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Conley Media • April 2018 • RACING INSIDER • 5 By DAVE MAGNUS For Conley News Service When the Jefferson Speedway opens for its 66th season of racing on April 28, Johnson Creek's Jerry Eckhardt will of course be there in his familiar orange No. 61 Chevrolet. A veteran of six decades of asphalt racing who start- ed in hobby stocks in 1965, Eckhart still competes week- ly on Saturday nights at the speedway at age 75. Eckhardt is a three-time late model champion at the track, winning titles in 1970, 1973 and 1975. He finished in the top 20 in points last sea- son at Jefferson and also competed weekly at Slinger on Sunday nights, fielding two cars in doing so. Eckhardt ran his first race at the now-closed Columbus 151 Speedway. There, he and a friend alter- nated driving their car, with the friend driving at Jefferson. Jerry later became a track champion at Columbus in 1975. His car number comes from the year of his first late model, a 1961 Chevy. His traditional orange paint scheme comes from his affection for trac- tors which he collects and it so happens to be an Allis- Chalmers tractor color. Eckhardt has raced at Jefferson for many years, a place that started as a dirt track in 1952 and has been owned by the Tucker family since 1968. The track was reconfigured in 1990 and has become a showcase for short-track asphalt racing. Drivers like Rich Bickle Jr., Jason Schuler, Nathan Haseleu and the late Pat Schauer all started their careers at Jefferson. Today, the track features some of the finest limited late model racing in the country. Besides its weekly racing of six divisions, the track hosts the ARCA Midwest Tour and TUNDRA Series, touring series that feature super late models. The track annually hosts the Wisconsin State Champ- ionship at the end of the season drawing cars from tracks throughout the state and beyond. Once again, as he has since the series began in 2015, Eckhardt will race at Jefferson in the Badgerland Challenge Series. The series is a limited late model championship series that races two dates at Jefferson and then two dates at nearby Madison. Of course, Eckhardt is a veteran of all types of rac- ing series throughout his career such as the Red, White and Blue series at Kaukauna, the Slinger Nationals, the Big 8 late model series, the ARTGO super series, Oktoberfest at La Crosse, the National Short Track Champion- ships at Rockford and the TUNDRA series. He has raced against the best of the best during his 50-plus year career at every paved short track in the region. Eckhardt was recently announced as a finalist for the class of 2018 Southeastern Wisconsin Short Track Hall of Fame in Hartford. The 1965 Ford flatbed crew cab hauler and the cowboy hat will once again be part of what excites Eckhardt to do what he loves every summer. His many fans and the friends he has made in com- petition look forward to another season of No. 61 speeding down a short track. Although his cars don't chal- lenge for feature wins or quick qualifying time as they did in the past, Eckhardt is still a force in any type of car when those many years younger try to teach him a lesson in racing on a short track. JEFFERSON SPEEDWAY At 75, Eckhardt remains up for the challenge Submitted photo Jerry Eckhardt has been racing since 1965. Cedarburg's Rob Radmann was named the Rookie of the Year at the recent Midwestern Council of Sports Car Clubs annual banquet in Naperville, Illinois. He was also named Racer of the Year by the Great Lakes Sports Car Club. "He was the perfect example of the type of young talent that can come out of karting and make an incredible impression on fellow racers that have two or three times the experience that he has," said David Wessel, president of MCSCC in a news release. Radmann was the youngest driver to complete MCSCC's Drivers School and to receive his wheel-to-wheel rac- ing competition license at 14 at Black- hawk Farms Raceway in Illinois. Radmann's racing career started four years ago at age 12 when he joined the Road America Kart Club. In 2017, Radmann won the championship in two series (Tuesday and Weekend) and is also ranked first in the country in his class by Briggs Racing, and tied for second in Canada and the US com- bined. He will continue on with the Kart Club for 2018 in the Briggs 206 Heavy class as well as Super Stock. Cedarburg teen building off breakthrough 2017 season Radmann Jefferson Speedway ■ Location: W8135 Highway 18, Cambridge ■ Website: www.jefferson- speedway.com ■ Tickets: $14 for adults; $10 for seniors (older than 65) and students (age 12- 15); $5 for children (age 8- 11); children 8 and younger receive free admission ■ Race night: Saturdays ■ Contact: 920-648-2705; jeffersonspeedwaymarket ing@gmail.com ❑ ❑ ❑ 2017 Track champions Late model: Dale Nottestad Sportsman/Road Warrior: Robert Hansberry Jr. International: Neil Higgins Hobby Stock: AJ Lloyd Bandit: Chad Olds Road Warrior (6-cylinder): Chris Gottschalk Legends: Aaron Moyer Bandoleros: Kolton Guralski and Say Hi to "RACING STEVE" 260173001 STOP IN AT MUKWONAGO Home of the Lifetime Warranty Every eligible pre-owned car comes with Amato's lifetime powertrain warranty. Call or stop in for details! 262.363.3085 JOHN AMATO FORD 1015 MAIN STREET • MUKWONAGO MON.- FRI. 8-8 • SAT. 8-5 • WWW.AMATOFORD.COM