The Scoop
GRANT GRIESBACH – PAVEMENT ACE REFLECTS ON STOUT ’25 SEASON
Posted on: Monday October 27, 2025
Grant Griesbach poses with his team following his 2025 FRRC super late model championship. (seeking photo credit)
Grant Griesbach enjoyed a racing season in 2025 most drivers can only dream of.
The 24-year-old pavement racer from Concord, Wisconsin earned the Fox River Racing Club (FRRC) super late model crown at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna during the track’s popular “Thursday Night Thunder Show.”
Griesbach followed that up by copping the prestigious Red, White & Blue state championship series on the D-shaped, half-mile, paved oval. As if that weren’t enough, Griesbach took the SLM crown at Slinger Super Speedway, and just missed out on the Midwest Truck Series championship – finishing second in the final points to Appleton’s Brandon Reichenberger.
Although still relatively young, 2025 was Griesbach’s 11th season wheeling paved super late models, and his 8th year running full time at WIR. “I actually started racing a super late when I was just 13 and that was at Slinger,” Griesbach recalled. “So I got thrown into that class when I was still pretty young.”
Grant Griesbach is all smiles following his TUNDRA super late model series win in “The Bear 96” at WIR in Kaukauna May 17. (Grant Griesbach photo)
Griesbach’s stellar year began by firing the opening salvo at the TUNDRA super late model at WIR and winning. “That day we wheeled a new car we bought from Casey Johnson, and we caught a break when Dalton (Zehr) broke with a few laps to go,” Griesbach said. “At that show, we were the best out of the Thursday night regulars, but we weren’t the team to beat that day.”
When it came to Thursday night action, Griesbach nailed the title with winning just a pair of feature races – the “Red Race” and the final championship night of racing. His championship run was boosted by nailing down four fast times. “Those points you earn from fast times really add up, and that helped us down the road,” Griesbach explained. “We really got our confidence though, when we won the Red Race. Those fast times though – they really kept us around all year.”
WIR is one of the few tracks in the Midwest that still hosts weekly, pavement super late model racing. Even though the car counts took a slight dip from recent years, Griesbach was quick to point out the level of competition remained high on Thursday nights. “Chad Butz was always tough, and Sawyer Effertz was always a frontrunner,” Griesbach said. “Luck plays into winning a title somewhat.”
Griesbach’s ride is a Reed chassis constructed in Hartford, Wisconsin. The car is setup by another top flight late model competitor – Casey Johnson. “Casey always stays on top of the latest technology with these cars, and we do go through quite a few sets of shocks,” Griesbach admitted. “Working on these cars and staying up on your maintenance is almost like another full time job.”
Griesbach has a second car that is designated specifically for Slinger – which is dubbed the “World’s Fastest Quarter-Mile.” “The driving styles between WIR and Slinger are both very different,” Griesbach pointed out. “To drive Slinger, you pretty much have to go all out and you’re almost always on the throttle. At WIR, you have to navigate the bumps on the track, and it’s more of a driver’s track than you think.”
Grant after a “W” in the Midwest Truck Series. (GT 17 RACING photo)
As if maintaining a pair of pavement super late models wasn’t enough, Griesbach also climbed behind the wheel of a Midwest Truck owned by Scott Lynch. “For that deal, I’m just the driver,” Griesbach said. “I help set that car up. Scott and his brother John handle most of the heavy lifting with that gig.”
The Midwest Truck Series has exploded in popularity in recent years, serving up an interesting mix of veteran racers from many different backgrounds thrown in with many teenage racers, some of whom cut their teeth in the local karting ranks. “The truck series does a good job with their tire program where it’s usually one or two tires per show,” Griesbach said. “But really, while it does keep the costs down somewhat, it’s still expensive no matter how you slice it. These trucks are going for a decent amount of money, too. And the thing is with the trucks you don’t have the $10,000 or $20,000-to-win shows like you have with the super lates at least. But, the trucks are simple to work on, and it’s a great group of people and the racing for the most part is pretty clean. Most everyone takes pride in putting their trucks back in the trailer in one piece after every show.”
Despite soaring costs which can hamper drawing new blood into the super late model division, Griesbach suggests that tracks and/or clubs may have to look at trimming their schedules slightly to maintain solid car counts.”The grind of it every single week is taxing on most teams from a time and money standpoint,” Griesbach said. “A set of good shocks can cost almost $3,000. If we can get to the point of running every two or three weeks, and have maybe one week off in the months of June, July and August I do think that would help a bit to maintain car counts in the division. It’s not fun racing against 10 or 11 other cars weekly, no matter where you are. More cars is more fun. There really isn’t a good way to control costs. They demand attention to detail, and all it takes is one small thing to go wrong on the car. It can ruin your night.”
Griesbach’s 2025 season isn’t over just yet. The team plans on heading down to The Freedom Factory in Bradenton, Florida to compete in the Bigley Memorial Race in late November. Griesbach may have some other opportunities that may come about with his racing future. But as of now, Griesbach plans on defending both of his crowns at WIR and Slinger, and will make another run for the Midwest Truck Series championship in 2026.
In addition to Johnson, Grant’s dad Jeremy is a key member of the crew, along with Jeff and family member Dan. Mike, Byrd, Max, Tanner Wolf, Grant’s girlfirend Steph, Alex , Jon, Craig, Scott and Conrad also chip in.
Griesbach’s team of marketing partners includes Cobblestone Hotels, Clements Automotive, Wissota Chophouse, Gardan Manufacturing Services, IBEW Local 494 Electrical Workers, Forte Bank, JT Schmidt Plumbing, Keeney Home Services, R&B Roofing, Excel Engineering, First Choice Boarding & Grooming, Core Distinction Group, Manley Construction, Hartford Landscape Supply, Keith’s Marina, PJ’s Painting, AJ’s Small Engine Repair, GlobalFab INC., JT’s on 96 Bar & Grill, Angler’s Bar & Grill, Bridge Bar & Restaurant, Lake Country Home Repair, Victory Graphics, Miller Lite, Reed Racing Enterprises, AEC, Dialed In Digital.
Griesbach’s social media channels include his website grant17.com, Instagram: @grantgriesbach and Facebook @ GT Racing.