It has been said that in life, timing is everything. Recently the subject of how I got my start announcing was brought up on a social media website, and I have also had numerous people ask me how I got my start.
Well, sit down and come with me on a journey back to the year 1998.
Mike Mitchell was in the process of getting things rolling at his go-kart track, the Hi-Go Raceway. For reasons still unknown to me, I asked Mike one day if he needed an announcer. He responded with a yes and agreed to give me a shot.
Now, I had been a regular at the Shawano Speedway since 1990 and listened intently to the likes of Mike Fonder and Bob Schaefer, but I never really had a desire to be an announcer as a kid. I wanted to race!
In 1999 when the Hi-Go Raceway opened up, there I was atop the tower announcing races in the blazing Sunday afternoon sun.
During the season I had the pleasure of announcing races for the likes of Jason Jach, David Werbelow, Jeremy Schaewe, Erik Lambrecht, Tim Kroll and Brett Swedberg.
I got out of the announcing game after 1999 to go racing. I raced an IMCA Stock car during the 2000 and 2001 seasons until a bent-up car and an empty wallet ended my career.
I spent 2002 as a pit crew member for Jesse Peebles. I really hadn’t given much thought to announcing again until 2003, when Ed Bertram called me and asked if I would like to announce at the GSR Kartway.
I thought it seemed like a good idea to try it again. The year went well, and I had the pleasure of seeing the racing careers of drivers such as Joe Reuter, Marcus Yarie and Ross Kenseth bloom.
I got a call from Dale Hodkiewiecz in 2004 asking if I’d be interested in announcing at the Shawano Speedway after getting an endorsement from Jay and Nancy Flaig.
Again, I thought I’d give it a try. Veteran announcer Joe Verdegen mentored me during the early season and handed me the reins around the midpoint of the season.
I’ve been there ever since.
I’ve had the pleasure of announcing races for some of my best friends and racers who I admired as a kid. I’ve called races for the Lamberies family, the Muenster family, the Anvelink family, the Bennett family, the Michonski family and many more. I’ve been there for each Hall of Fame induction.
I’ve had a great career so far, and it all started because Mike Mitchell gave me a shot.
It has been a great 15 years since my announcing career began and I look forward to the next 15 years.
And now you know the rest of the story.
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