The Scoop
JASON ZDROIK – HAS BEEN WINNING STOCK CAR RACES SINCE HE WAS 13
Posted on: Sunday July 25, 2021
Eagle River, Wisconsin’s Jason Zdroik poses next to his late model. As of July 22, 2021 Zdroik remains undefeated in the division with six feature wins at his home track Eagle River Speedway.
There aren’t many stock car drivers who can claim to have won their first ever race in a full sized-stock car at the age of 13.
Jason Zdroik is one driver who can. The 41-year-old from Eagle River won a WISSOTA super stock race as a young teen at a tiny dirt track in Greenland, Michigan (known as Adventure Mountain Speedway). “Ken (Glemin, Eagle River Speedway promoter at the time) wouldn’t let me run at my home track (Eagle River Speedway) so Greenland wound up being the first one for me,” said Zdroik. “I just remember it was in 1996 and it was very dark because the lighting up there was sort of sketchy. They had these big mining tires around the track you wanted to avoid. Funny thing is after that it took me four more years to win another race.”
The name Zdroik is a very familiar one in the racing circles with ties to Eagle River, Wisconsin in the Northwoods and Big Bend, Wisconsin north of Milwaukee. Jason’s dad is Tony Zdroik and one of his many uncles is Pat Zdroik. Pat along with his wife Patricia are the current owners and promoters of Eagle River Speedway. As of late July, 2021 Jason Zdroik has been on a tear at the D-shaped, third-mile clay oval. Zdroik is undefeated in the track’s crate late model class with six victories (one rainout) and has four feature flags in the B Mod class, which has more cars weekly than does the late model division, which is still growing in it’s second season.
If you thought Zdroik already got enough laps in at Eagle River running the track’s top two divisions you haven’t even scratched the surface. “I guess you could say I wear many hats here,” said Zdroik, who helps manage Hartman Well Drilling when he’s not racing. “I water the track and help grade it too. I pretty much help with anything that needs to be done around here. And there is always plenty to do.”
If that weren’t enough Zdroik stays busy maintaining not only two full sized stock cars, but he also built a 300 micro sprint for his six-year-old son Lucas Zdroik to race. “I’ve probably got more money in that Jr. sprint to be honest with you,” Zdroik joked. “Heck the late model is probably the most affordable of the three cars I’ve got. That’s the truth.”
Over the decades Zdroik has raced in multiple divisions and dozens of tracks across several states over the years. And the wins? He’s garnered plenty of them. The classes Zdroik has raced in include (but are not limited to) WISSOTA super stock and Midwest Modified, WISSOTA Modified, open late model, crate late model, street stock, IMCA modified and also raced the two seasons full time in the Badger Mod Tour. “I lived down in Big Bend for four years when our family built those Hurricane modified chassis,” Zdroik recalled. “I’ve raced everywhere. Eagle River. Antigo. Three Lakes. Monster Hall. Shawano and Seymour. I was the last modified champion down at Hales Corners Speedway in 2003. We’ve run Beaver Dam, Wilmot, everywhere. The more you race the better you get at it.”
During his career Zdroik estimates he’s chalked up close to 200 feature wins. In 2009 Zdroik won a whopping 49 features. “That year we won features at tracks in Eagle River, Three Lakes, Ashland, Rice Lake, Eagle Valley, and also over in South Dakota,” Zdroik explained. It was a busy summer that’s for sure.”
The Hales Corners title came against some stout competition including his own uncle Jim Zdroik, Mike Knurr and Dan Tafelski, among others. “Grandma and Grandpa moved up to Eagle River from the Milwaukee area in the early 1970’s,” Zdroik said. “Jim and Jeff went down there in 1994.”
As much as Zdroik loves the thrill of being behind the wheel he takes a lot of pride in the privately owned racetrack that has become the Zdroik family’s pride and joy. “We’ve made a ton of improvements out here over the past few years,” Zdroik explained. “We widened the track, we’ve put in new light poles, lowered the infield pond, put up new fencing and replaced much of the electrical wiring out here. Some of it was the original stuff that Ken Glembin had installed when the built the track in 1975. We never stop making improvements out here.”
Zdroik added “I really don’t sleep much. I don’t think the average fan who comes out to our Tuesday night show realizes how much time and effort goes into getting this place ready for a race. I’m running two classes to help out our car counts a little bit.”
The ERS late model class remains in single digits in it’s second year, although nine different drivers have earned points by mid-season in ’21. “There are a couple of local guys still building cars and we’re committed to this class,” Zdroik said. “It’s affordable with the shock and tire package we have and the crate motor, too. I’ve got $5,000 in the motor. It’s a cheaper car than my B mod and to the fans up here most don’t know any different. It’s a different looking car to them.”
Zdroik poses next to his B Mod he competes with Tuesday nights at Eagle River Speedway.
While Zdroik has dominated the late models the locals in that class keep getting tougher each week. “Danny (Zelten) is figuring this class out and keeps getting faster each week,” Zdroik said. “In the modifieds Jesse Aho is always one of my toughest competitors at Eagle River. I want to say we’ve each won maybe four or five track titles and he’s always tough. He’s a good guy for the sport up here, too. The mods are a little trickier to get to handle because of the narrow tires.”
As for Zdroik’s son Lucas? “He’s starting to figure this oval track racing thing out slowly but surely,” Zdroik said. “He’s been racing snowmobiles since he was three, so he knows about the racing part of it. If he likes it and wants to stick with it, I may scale back a little bit and he can race more if he ever wants to move up to the big cars someday. That’s a way off for now. You can get a used Jr. sprint for around five or six thousand bucks lately.”
Six-year-old Lucas Zdroik poses next to his 300 Micro Jr sprint.
Zdroik’s wife Kristin is a big supporter of his racing along with his uncle Jeff Zdroik. “My brother Josh Zdroik comes and helps once in awhile and so do my cousins Austin and Nick Zdroik on occasion,” Zdroik said.
Zdroik’s fleet of marketing partners includes Coffen Construction, Golden Eagle Long Homes, Badger Truck Repair, Finish Line Bar and Grill, Meier Electrical Services, Hartman Well Drilling, Eagle River Dock and Lift, All Signs and S.B. Race Shop.