive home after Tuesday, compared to a 4-or-5 hour drive,” Doug Mahlik said.
Their transporter hauls both cars.
“We usually dump $300 worth of fuel in our hauler when we travel, and most trips we’ll use up most of what we put in,” Mahlik said.
To save money, the Mahliks have raced on the road with a skeleton crew, and crammed everyone into one hotel room when possible.
“My parents (Arnie and Arlene) bring their camper to most of the series races,” Mahlik said. “Usually, Nick, Eric and myself crash in the camper, and the pit crew can sleep in the hauler. We won’t have to worry about that at Kaukauna.”
Mahlik has a significant number of laps at WIR. A former IMCA modified champion at Seymour, Mahlik was WIR’s limited late model champion in 2001, driving for Mike Kelly of Appleton.
Since, Mahlik has bounced around from another ASA racing series that featured sealed or “crate” motors to a pair of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races.
“We made the race at Loudon, N.H. a few years ago,” Mahlik said. “You just can’t do something like that anymore unless you have some big bucks. The expenses are just too great anymore for a local, independent guy to run a deal like that on his own.”
When the ASA Midwest Tour was created during the winter, Mahlik found what it had to offer appealing. “I really wasn’t interested in racing every week, but I like what this series is doing,” said Mahlik, who has qualified but all of two of the series’ events this year. “Even though their schedule races different states, it’s spread out fairly well. The early part of July was busy, but now we’ve had a little bit of a break, so that’s nice.
“Plus, this series works harder than any other in the Midwest to promote their product. They a do a great job for their sponsors.”
Sponsors have been a struggle for the Mahlik’s, who’ve searched high and low to sell advertising on their cars and team transporter to offset racing expenses.
“We did pick up Tri-County Heating for this WIR show, and that’s great,” Mahlik said. “But we’re running on fumes just to make it from show to show. An asphalt late model is an expensive animal to feed. We keep on searching for more help, because we love what the series is doing.”
As far as Kaukauna’s D-shaped, half-mile paved oval, it’s a different animal. “Kaukauna is such a challenging track because each corner is so different,” Mahlik said. “The place is typically hard on brakes, so you’ve really got to save your equipment in the long haul.
“There are only a few places to pass at that place, and when you come out of turn 4, that wall comes up on you pretty quick. With 150 laps (and a break after lap 75), to win will take a lot of patience and the race will test your equipment, too.”