In the early 1980's, the winged supermodifieds that flew around dirt ovals in Luxemburg & Sturgeon Bay died off, as the tracks both closed at different times, making way instead for late models, hobby stocks and eventually the IMCA modifieds.
A pair of current drivers, Randy Theys and Tony Bouche, are a pair of throwbacks still around who horsed those winged warriors around. We recently caught up with them at The Hill Raceway in Sturgeon Bay. These veteran pilots recalled the what it was like driving those wild-looking machines.
Give it a listen!
Wisconsin Rapids' Mike Havel enjoyed a storied racing career in and around north central Wisconsin.
We recently caught up with Mike, and he recalled his stellar season in 1983 capturing the track championship at Eagle River Speedway.
Give it a listen!
We recently caught up with Marshfield's Clarence Oertel. The former racer recalled his racing career at ovals in Marshfield and Colby, which started in the 1970's.
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Milwaukee's Don Schumacher launched his racing career in 1970 during the highly-popular modified era, racing at tracks like Hales Corners Speedway and Cedarburg.
His career would later take him to full-sized late models, and that included trips north to tracks like Leo's Speedway in Oshkosh, Paul's Seymour Speedway and the Brown County Fairgrounds in De Pere.
Listen in as Don reflects upon his storied racing career!
We recently caught up with Norway, Michigan's Joe Haferkorn during his recent induction into the 2025 Shawano Speedway Hall of Fame.
The veteran racer reflected upon his career racing IMCA modifieds at the half-mile, clay oval from the late 1980's into the early 2000's. Give it a listen!
In the sixth and final episode with local racing legend Chuck Grall, Chuck recalls getting the new-at-the-time IMCA northern sportmod class running at the Langlade County Fairgrounds in Antigo.
Grall also spent that year wheeling his sportmod on the pavement at 141 Speedway in Francis Creek. Give episode 6 a listen courtesy of Muenster Service Center!
It' not often a local, low buck short track racer can beat a NASCAR star like Mark Martin.
But it did happen at 141 Speedway in Francis Creek in July, 1986.
Chuck Grall won one of the very first IMCA modified "specials" in northeast Wisconsin when 141 Speedway was still a paved, quarter-mile bullring.
In episode 5, Chuck breaks down that wild night. Enjoy!
In episode 4 with northeastern Wisconsin racing legend Chuck Grall, Grall recalls the birth of the IMCA modified in the greater Green Bay area beginning in the early-1980's.
Listen in, as Grall recalls the days when most cars were very affordable, and were mostly constructed with parts obtained from the junkyard!
Prior to the 1980 season, Chuck Grall built a somewhat controversial race car dubbed the "Imposter Impala."
Chuck battled in the loaded sportsman division field in Fox River Racing Club (FRRC) competition at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna, Wisconsin.
Listen in to episode # 3 as Chuck details the drama surrounding the construction of this fast hot rod!
In the 1970's and into the early 1980's, Chuck Grall enjoyed racing on both the asphalt of WIR in Kaukauna and Saturday on the dirt at Shawano Speedway.
In episode # 2, Grall describes the lengths he would go through to maintain a car to race on both surfaces.
Enjoy episode # 2!
Antigo, Wisconsin native Chuck Grall is one of the true "Last of the Mohicans." As a driver, he took pride in building all of his own race cars from the ground up!
Listen in to episode # 1, as Grall explains how he cut his teeth into the racing world in northeastern Wisconsin.
In our 6th and final interview episode with longtime Luxemburg Tri-Star Speedway promoter Kelly Hafeman, we play the always-fun "name dropping" game.
Kelly talks about some of the key drivers and track officials who helped make the third-mile, clay oval at the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds one of the best dirt tracks in the Midwest.
Give episode 6 a listen courtesy of Muenster Service Center in Green Bay!
After the 2001 season wrapped up at Luxemburg Tri-Star Speedway, promoters Kelly & Debbie Hafeman, along with partner Ralph Aschenbrenner, had 'been there' and 'done that.'
Their highly successful, Friday night program continued to boast solid car counts and near capacity crowds weekly.
Kelly & Debbie talk about what prompted them to bow out after 13 seasons. Enjoy episode 5 courtesy of Muenster Service Center of Green Bay!
Kelly and Debbie Hafeman, along with partner Ralph Aschenbrenner, had a very successful run promoting Luxemburg Tri-Star Speedway from 1989 through 2001.
The Hafeman's are quick to point to their loyal staff members over the years who helped keep their fast-paced, efficient racing program running smoothly.
A few of the names of those employees and sponsors they may have missed in this story they wanted to give proper credit to include: Joe Faltynski, Pat Truttmann, Dennis Flavion and Kevin Jauquet. Also Porky and Nick DeGrand and Mike Schraufnagel as well.
Give episode 4 a listen!
After the 1988 season, Kewaunee County was seeking a new promoter for their dirt track.
Kelly & Debbie Hafeman, along with partner Ralph Aschenbrenner, answered the bell.
The trio hosted weekly, Friday night races at Luxemburg until 2001. Their program was highly successful and boasted solid crowds and a pit area chock full of talented, local drivers.
But as Kelly points out in episode 3, all was not rosy in the beginning. Give this episode a listen courtesy of Muenster Service Center!
In the mid-1980's, the IMCA modifieds were introduced to Northeastern Wisconsin, running first at Seymour Speedway's half-mile in 1984 and then a season later at 141 Speedway (back then a paved quarter-mile) in Francis Creek.
Kelly Hafeman had a front row seat. 41 years after the popular open-wheeled class was introduced to the greater Green Bay area, Hafeman takes us back to the thought process back then and revisits the early days of the IMCA modifieds locally.
This one is a dandy!
Give it a listen!
For longtime Luxemburg Tri-Star Speedway promoter and former IMCA modified champion Kelly Hafeman, he was bitten by the racing bug as a youngster at the long defunct Brown County Fairgrounds in De Pere, Wisconsin.
Listen in to episode 1 of this six segment series where Kelly describes how and when his involvement with stock car racing kicked off. This segment courtesy of Muenster Service Center in Green Bay!
We recently caught up with Montello racing legend Larry Richards.
Listen in as this "Original Outlaw" talks about his racing career, and dodging death at Beaver Dam Raceway in 2023.
Give it a listen!
When he was nicknamed "The Kid" in the early 1970's Jerry Jonet was cutting his teeth at dirt ovals close to home at Luxemburg and Door County in addition to trying the big "half-mile" at the Brown County Fairgrounds in De Pere.
Since his racing days wrapped up in the late 1970's Jonet has been an integral part of the racing action at the Kewaunee County Fairgrounds in Luxemburg.
Listen in as this Luxemburg Speedway Hall of Famer reflects upon his own racing career in addition to his current role at the fairgrounds. Give it a listen!
Bear Creek, Wisconsin's T.M. Miller kicked off his racing career at Shawano Speedway in 1980.
The son of Wolf River Racing Association (WRRA) legend 'Squeak' Miller, T.M. earned a reputation as a very likeable, clean racer whom most everyone had a lot of respect for.
Listen in as this two time Shawano Speedway sportsman champion recalls his fun and colorful racing career!
