The Scoop
DETROIT IRON – LEARN ABOUT THE MILWAUKEE STOCK CAR RACING ASSOCIATION
Posted on: Saturday August 17, 2024
Nekoosa’s “Big John Stud” Koran (66) goes toe-to-toe with Brian “The Butcher” Titel (40) at Outagamie Speedway in Seymour August 9. (danlewisphoto.net)
Whenever the Milwaukee Stock Car Racing Association rolls into a local race track for their exhibition races Waylon Jennings’ song “Good Ol’ Boys” – the theme from the Dukes of Hazzard always pops into my head.
This is a group of vintage racing enthusiasts who range in age from 40 to 84. The live as far south as the Milwaukee area suburbs and as far north as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A core of nearly two dozen drivers who’ve restored modifieds from ranging from the early 1960’s through the mid 1980’s continue to keep the history of the sport alive mainly through their own sweat equity.
Ralph Pulver poses next to his Ford Sedan.
Many of the cars are originals and have raced at many race tracks that no longer exist and yet others that do exist like at Plymouth or Wilmot or even 141 Speedway in Francis Creek which was paved up until the 2010 season.
Wyocena, Wisconsin’s (located 30 miles north of Madison) Ralph Pulver heads up the group. Ralph’s got his own ride – a 1940 Ford Sedan that features a Czarnecki chassis that is equipped with a hand clutch. “Back in the day Bill “Schwartz” Johnson and Tommy Johnson raced this machine as an Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car modified,” Pulver said. Pulver’s hot rod is powered by a 327 cubic inch powerplant and flies the colors of former racer Tom Gruenwald on the all steel bodied machine.
On the outside looking in the casual observer might think that these cars might be better suited tucked away safely in a motorsports museum of some sort. Don’t mention that to the members of this group! “We race these things but for the most part we have a gentlemen’s agreement to pretty much ‘play nice,” Pulver explained. “We all have a lot of respect for one another and the history of all of these cars. The goal for all of us each night is that every car goes on the trailer straight every night. Most of the time we’re able to accomplish that.”
Darrin Allard poses with his 1963 Nova II.
And if by chance if someone might accidentally trade some paint with a fellow competitor or maybe tag the wall or had a part failure, help is usually available. After all, finding parts for race cars from the 1960’s can be a difficult task when it was an era where most everyone built their race cars from the ground up. “We’ve got a pretty good networking system overall and a lot of it is word of mouth,” said Darrin Allard, who at 45 remains one of the youngest yet more active member of the group. “Some parts you make and some parts you can buy. None of us are out for blood. We’re just out to have some fun. And for me, I get to hang out with my family.”
Allard’s ride is a 1963 Nova II he obtained from former racer Brian Jaeger. “I have no real history about it but I suspect it probably raced down at either Hales Corners Speedway or maybe even Wilmot decades ago.”
Crivitz, Wisconsin’s Jerry Jacobsen poses with the 1935 Chevy he acquired in Florida.
For others like Crivitz, Wisconsin’s Jerry Jacobsen – buying and running a vintage modified is a good way to ‘piss away his retirement.’ “That’s what my son told me to do and we’re doing just that,” Jacobsen joked. Jacobsen’s 1935 Chevy is powered by a small block motor. “We found this car that raced on the ovals of northern Florida. We have fun traveling to these shows up here in Wisconsin.”
Some of these machines – like Gary Dembinski’s No. 72 winged modified – is the original car that was driven by Kewaskum racing legend Willie “The Rabbit” Goeden in Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car (EWSC) action both on the dirt at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds and also on the pavement at 141 Speedway in Francis Creek right up until the 1982 season. “DeWayne Fritz had this car for sale on Vintage Modified Marketplace on Facebook,” Dembinski said. “Years ago in the late ’70s and into the early ’80s my wife had a pin and it had this Willie Goeden modified on it. I must have had modified fever so I went and bought it. It’s original.”
Gary Dembinski poses next to the supermodified Willie Goeden wheeled in the 1970’s.
According to Dembinski, driving the winged modified was initially a bit of a challenge. “Trying to get it setup was tough because it was more of a show car for a long time,” Dembinski said. “So I try to take it easy. These modifieds have a unique sound to them. I really love them. Initially our plan was to just take this thing to car shows and show it off. And after awhile I decided to go race it. It’s neat.”
As far as the business plan for the group – it’s a very cheap date for race track promoters. There is no hefty purse that has to be paid out for the drivers who tow to compete. Each team gets two free pit passes per team. The group races for free and for fun. Many tracks are more than willing to host the vintage group. Among the tracks that have welcomed them with open arms include Outagamie Speedway in Seymour, Eagle River Speedway, Luxy Raceway in Luxemburg and Gravity Park USA in Chilton among others.
A pool of close to two dozen vintage race cars pop in and out of the different races. Some teams make all of the shows and others pick and choose when and where they are able to attend. 17 cars showed up to compete at Luxemburg and another 14 turned out at Seymour earlier this summer. “There are still vintage cars laying all over the place,” Pulver said. “Some folks though they buy these vintage cars and they just sit in their garages. I just don’t get it. It seems like there is always an excuse. Heck even if you don’t want to race your car you can still bring it and show it off behind the grandstand. Nothing wrong with that either.”
Butch Hafeman poses with his supermodified built by Randy Sippel.
You can follow the group on Facebook page or contact Ralph via email at WOTYSGTB05@myfrontiermail.com or call 608 697 7066 to learn more about the group.