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When the 1980 season rolled around, Scott Hansen purchased an asphalt exclusive race car for the first time out of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. It was rough going at times, racing at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna during a truly loaded field each Thursday night. Scott also paid an occasional visit to the newly repaved Norway (MI) Speedway with his buddy Bob Menor the "Ranger C...

Green Bay native Roger Perret is one of a handful of former racers still around who battled in the popular coupe era of the 1960's at tracks like the Brown County Fairgrounds in De Pere and Shawano Speedway in Shawano. We recently caught up with Roger and he recalled his racing days - which began in the 1960's. Give it a listen!

In 1979 Scott Hansen hooked up with the Luebke Bros. racing team out of the Fox Valley. Hansen's car was affectionately dubbed "The Arkansas Hog Scraper" and Hansen continued to ply his craft, learning weekly on the dirt tracks at De Pere, Shawano and he even began dabbling more with the pavement at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. You could say it was a "...

After two seasons of being primarily a backmarker and racing in mainly the slow heats and semi-features, Scott Hansen's Uncle Curt Hansen purchased a Boyce Trackburner chassis from Gene Wheeler of Appleton heading into the 1977 season. Driving that car, Scott Hansen not only captured his first feature win that year (Luxemburg Speedway) he was able to mix it up with some of the best - Roger Reg...

Cleveland, Wisconsin's John "Ripple" Born was a top competitor in the sportsman division in the 1980's at both the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth and at 141 Speedway in Francis Creek when the track was still a quarter-mile, paved oval. We recently caught up with Born and he reflected upon his racing career. Give it a listen!

Scott Hansen got bitten by the racing bug as a kid - tagging along as his dad Rollie Hansen flagged at a handful of race tracks in northeastern Wisconsin in the 1950's and 1960's. Check out the first episode of nine as this five time WIR champion and five time Milwaukee Mile winner talks about the early days of his racing career!

In this eighth and final episode of "Meet The Muellers" at joeverdegan.com Roger Mueller opines about getting inducted into the Southeastern Wisconsin Short Track Hall of Fame. Eric Mueller chats about his role as the P.A. announcer at Road America and more. Enjoy!

After hanging up the microphone Roger Mueller kept himself in the local racing circles, taking on a variety of roles at other ovals. Everything from flagging or as a race director - Mueller didn't have much trouble finding work at many different Wisconsin ovals. Give 'Meet The Muellers' podcast episode 7 a listen!

Green Bay's Les Yaeger is a 2011 Shawano Speedway Hall of Famer. The veteran dirt tracker recalled some great tales from his racing career that started in the '60s - including having to bolt red lights on the roofs of their cars because of the excessive dust on the track! Give it a listen!

In episode 6 of "Meet The Muellers" both Roger and Eric Mueller chime in about winged sprint cars, late models and where they are the best fit in weekly racing - namely Plymouth and the now defunct Manitowoc County Expo. This one is a dandy folks! Whether or not you agree with them in this one - give it a listen!

As Roger Mueller backed away from the microphone in the late '90's  and took on other roles in racing such as flagging and race directing, the door was opened for Eric "Lil Mouth" Mueller to launch his own race track announcing career. Give episode 5 of "Meet The Mueller's" a listen!

When it comes to racing legends in Michigan's Upper Peninsula Jamie Iverson's name is bound to pop up in the conversations. With five Stateline Challenge titles under his belt, the son of Michigan racing legend Bob Iverson talks about growing up as a kid during the modified era, street stocks, the progression to asphalt super late models and more. This is good stuff here!  Give it a listen!

While announcing at Plymouth in the '90's Roger Mueller also hosted a local radio show "Let's Talk Eastern." The show would have in studio guests, listener call ins and his 12-year-old producer at the outset was none other than "Lil' Mouth Eric Mueller - his son. Relive some of the funny tales with Roger and Eric in episode of 4 of "Meet The Muellers!"

With a few exceptions time trials are pretty much a thing of the past for weekly dirt track shows in Wisconsin. However during the heyday at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth track announcer Roger Mueller did his best to make qualifying exciting for the race fans. Roger talks about it in in episode 3 of "Meet The Muellers!"

It was common at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wisconsin in the 1970's into the 1990's for drivers to earn a nickname from track announcer Roger Mueller.  Whether it was John "Ripple" Born, Wayne "Wiener" Goetsch or "The Flying Painter" Dick Berth, earning a nickname was almost a right of passage during the heyday of Eastern Wisconsin Stock Car Association (EWSCA). Roger share...

Roger "The Mouth" Mueller and his son Eric "Lil Mouth" Mueller have been track announcers going on six decades now throughout Wisconsin. This is the first episode of eight and in this "maiden voyage" Roger talks about how he cracked into the business announcing at 141 Speedway in Francis Creek, Wisconsin at the age of 17. Give it a listen!  

Located in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin near the Wisconsin/Michigan border, Five Star Bodies has been manufacturing race car bodies and race car body parts for several decades. We caught up with Five Star's Corey Schultz who gave us the lo down on the history of the business and where they see things headed into 2023. Listen in!

Bassett Racing Wheel based in Burlington, Wisconsin was one of a handful of Badger state businesses showcasing their products for the 2023 racing season at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show in Indianapolis recently. We caught up with Brian Gill of Bassett at the PRI show and he talked about the history of the business and where things are headed in 2023. Give it a listen!

One of the more time consuming tasks in dirt track racing can be tire grooving/siping. A Green Bay-based business 5 Point Fabrication has taken away a lot of that time and effort with it's EZwheel. We caught up with 5 Point's Mike Coel at the PRI show in Indianapolis. Check out what he had to say!

During the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) show at Indianapolis earlier this year we caught up with IRA Outlaw sprint car president Steve Sinclair. Sinclair reflected upon his long career in racing including where it's been, and where it's headed into 2023 and beyond. Give it a listen!

The Captain of the Speedway Illustrated ship - Karl Frederickson - opines on the state of short track racing in the United States. And his outlook remains a positive one! Give it a listen!

Two Rivers, Wisconsin's Bucky Wagner was a standout racer during the coupe era in the 1960's at Northeast Wisconsin ovals at Apple Creek and Francis Creek at 141 Speedway. Bucky tells some tales about the "good ol' days." Give it a listen!

Manitowoc, Wisconsin's "Wild Bill" Fitzgerald had his mother Cecelia sign off on a waiver so he could begin his stock car racing career at 16-years-old.  Cecelia shed a tear as she signed off but Fitzgerald never looked back. Now 92-years-young, Fitzgerald reflected upon his storied racing career that began in the late 1940s at race tracks that have been defunct now for several decades. Give...

At the NASCAR level Cup, Xfinity and Truck rely upon reliable, "weekend warriors" who travel with the teams to the respective cities and lend a hand at each race weekend - wherever that may be. Green Bay, Wisconsin's Dave Deprey has served as one of those "weekend warriors" for JD Motorsports Xfinity Team going on five years now. Listen to his story here courtesy of Muenster Service Center of Gree...

Merrill's Bruce Stanley's racing career kicked off in 1975 at dirt ovals now defunct in Neilsville and Colby, Wisconsin. He's raced at Marshfield on both dirt and asphalt and in 2022 he's still going strong on where he's a fixture many Tuesday nights at Eagle River Speedway. Listen in to Bruce's story free of charge courtesy of K and E Sales and Service.