Racing Nuggets: Recent Episodes
PJ Nuttleman
Hosts PJ “Jacklyn” Nuttleman and Dan Plan discuss short track auto racing topics and interview the colorful characters of the sport each week.
Brock Heinrich from Wausau, WI has been a regular in super late model action for many years. After a bad accident at Norway Speedway in Michigan at the start of the season, he has been sidelined trying to piece his car back together. He still plans to slide back behind the wheel this season. We chat with him about that and what he's been doing for most of the race season while he continues to put the pieces back together for his 2026 season.
Aaron Baird has been involved in racing in Wisconsin since he was a pre-teen, almost always working in the background. His father's involvement with Slinger Speedway in the 1980s exposed him to the sport, leading to various roles, including scoring tower work, and eventually to becoming a superfan. Aaron continues to support many different avenues for the promotion of racing, as well as his hands-on team help through his connection with the Hassler family.
The Quarter Midget Phenom from Minnesota, Leighton Rose shares how he got the opportunity to run in the Tulsa Shootout this year, as well as his racing plans for 2026.
Grant Griesbach has been racing since he was a young kid. Of course, to many, he STILL IS a young kid, only now he has garnered several championships, all in this season. Griesbach won the Red, White, and Blue Series Championship at Wisconsin International Raceway, the superlates track championship at WIR as well, and he just nailed down the Slinger Super Speedway Championship for the superlates as well. He's definitely on a roll with some specials yet to come here at the end of the year for him to add to his illustrious season.
Matt Berger is not only a great racer in the Midwest, but he's an outstanding human as well. His unassuming and modest stature doesn't tell the whole story about his racing career. Matt started at Rockford Speedway in the Roadrunners division in the 90s and has won in every single division there was at Rockford, a feat that no one else has ever done. Take a listen to the story of a great guy who happens to love--and is really good at-- racing.
Rich Bickle is undoubtedly one of the most colorful characters in auto racing. He joins us as the first repeat guest on the Racing Nuggets podcast to discuss the upcoming special super late model event that he will be the guest of honor for at Jefferson Speedway: "From the Barnyard to the Brickyard 150." He also shares some insights on his next event behind the wheel--the Slinger Nationals and other events he anticipates entering this year.
John Close had a career in motorsports that few have duplicated, serving as a media member, public relations/marketing specialist, team manager/member, race day spotter/competitor, and author/historian. His work is featured in the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC, as part of the NASCAR Media Archive and in driver Matt Kenseth’s Hall of Fame ‘showcase.’
John was inducted into the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Radio TV Film ‘Hallway of Fame’ for his career media efforts in Professional Motorsports. In 2024, he was presented with the prestigious UW-O Distinguished Alumni Award – the highest honor the University of Wisconsin system can bestow on graduates.
These days, he's retired and resides in North Carolina, but comes back "home" to Wisconsin periodically to visit friends and family.
We sat down with Dave Kallmann from the Wisconsin Journal Sentinel to chat about some stories of his career in the media, particularly those from the racing coverage that he has provided over the years.
One of the owners of Cedar Lake Speedway, Brad Both, joins us in this episode of the Racing Nuggets Podcast. Brad shares some of his background in racing that led him to be so involved at Cedar Lake. He's a passionate race fan and loves what he does at the famed dirt track. With plenty of exciting events on the calendar in 2025, listen to Brad Both--and pay attention to where he tells you how to get a free drink from him at the track!
Todd Behling's voice has been heard in the Wisconsin racing community for many decades--as the host and creator of the LTN Hour (Let's Talk NASCAR), heard on Fox Sports 920 out of Milwaukee--as well as on the PA at both Slinger Super Speedway and for a time, Madison International Speedway too. Behling has also been elected to the esteemed Southeast Wisconsin Short Track Hall of Fame. He's a guy who fully understands that luck is when preparation meets opportunity--and when opportunities didn't present themselves, he managed to create them himself.
Marty Melo has been passionate about auto racing since he was a kid going to dirt tracks out west. He is incredibly adept at marketing the sport and crafting win-win opportunities for all involved. His superpower is bringing people together and hammering out solutions. Listen in to our conversation with Marty Melo, the Director of Operations and Sales for the ASA STARS National Tour.
In this episode of the Racing Nuggets Podcast, we sit down with Charlie Menard, a racer who has many wins and championships to his name and continues to keep a finger on the pulse of motorsports. Charlie reminisces about his time racing at his beloved La Crosse Speedway with Toby Nuttleman and the sport of racing itself. He also talks about mentoring and supporting the young phenom from Minnesota, Ty Fredrickson.
Bentley Thompson may only be 12 years old, but he has clinched SIX Bandolero Championships in the 2024 season alone. Listen to this reserved yet insightful young racer as he reflects on his season.
Dan Plan, proprietor of the Midwest Racing Connection and sometimes co-host of this podcast, sits down to let PJ ask him questions about his life in auto racing. He is, first and foremost, a fan of auto racing, and that passion comes through in all projects he is involved with to support the sport.
Andy Monday has been a fixture in the racing scene around the Midwest, particularly at Wisconsin International Raceway in Kaukauna. Last Tuesday, he competed in the 2024 Dixieland 250—now the Ganrude Auto Group 250—with the ASA Midwest Tour at WIR. During that event, he took an incredibly brutal hit to the inside retaining wall that completely demolished his race car. He managed to walk away from that horrific impact.
When something like that happens, emotions tend to run high. However, Andy was calm, cool, and collected in an interview on the broadcast immediately afterward. He exuded a real positive energy in the face of disaster, and that struck many as powerful and highly respectable, given that most others would NOT be that positive in the darkness.
Listen to learn more about Andy, his impressive character, and the values he brings to the track week in and week out.
Gleason, Wisconsin's Justin Mondeik is this week's guest on the podcast. He is fresh off his big win in the Midwest Tour "Larry Detjens Memorial 125" at State Park Speedway in Wausau. The race could very well be the last for the Midwest Tour at the famed track, as it has exchanged hands, and its fate is unknown at this time.
Mondeik talks about how his family-owned team has grown, learned, and discovered more success in racing.
Tommy White, aka Tomasso Blanco, is our latest guest on the Racing Nuggets Podcast. Most people are familiar with Tommy as the flagman for several different series or venues, like the Midwest Tour and the Midwest Trucks.
Most people don't realize just how close he was to Midwest short-track legend Joe Shear or how much first-hand racing history he has been a part of from years of being around racing.
Sit back and enjoy some great stories from Tommy White.
Luke Fenhaus is our guest in this episode. He chats about his first experience driving in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for ThorSport and future events with the team. Learn some of the things that make this young hotshoe tick, a little more about his background, and his upcoming racing plans for the remainder of the 2024 season.
Levon Van Der Geest joins us on the Racing Nuggets Podcast to chat about his efforts behind the wheel of the #23 super late model race car, how his learning curve is getting better for helping to set the car up for success, and his work with the Kulwicki Driver Development Program. ALSO: You'll never guess where the #23 comes from in his family!
In this episode of the Racing Nuggets Podcast, we sit down with photographer QC Willy, aka William Prutz. He often shoots photos at State Park Speedway in Wausau, Golden Sands Speedway in Plover, and many other venues across the Midwest.
Chris Weinkauf is arguably one of the most liked drivers in Wisconsin. He's seemingly a friend to everyone and always takes the time for fans after piloting his sweet-looking #75 around various tracks across the Midwest. Lately, Weinkauf has been focusing on mentoring and being crew chief to Levon Van Der Geest, an up-and-coming driver who has started making some noise in super late model circles.
Listen in as we hear Weinkauf's racing origin story, his plans for 2024, and some of his adventures throughout his career, which started in 1990.
Racing is in Dean Strom's blood. He grew up at the short tracks in Wisconsin and went on to be actively involved in public relations/media for racing organizations and behind the mic announcing races. He even recently competed in the Boston Marathon. Getting this man, who is always on the go, was quite a feat to sit down with us and chat about his racing story.
Minnesota's Ty Fredrickson, the 15-year-old phenom, captured his first super late model win at Dells Raceway Park on April 13, 2024. We sat down with him to learn more about him and get his thoughts on the season ahead. This episode was recorded before heading to Slinger Super Speedway for the first time. That race is/was part of the ASA Midwest Tour season opener at the famous "World's Fastest 1/4-Mile."
Bubba Pollard definitely brought the fan base to his NASCAR Xfinity debut at Richmond Raceway with JR Motorsports. His blue-collar likability seemed what NASCAR needed in a series filled with pay-to-play young drivers. We chatted with Bubba about that debut, what might be next, his family, their dirt track in Georgia, and more.
Dick Johnson was quite the Renaissance man of auto racing in the Midwest through the 70s and 80s. From hand-drawing artwork for track logos and advertisements to scoring and race directing--and even using a typewriter to get the evening's race report put together while race directing the events--Dick Johnson was a valuable asset to Larry Wehrs when he ran the Dells Motor Speedway and La Crosse Speedway. Listen in for a view from behind the scenes during the heyday of Midwest auto racing.
Derek Kraus started as a go-kart racer from Stratford, WI, and has been chasing his racing dreams with his family for quite some time now. Having tasted success in the ARCA West Series, enjoyed some solid runs in the NASCAR Truck Series, had a few starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series--and now, thanks to Kaulig Racing--will be making a handful of starts in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2024. We catch up with the busy racer and get some insight into his journey and how he will continue to keep a foot in short-track racing with his super late model team out of Wisconsin.
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, we sit down with the 2023 ASA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year, Bryan Seyer-Keske. Bryan is a Minnesota racer who got to test drive an ARCA car at Daytona as part of his Rookie of the Year honors. He took his dad with him for that experience, which was a trip of a lifetime for them both.
Todd Thelen, the owner and promoter of Slinger Super Speedway, has breathed new life into the Fastest 1/4-Mile in the World. He's been steering the track in the direction that reinvigorates the signature event, the Slinger Nationals, and the weekly race program. Thelen started as a racer himself. That experience and his business acumen give him solid footing to continue to steer Slinger Speedway into the future.
Have microphone, will travel. Eric Huenefeld, announcer for various tracks and series across the Midwest and pit reporter at several national series events, joins us on the Racing Nuggets podcast this week.
Fresh off his second Snowball Derby win, Ty Majeski, a super late model hotshoe and NASCAR Truck Series driver for ThorSport Racing, joins PJ and Dan in this episode.
Ben Rhodes, two-time (and current reigning) NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion, joins us on this episode and shares some stories from his personal and professional life behind the wheel of the #99 ThorSport truck.
Toby Nuttleman started his racing career with Steve Holzhausen and has worked with many notable drivers over the course of nearly 50 years in the sport at the time of this recording. He just came off his most recent successful run with Ty Majeski, where they picked up their second Snowball Derby win in four years.
Toby shares some insights and stories from recent times and days gone by.
Twenty years ago, Travis Kvapil captured the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship. Here we are today, and Travis is helping usher his boys, Carson and Caden, into the racing world. Carson has already nailed down two CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour Championships, and Caden has grabbed the CARS Pro Late Model Tour Championship this season. The boys talk about the upcoming Snowball Derby and their 2024 racing plans. Travis reflects on his career and what it's like trying to break into the pipeline these days.
Kenny Schrader is an American treasure. He's raced his entire life and has had incredible success behind the wheel. Whether it's dirt or asphalt, Kenny is a wheelman. His wife, Ann, also joins in the conversation, and together, they share some great stories of their history in racing.
Brent Kane and Dillon Sellner are both accomplished short-track racers. Friendship has taken their racing to new heights. From Oktoberfest RAce Weekend at La Crosse Speedway, where they got to know each other, to running door-to-door at Elko Speedway, the pair have forged tremendous respect for each other as they developed their race craft.
Drew Kreibich started attending races as a youngster, modeling his dad in the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway flag stand. That passion for racing continued to grow as his journey in motorsports developed into a full-fledged career. Today, he is the Series Director for the Midwest Trucks and handles social media for many other entities. Listen to this episode to learn more about Drew's background and future aspirations in motorsports.
Chris and Craig Johnson are brothers who have been involved in racing for about 30 years--much of that together--working on other people's cars and helping them get to Victory Lane. Drivers like Steve Carlson and Ty Majeski have enjoyed tremendous success due in part to the hard work of this pair of brothers.
David Deery spends some time with PJ and Dan on this Racing Nuggets episode to chat about the final countdown at the historic Rockford Speedway in this final race season. While many eyes are on the National Short Track Championships, several other events are slated into October, providing more opportunities for racers to turn laps at the track before it is gone for good.
Jerry Mueller and his wife, Elaine, have been involved in auto racing for decades--helping Wisconsin drivers move up through the ranks and making friends and connections on the NASCAR scene. Listen to some great stories from the heyday of auto racing in the Midwest and NASCAR.
Two young women racers from Minnesota--Taylor Goldman and Julie Jorgenson join us on the Racing Nuggets podcast this week. Busch Light Beer has selected both ladies to be a part of their "Accelerate Her" program. They both come from racing families and they are extremely close friends who cheer each other on and support one another at the track. Get to know these two up-and-comers who are sure to continue to make some noise and turn some heads from behind the wheel on this episode!
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan catch up with Jacob "Jake" Nottestad and get to know him better. He's a young, up-and-comer who is a bit of an "old school" racer, implementing a conventional set-up in his race car and holding his own against many of the super late model teams.
Canada's Cole Butcher is this week's guest on the Racing Nuggets Podcast. Driving primarily for Donnie Wilson Racing, Cole has continued to have success and grab checkered flags. Learn a little more about this quiet wheelman from the north along with PJ and Dan.
PJ and Dan sit down with the semi-retired, former General Manager and Promoter from La Crosse Speedway, Chuck Deery, to hear some stories about growing up as one of Hugh and Jody Deery's kids at Rockford Speedway. He also shares some insights on what the future of auto racing might look like as he hangs up his hat from managing operations at La Crosse Speedway--and what is next in his life. Hint: It's a little nutty!
In this episode of the Racing Nuggets Podcast, Dan and PJ chat with Wisconsin's Robbie Reiser. He was a former racer, crew chief for Matt Kenseth, a mastermind of racing strategy, and his most important role that he continues to relish: DAD. Robbie shares stories, some laughs, and his love of Slinger Speedway. Will he make a pick for who will win the Nationals this year? Listen and find out!
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast we sit down with Minnesota Young Gun, William Sawalich who is incredibly busy running four different divisions this year, including full-time with Joe Gibbs Racing in the ARCA Menards Series. We learn about his adventures as he starts to climb the racing ladder, who in the racing world are his friends (and which one of them is dating his sister.) He truly is a very poised young man who is quite the wheelman and is sure to make the Midwest proud as he continues his journey in racing.
This week on the Racing Nuggets podcast, PJ and Dan catch up with the new promoter at La Crosse Speedway--Austin Wells. This guy was practically born at Madison Speedway and has a boatload of experience he is bringing to La Crosse as he takes over the reins from Chuck Deery, who retired last year from promoter duties at the track. Take a listen and get to know Austin Wells a little better.
We have an announcement, and then we're just gonna BS. This is a "splash and go" pitstop for this week's Racing Nuggets Podcast.
This week PJ and Dan catch up with dirt and asphalt hot shoe Brad "JJ" Mueller. He grew up around the icons of short-track racing in Wisconsin and shares stories from them and interesting nuggets of recent years. We are not responsible if you blow your beverage out your nose laughing while listening to this episode!
Rich Bickle Jr. is the ultimate storyteller and guest on the Racing Nuggets podcast. A racer from the heyday of Wisconsin short-track racing, he has stories for days that will make you laugh, cry, and pine for those days gone by. We definitely needed more than an hour and will have him back on to share more stories in the future--and who knows? Maybe he'll be sliding back behind the wheel again before too long. It could happen!
This week on the Racing Nuggets podcast, PJ and Dan sit down with Jerry Gille, the multi-champion title holder--who also has oodles of 2nd place finishes in championship battles at Rockford Speedway. Jerry is recovering from a torn shoulder but hopes to get back behind the wheel before this final season at Rockford Speedway comes to a close. He also shares some incredible stories of growing up around legendary racers and helping on their teams before he finally climbed behind the wheel himself.
This week on the Racing Nuggets podcast, PJ and Dan catch up with the multi-talented Dan Margetta of videography fame at Slinger Super Speedway, co-host on the LTN Radio Network, journalist, and so much more. He's a super fan of racing, which comes through in all he does in the racing community. Enjoy this chat with one of the colorful characters and the most interesting man in short-track racing.
In this episode, PJ and Dan catch up with dirt and asphalt racer Nick Panitzke from Lonsdale, Minnesota on the Racing Nuggets Podcast. He chats about their racing family--including his wife Morgan, a tire specialist for both him and their young son, Cam, who also races now. Good stuff from a good guy. Enjoy this episode!
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan chat with Susan Deery from the Rockford Speedway. She, her brother David, and the entire team at Rockford Speedway are preparing for their final season opener--The Spring Classic--this Saturday (4/22/2023). Susan shares some awesome memories from her years at the track and how important the extended racing family is to her. Be sure to make it a point to get to Rockford Speedway during this "Last Lap" for their final year before closing for good.
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan chat with a third-generation driver from Bangor, WI--Skylar Holzhausen. After having several seasons of not racing much and last year not racing at all, the young buck will be making a return to run the full season at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway in a car built by Toby Nuttleman, Chris Johnson, and his brother, Craig. With support from Johnny Gilbertson and what he calls a "dream team," Skylar hopes to make this return behind the wheel a triumphant one.
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan chat with Dells Raceway Park Promoter Jerry Auby. A formidable racer in his own right back in the day--these days, he is flexing his prowess as a promoter. He has many of the same challenges as other promoters. Still, Jerry definitely brings a racer's mentality to his problem-solving approach, making his track a favorite destination for many racers in the Midwest.
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan catch up with Alex Papini--former Midwest racer who has moved to Florida. Alex is a very colorful character with a rich and deep history in his own family of racers--and quite a lot in his own right too. We cover plenty--from what it was like to witness his father's fatal accident at Rockford Speedway when he was just 11 years old to his infamous front stretch "Monster Truck" incident at Rockford. Alex will be back to run a handful of times at Rockford in this Final Lap season for the famed facility.
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan chat with Ryan Farrell from Big Bend, WI. He's a mechanical engineer who is a mighty stout racer--and he has an interesting claim to fame with NASCAR Fantasy gambling too!
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan chat with Minnesota's Jacob Goede who has many accolades on his resume and still striving for more. Goede's wife, Erica is a former racer herself and together they are raising three little girls who have also been bit by the racing bug.
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan chat with Ricky Brooks, the well-known tech official in auto racing--who is also involved in the Trans-Am Racing Series and is a promoter in the SRL National Tour and SRL Sportsmen Tour.
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan sit down with Jack Deery to chat about this season being the "Final Lap" at Rockford Speedway, the track where he and his siblings grew up learning all about promoting and putting on a race program from their parents, Hugh and Jody Deery. Jack shares some excellent insights, family stories, and racing memories from over the years at the famous northern Illinois short track where so many in NASCAR cut their teeth.
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan chat with Edgerton, Wisconsin hot-shoe, Casey Johnson to learn about his racing plans for 2023. He has a big one on his schedule for the first one out of the gate! We also learn about a new teammate he will have in 2023 and hear a memorable story about his first-ever race in a late model at 16 years old. Plus, other nuggets from his family life.
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan sit down with Wisconsin Legend--Scott Hansen. Scott has had an incredible racing career and made incredible connections and friendships with so many key people. We catch up with him in his winter "home" in Arizona and find out what he's been up to lately and reminisce about his past adventures in racing.
In this week's episode of the Racing Nuggets Podcast, Dan and PJ chat with the 2022 Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year, Harley Jankowski. As part of his prize for being the ROY, he had the opportunity to go down to Daytona International Speedway and test drive an ARCA car. We catch up with him on how that went and review his season, as well as look forward to what is on the horizon for 2023 for him. Some people may not know it, but Harley has some health challenges as well--he's a kidney transplant recipient and will be needing another one as they only last about 10 years. He discusses that situation with us as well.
If you'd like to connect with Harley, you can find him on Facebook HERE.
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan chat with former La Crosse Speedway and Tomah-Sparta Speedway announcer, Dan Deicher. He's technically announced at A LOT of tracks and he shares plenty of colorful stories here. He is also preparing to announce in his new home state of Florida at the Freedom Factory for their Winter Warm-Up on February 3rd and 4th in Bradenton. There will be plenty of Midwest flavor there with several drivers running in the National Compact Touring Series.
For more information on the event and to get your tickets, head HERE. Otherwise, you can check out the Freedom Factory Facebook page that Cleetus McFarland has set up for it.
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan chat with the father-son duo of Steve and Nick Murgic from Rosemount, MN. Steve shares some stories from his racing days and we get a glimpse of what it was like for Nick to grow up immersed in motorsports.
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan chat with James Swan, driver and champion of so many different series'. You've watched him behind the wheel of the Midwest Truck Series, the Mid-American Stock Car Series, Sportsmen, Superlate Models, and more!
He shares some great stories of his early days in racing, stories of his family, and how he ended up with the iconic Alan Kulwicki look on his car, among other tales from the track.
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan chat with Superlate Model hero, Steve Holzhausen. Steve recently retired from his full-time job and immediately had his third surgery on his ankle that sustained severe damage when the throttle stuck on his race car at Dells Raceway Park about a decade ago. He shares some fun and interesting stories from his racing career and life in the signature Holzhausen delivery.
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast with PJ and Dan, we catch up with Sportsmen racer, Dave Trute who is preparing to make the trek down to South Carolina again to run at Dillon Motor Speedway in South Carolina. Several other Sportsmen drivers from the Midwest will join the caravan to the southeast to run in the New Year's Bash event on January 6-8, 2023. Trute shares some fun backstories from his career, how he landed on his number (2), growing up racing at Tomah-Sparta Speedway when his parents owned that track, past trips down to South Carolina, his core group of guys, and some of his other adventures at other events, like Oktoberfest at La Crosse Speedway.
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast with PJ and Dan, we chat with superlate model driver, Jeff Storm from Waterford, WI. Jeff recently shared a rant on social media about the weight break for cars running the newly preferred ACE engines in the ASA Midwest Tour. We discuss this development along with some fun backstories from his career.
If you'd like to subscribe to Jeff's YouTube channel you can find it by searching "Jeff Storm" or by clicking HERE to link directly to the Deuce Nickle Diaries.
This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast with PJ and Dan, we check in with Midwest Race Promoter, Gregg McKarns and all of the changes that have happened in his world over the past several months: Selling of the Midwest Tour, handing off the High School Racing Association, becoming more involved at La Crosse Speedway in 2023, and having two of his marquee races become part of the new "ASA STARS National Series," with all that it emcompasses. If you, a student, or a High School administrator are interested in exploring and learning more about the High School Racing Association (HSRA), please visit: https://highschoolracing.org/ or contact Jonathan Eckelberg at jon@highschoolracing.org or (608)769-3903.
For more information on the Midwest Motorsports Racer's Auction coming up January 6 & 7, 2023 in West Bend, please visit: https://midwestracersauction.com/
We check in with Nichole Fredrickson and her battle with breast cancer. We also discuss tattoos and the support from the extended racing family and just how important that is. We surprise her with additional guests--her brothers Danny and David and talk more about what it was like growing up in the racing community--specifically at Elko Speedway in Elko, MN where their family ran the track for years.