Conley Publishing - Special Sections
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10 • RACING INSIDER • April 2018 • Conley Media By DAVE MAGNUS For Conley News Service Watertown's Pat Rich- gels became interested in racing when a friend of his father Dan bought him a go- kart to keep him occupied, while his father wired pool motors for that friend's business. Pat attended kart races with his dad at Sugar River Raceway in Brodhead and by age 12 he found himself racing there. He caught the proverbial racing bug. He raced go-karts for five years at tracks throughout the Midwest. He competed and won in the Midwest Sprint series, the Great Lakes Sprint series, the Route 66 Sprint series and the WKA Gold Cup series. He won Rookie of the Year honors in each series he raced with. With a successful go-kart career in his background, Pat made racing a top prior- ity. He attended college at Ohio Technical College in Cleveland, completing an educational services pro- gram sponsored by the American Speed Asso- ciation. Besides his racing interest, this background knowledge helped Pat in his career working in the engine development lab for Briggs & Stratton. Pat was the 2012 Rookie of the Year and he has com- peted in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Late Model division at Madison International Speedway for the past six years. He gets his determination from the late Alan Kulwicki, who carried the word "Underbird" on his cars because he was running an underfunded team against the best, just as Pat and his dad run their modest opera- tion. He also lives by the motto he picked up from his hockey coach while playing for the Southwest Eagles in Verona, "You get out of it, what you put into it." Pat will tell you he always tries to make the best out of what he has to work with. Now 27 and searching for that first feature win, he has upgraded his equip- ment for 2018 and will race a Pathfinder chassis powered by a Race Engine Dynamics Inc. 355 Chevy concept motor. The team will field a sec- ond car to race as often as they can at Jefferson Speedway. Pat will also run the entire Badgerland Challenge Series, consist- ing of two races at Jefferson and two at Madison, with his primary car. Pat carries the number 15 on his cars, which is the number he wore on his hockey sweater. The colors of his car are those of his corporate sponsor, Bar- coding Inc., a company based in Baltimore, Mary- land. Pat's uncle helped him procure that deal and the CEO is scheduled to come to Wisconsin and watch Pat race this summer. He also receives sponsorship help from REDI engines of Brooklyn. Pat finished 10th in the Madison point stand- ings last year and is looking to move up on that list this year. Pat will dedicate this sea- son to his grandmother who passed away in March. She was a race fan and support- er of Pat's career. She also took Pat to his first NASCAR races at Indianapolis and Michigan. This year will be different without her cheering him on. A trip to victory lane in her honor is likely to be spe- cial. were run all around the state before land purchased by Bob Howard started being put to good use. Behind the vision of Howard, the facility was improved, membership increased and racing was promoted with the idea of go-karting as a family sport. Howard passed away in 1984, but his widow, Shirley, is still active in keeping these goals alive. "It's kind of an honorary thing for her husband to keep it up and running," Brux said. "The track itself adds so much to a young kid or an adult like myself. It's such a family environment. There's nowhere else like it. There are so many different tracks across the country let alone in Wisconsin or the Midwest, but it's so family oriented." Kids can begin at the age of 5, learning about the basics of go-kart racing. "They learn about rules, about hard work, about sportsmanship," Brux said. "They learn they have to put effort in to get results. When things don't go well, they have to go to a driver's meet- ing, so there are many life lessons that kids learn out there. "They always say you live how you race and you race how you live, and if you think about it there's a lot of truth in that. You can race, but if you want to do well, you have to be willing to lis- ten, you have to be willing to learn, you have to be willing to put practice in." Badger Kart Club has more to offer than just racing. "It's just such an open, care-free environment," Brux said. "Kids get to race, ride around on their bikes or scooters, they're playing catch on the field. It never gets old. "I've been doing it for eight years and it's still an overwhelming gift. I'm so thankful for what we have." There's something for everyone at the Dousman go- kart track, with summer rac- ing leagues for different skill levels and age groups, or just open track times for anyone to partake. "I can't stress enough the value that this track has for anybody and everybody," Brux said, who races once a week at the course. "It's open to the public. Anybody can come and race." How serious one wants to take racing naturally corre- lates with how much money goes into it. But to start, it's an affordable option, and most importantly, it's an opportunity for families to bond, kids to learn and peo- ple of all ages to simply have a good time. "It's fun for everybody, especially watching the kids grow up," Brux said. "It's free to come out and watch. It's probably the best thing I've ever done. Whether I coordinate or volunteer, it's just a lot of fun." Richgels steps up his program in pursuit of 1st feature win MADISON INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY Submitted photo Watertown's Pat Richgels is shown with his father, Dan, in this undated photo. Go-kart: 'Fun for everybody' Madison International Speedway ■ Location: 1122 Sunrise Road, Oregon ■ Website: www.madison internationalspeedway.com ■ Tickets: $14 for adults; $12 for seniors 62 and older; $8 for students (age 12-17); $6 for child (age 6- 11); prices vary for specials ■ Race night: Fridays ■ Contact: 608-835-9700 ❑ ❑ ❑ 2017 Track champions Super late models: Dan Frederickson Late models: Bobby Wilberg Sportsman: Robert Hansberry Jr. Bandits: Dave Schmidt