The Scoop
NEWS & NOTES FROM OUTAGAMIE OPENER MAY 13

Posted on: Saturday May 14, 2022

Former IMCA national stock car champion Brandon Czarapata poses with his hot rod before the rains came.

Despite a tire shortage, soaring gas prices and Mother Nature not cooperating the least bit the first green flag of the year flew at Outagamie Speedway in Seymour on Friday The 13th of May.

The club Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car (EWSC) took over the program some years back and have been running Friday nights from the long-standing traditional Sundays the track ran for several decades.

A solid field of 138 cars in the five class show were on hand which most likely provided a big enough back gate to at least take care of the bills on a race night where a gloomy forecast very likely kept some race fans away.

For me the track at Seymour will always hold a special place in my heart. It was our stop on Sunday nights religiously every week and between there and De Pere is where this scribe got bitten by the racing bug big time.

Props going out to the announcers Eddie “The Eagle” Anschutz and his partner Madeline Schultz otherwise known as “Chatty Madi.” Eagle has done the race announcing thing now for quite a few years and it shows. He’s come into his own and he still wheels his number 71 street stock when he’s not behind the mic.

Chatty Madi is 19 years old and after “chatting” with her at length during my book signing behind the grandstands it was obvious she has a passion for short track racing. She’s an education student at UW- Green Bay and has a desire to take the racing motorsports thing as far as she can. I wish her the best and the passion for the sport is half the battle. It was encouraging to see some new blood on the media end of our sport.

73-year-old Eagle River Speedway racing legend Beetle Bailey of Argonne made the long tow from the northwoods to get his racing fix at Outagamie.

It was also good to see a lot of old, familiar faces – some of whom I haven’t seen in quite a few years. Some came from the northwoods – Eagle River Speedway regulars Beetle Bailey and Dustin White. And there is no shortage of former pavement racers who are quickly getting the hang of the dirt track scene.  Drivers like Reagan May, Jake Carpenter, Taylor Haufschildt, Cory Kemkes and Chad Devine.

I’ve had the privilege of calling perhaps hundreds of races Brian Mullen has been in over the years. Brian remains one of the best at nearly perfectly “diamonding” the track. His cars always seem to smoothly and simply drift up just inches from the middle of the frontstretch and backstretch walls. Almost to perfection.

I caught up with another driver I hadn’t seen in a while – Mike Klenz. Mike’s home track as of late has been with his son Matt Klenz at Gravity Park USA in Chilton. “We’re just here tonight to try something different,” Klenz explained. “It’s Friday the 13th and guys who were pitted on either side of me both crashed. And then I got involved in one too.”

Klenz mixed it up with Tyler DeBouche in his heat race but was able to answer the bell for the last chance qualifier.

West Bend veteran MIke Klenz fixes his race car after mixing it up with Tyler DeBouche in a heat race.

James Fletcher wound up being the only feature winner on this Friday the 13th opener as the track crews did their best to get the balance of the show in before Mother Nature decided to open the skies.

Hats off to the hard-working folks at EWSC. The board members include John Tienor, Mark Petrie, Tom Schmidt, Todd Humphrey, Rick Minster and Bonnie Neshek. Running a race track in 2022 is beyond a thankless job with countless hours put in and often a lot of grief and headaches along the way.

My hats off to EWSC for keeping a staple of a race track alive in northeast Wisconsin. Remember get out there IN PERSON and support your local short tracks. Because they can’t sell beer and hamburgers to someone who’s streaming the races online. NOTHING BEATS BEING THERE!

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