The Scoop
THE VAN OOYEN’S – PUMPING NEW BLOOD INTO THE LOCAL DIRT TRACK SCENE
Posted on: Thursday May 26, 2022
The Van Ooyen racing family (from left to right) Nate, Chas, Kegan and Ericka pose in the pits at Outagamie Speedway in Seymour.
The Van Ooyen racing family is most certainly doing their part to keep the sport of dirt track racing alive and well in northeastern Wisconsin. And with no silver spoon available all three “kids” get their hands dirty and are very much “hands on” in all aspects of the sport.
In 2022 a trio of Van Ooyen teens can be seen trading paint in their respective divisions Friday nights at Outagamie Speedway in Seymour. Kegan Van Ooyen is 14 and the son of longtime racer “Crazy Chas” Van Ooyen and his mother Rhonda Van Ooyen. Kegan competes in the 4-cylinder division. Chas still competes Fridays in an IMCA stock car.
Nate Van Ooyen, also 14, also battles in the compact division. Nate’s dad is Jamie Van Ooyen, who’s since retired from racing an IMCA stock car.
Ericka Van Ooyen is 18 and has the most racing experience of the “teen trio”. After racing in the 4 cylinders for a few years Ericka now mixes it up with her dad on occasion in the IMCA stock car division Ericka and Kegan are siblings.
Kegan Van Ooyen jacks up his dad Chas’ 26 IMCA stock car. All the Van Ooyen teens aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty.
“Kegan was actually my crew chief for years so being in racing really is nothing new to him,” Chas Van Ooyen explained. “He helps with just about everything in the shop and at the track. After Kegan races 4 bangers for one more year I’ll turn the stock car over to him and with Kegan even though he’s 14 he’d race in the stock car class this year if he could.”
Like Kegan, Nate always wanted to race himself after helping his dad Jamie in the stock car class for many seasons. “I raced karts for three years and running 4 cylinders is the next step I guess,” Nate Van Ooyen explained. “We decided over the winter it was time to move up.”
Nate’s dad Jamie remains active behind the scenes. “There is strength in numbers I guess,” Jamie Van Ooyen joked. “Like Kegan and Ericka Nate’s also got to be hands on with this and we wouldn’t have it any other way. I worked a lot of hours this winter, so we brought the race car home and he wound up doing a lot of the work himself.”
Ericka made her debut in the stock cars earlier this year after scrapping in the 4-cylinder class for a few seasons. “When I raced with the 4 bangers there were some nice people but also some who liked to beat and bang on you,” Ericka Van Ooyen said. “With the stock cars it’s more like a real racing experience with some cleaner drivers overall. Not everyone you race is gonna be clean. I finished my first stock car heat and I have some learning to do.”
Ericka poses with her IMCA stock car. She gets her own sponsors for the car like her brother Kegan.
Not only are these three Van Ooyen teens very much “hands on” with their race cars they work jobs and even obtain their own sponsors. “The kids wanted to race bad enough equally and we make them work on the cars,” Chas Van Ooyen pointed out. “Kegan works with me at BayTek, mows lawns and works for a local farmer to help support his racing deal. Ericka graduates May 28 from Freedom high school and she’s always worked part time jobs to support her racing and we make the kids earn everything they have.”
Last fall both Kegan and Ericka got some “tutoring” of sorts from a national dirt late model hall of famer – Kaukauna’s Pete Parker. “We were at Gravity Park USA (Chilton) late in the year practicing with the kids and Pete was there with Jeff and Paul,” Chas Van Ooyen said. “They were giving the kids some tips and what line to take. It was pretty cool to see that because Pete is one of the best ever late model racers to come out of this area.”
With Chas still racing that’s a total of four Van Ooyen cars at the track weekly. With that said, the kids don’t have much of a choice other than having to chip in and be hands on. “It’s not an easy task to prepare all these race cars and get them to the track each week,” Chas Van Ooyen said. “And with fuel prices where they are currently at, we’re lucky Seymour is close to home. We’ll be sticking around here for most of the year.”
After racing himself for more than a quarter of a century, Chas will soon turn over the wheel of his IMCA stock car to Kegan.
With Chas in his 28th year of racing he admits he’s more than ready to hand over the keys to Kegan and Ericka. “I’m going to step back and let the kids enjoy it,” Chas Van Ooyen said. “The older you get with this it does seem to get tougher every year. As long as they are chipping in and doing the work, we’ll keep doing this.”
For Ericka and Kegan’s mom Rhonda, she worried a little more about her daughter than she did Kegan climbing behind the wheel. “Kegan has been tearing around the house with go karts since he was little so I’m not quite as worried about him,” Rhonda Van Ooyen confessed. “When Ericka first came out with the stock car I had to turn the other way. We’re all okay if push does come to shove Chas stepping back and focusing on the kid’s time behind the wheel. We’re almost there.”
The pit crew members who all chip in with the Van Ooyen racing operation includes Rhonda Van Ooyen, Dave (Reno) Olson, Chase Van Camp, Charlie, Jamie, Nate and Chas Van Ooyen.
Chas’ marketing partners include Valley Gasket, Sound Check, Woodke Trucking, Kids Kingdom Day Care, Ashman Finish Carpentry, Star Campsite Bar & Grill, Zona Entertainment, Proscape Landscaping,
Packer Fastener, M&E Construction Services, LLC, Klink Equipment LLC, Wisco-n-sin Old Fashion Mix, Current Electric, N.E.W. Plastering LLC, S &A Peters Heating and Cooling, Mama D’s Cafe LLC, Dairyland Brew Pub, Exquisite Hair Designs and V C Farms.
Kegan’s team of sponsors includes Ashman’s Finish Carpentry, LLC, V C Farms, Exquisite Hair Designs, S &A Peters Heating and Cooling, Grandpa Charlie and Klink Equipment.
Businesses supporting Ericka’s sponsors include Auto Body Specialist, Klink Equipment, Eleven 2 Seven Automotive, N.E.W Plastering, LLC, M&E Construction Services, LLC, Star Campsite, 1st Choice Auto, Kelsey Coatings, Ashman’s Finish Carpentry, LLC, S&A Peters Heating and Cooling, Old Mill Bar & Grill and Baumgart Tire & Wheel.
Nate Van Ooyen poses next to his 4 cylinder racer.
Among Nate’s sponsors are Crazy Betty’s storage, Miller Electric, Grampa Charlie and Star Campsite.