The Scoop
THE BERZOWSKI’S – FATHER-SON DUO TRADE STREET STOCK PAINT
Posted on: Thursday May 8, 2025
Todd Berzowski (left) poses alongside of his son Nick Berzowski in front of Nick’s 2025 Unified Dirt Street Stock.
For the father-son racing duo Todd and Nick Berzowski, the current dirt street stockers both come from different racing backgrounds.
For many years Todd, who’s Nick’s Dad, had a need for speed that was satisfied with a career earlier in his life through drag racing.
As for his son Nick, who’s currently a senior at Pulaski (WI) high school, Nick wheeled a kart on the local dirt ovals, starting when he was eight years old. Hence, Nick sports the number 8 on his race car.
After Nick started having fun with the full-sized Unified dirt street stock, it peaked Dad’s interest to start making left hand turns instead of straight line drag racing. “I had always had an interest in giving circle track racing a try,” Todd admitted. “So, I decided to build myself a car to join the fun. And the funny thing is, I had to go to (Nick) for advice on getting started.”
Nick Berzowski sports the number 8 on his street stock. He chose 8 because he was 8 years old when he began his racing career in the karts.
In 2025, this is Nick’s fourth year plying his craft in the local dirt, street stock car fights. A former rookie-of-the-year at Luxemburg, Nick gives himself the letter grade of “B” following last year’s 2024 campaign. “I struggled a little bit,” Nick confessed. “But, my second year out in the street stocks we were able to get a 7th place points finish.”
While the cost of racing has soared in recent years, one of the things the Berzowski’s like about running the street stock class is that it’s a division that doesn’t break the bank. “For us, when it comes to fielding a two car team essentially, it’s more affordable than many other dirt classes,” Todd explained. “The street stocks are supposed to be a beginners class of sorts, but it’s evolved somewhat beyond that. And, it’s still more competitive and tougher than many people sometimes think.”
Nick Berzowski shown here during his karting days. (Berzowski Racing photo)
Once Nick’s kart racing days were over, Nick and his Dad Todd kicked around doing a few different things, including some options on the paved tracks. “Nick did really well in the karts, and when he turned 14, we looked at different series to get into,” Todd explained. “We looked at the sport truck class at WIR (Wisconsin International Raceway) and in fact, the Vander Loop family was nice enough to let us test drive one of their sport trucks there.”
The Berzowski’s also considered racing in the Legends series. “Problem there, is, around the Green Bay area that division just doesn’t run up this way enough,” Todd said.
The pair found a street stock that was close to home, and they picked it up pretty cheap. “Thing is, the car actually had not seen any racing time until we got our hands on it,” Todd admitted. “The car was owned by a handful of people, including at one time Sturgeon Bay’s John Sternard. It’s a great beginner car for Nick to get his feet wet with.”
Nick was involved in a mishap with his car a couple of years ago. “That stuff happens in racing, and you fix it and move on,” Todd said.
When it comes to local tracks, the third-mile, clay oval in Luxemburg has always been one of Nick’s favorites. “I’ve been going there since I started racing,” Nick explained. “I like going there because it’s a little bit shorter and it’s a track where the corners are pretty tight. You can really throw the car hard into the corners and floor it down the straightaways.”
Before he began making left hand turns, Todd Berzowski enjoyed drag racing for several seasons at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna. (submitted photo)
Some people compare racing much smaller go karts and street stocks sort of like apples and oranges. Are they two different animals? “When the track is prepped well, a lot of it is similar to when you are racing in the karts,” Nick suggested. “You keep that throttle going hard out of the turns. So, if the track is prepped well, it’s very similar to how I raced during the karting days.”
Maintaining one race car is enough to handle. When you have a two car team like the Berzowski’s do, it makes shop time all that more critical. “Shop time is huge, and I don’t like to work on cars at the track and I always preach that,” Todd explained. “I’m at the track to race. Nick helps out as much as he can. It’s a hard balance to try and work enough to make money to help support this racing habit and also have time to work on everything and graduate high school. We find a way to make it work.”
Odds are on any given night that the father-son duo can wind up being in the same heat. Do the two ever trade paint? “We’ve bumped together a few times when we’ve raced together,” Todd joked. “But the kid doesn’t cut me any slack.”
Nick promptly replied: “No Dad, that only happens when you spin out in front of me!”
For the 2025 season, the Berzowski’s plan on hitting Luxy Raceway regularly on Friday nights, with an occasional trip further north to Door County to make some laps at The Hill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay. “We’ve always enjoyed racing at Luxemburg, as the track preparation there is always done very well,” Todd said. “And we made the trip up to Sturgeon Bay last year for their special. We were impressed with their show, too. We had fun up there, and hope to get back up there a few times this year as well.”
Nick’s Grandfather pops in on occasion to chip in for the pit crew, and some of Nick’s friends help out once in awhile. The goals for both drivers are to finish in the top five in points at Luxemburg.
“We’re both starting to get a little bit better at this, and it’s truly a deal where we are learning as we go,” Todd said. “We keep improving upon our equipment each year. It’s a true progression.”
The Berzowski’s racing efforts are fueled by the following marketing partners: Hurckman Mechanical Industries Inc., Wade’s Pit Stop, Carter Construction, Quality Sandblasting, DS Sealcoating, Packer Fastener, Lemirande Motorsports Dyno Service, The Glacier Group, Custom Metal Specialists, Kopke Auto Salvage, Full Throttle Zeg’s Tools LLC and Victory Sign.