The Dacotah Speedway Hall of Fame

 By John Gartner Sr.

Not everyone that gets inducted into the BMSCA Hall of Fame needs to have driven a race car.
Many deserving supporters of racing never turned a lap, yet their dedication to the sport helps
drivers and fans alike enjoy the sport we’ve all come to love.. A fair, unbiased, and consistent
flagman can let drivers use their driving skill while entertaining fans and keeping expensive
equipment from getting torn up. Good flagmen that gain the respect of drivers are hard to find
and even harder to keep. Alan Doffee was one of those rare breeds that allowed racing to thrive
in our area due to fair officiating.
Alan started going to races in Minot as a young child in the 1970’s to watch sprint car racing
with his family. He became a pitman for fellow Hall of Fame Ivan Sailer as both were high school
classmates that liked racing. Ivan raced not only in Bismarck right after graduation, but he
ventured out to tracks at Minot, Dickinson, Jamestown and Fargo as both a pit man, but also as
a fan. This era was a golden age of racing as every track had exceptional drivers.
Fast forward to1983 with Fastrax in Bismarck opening up and they needed racing officials.
Doffee first became a corner man as a part of an officiating team. Over the next few years he
gained valuable experience. When Mandan opened their track Ivan Sailer was made the track
promoter after a few years and the regular flagman could not make it to the races on a particular
night. Ivan asked Alan if he’d like to try out the head flagman position and the die was set for his
future. Doffee was ahead of his time as he welcomed discussions with drivers after the race was
over and they quickly came to respect him for his willingness to hear their side of the story. He
flagged at Bismarck, Mandan, Minot for a time, and even in Jamestown when Don Gumke took
over the track. Jamestown needed an experienced hand to officiate. Doffee said he learned a
great deal from Gumke and fellow official Joanne during his stint with the track.
When asked which drivers he most respected for their abilities and sportsmanship Doffee rattled
off a list including Danny Brecht of Golden Valley, David Roweder, Wishek, Underwood’s Marlyn
Seidler, Royce Jawaski, and Barrett Berg. However, he also stated that he really got along with
most all drivers over the years.
Still a race fan, you will see Alan Doffee almost every Friday night at Dacotah Speedway, or at
special events at other regional tracks. just like he did as a young kid going with his parents.
Alan Doffee will enter the BMSCA Hall of Fame as an Outstanding Supporter to area racing.

By John Gartner Sr.

One common attribute you will find with most HOF inductees is the importance of family being
very instrumental to their racing success. When you hear the list of Rick Schuler’s supporters
its almost all family. The # 37 driver from Bismarck got involved with fellow Hall of Fame driver
Lynn Christianson as his pitman at a young age. Christianson was Schuler’s uncle and he let
the teenager do something every kid wants to do—drive his car packing track. You can imagine
the smile on that future drivers face when he pulled in with a mud caked racer! It was also a
smart move from the real driver as Rick got busy fast scraping that mud off the car.

In 1983 racing started again at what would become Fastrax after a two year hiatus of racing in
Bismarck. A new division was created called a Super Stock that allowed drivers to do more with
their cars to go fast at the 1/4 mile speedway. Family stepped up, led by Rick’s dad Marvin,
Lynn’s son Mike, and a host of other relatives that got a competitive car built, along with pit crew
support at the track. Other drivers made the move from street class and the division became
popular with fans. Many future HOF inductees raced in this division and other tracks adopted
the rules.

When the new Dacotah Speedway opened up in 1990 the class morphed into what became
known as Late Model Sportsman, and Schuler became season champion in 1992 and 1994.
Soon the class became sanctioned under Wissota but under that original name of Super Stock.
Drivers like Brian Swenson, Shawn Strand and Joren Boyce built cars, yet it was Schuler that
took the championship in 1999. He also won an early precursor to our current Oktober Fest
called the Fall Nationals that brought all the top Super Stock drivers to Dacotah Speedway each
fall.

Many drivers were making the move to the Wissota Modified division so several tracks dropped
the Super Stock division and Schuler made the decision to hang up his helmet and concentrate
on his own family.

Schuler recalled fond memories of his career due to the constant support of his family, including
the unwavering support of his wife Brenda. He mentioned several tough competitors during his
career like Leo Burkhardsmeier, Darrell Bauer, John Gartner, Danny Herman, Mike McDaniel,
and later, Strand, Swenson, and Boyce.

By John Gartner Sr.

Johnny Werner raced at the old Twin City Speedway west of Bismarck starting in 1954.
He raced most of his career in what was termed at the time, the “B” division, that were
basically stock vehicles from the 30’s and 40’s. These cars had roll cages installed to
protect drivers as they frequently rolled over from broken suspension parts. Werner
won many races during his career with his best being in 1959 when he won the season
championship at the track. He also competed in both “A” and “B” divisions at the new
Dakota Speedway that was located east of Bismarck near Apple Creek, on what was
termed “Old, Old Highway 10” at the time. Johnny was one of just a handful of drivers
at the time that owned their own cars. This was especially true in the “A” division. He
raced until 1962 when he retired from the sport.

Werner served our country in the Korean War in the US Air Force where he trained
paratroopers. He was also an expert boxer while in the service. He passed away on
November 16, 2008 at the age of 77. He was buried at the ND Veterans Cemetery
south of Mandan.

The Hall of Fame Committee has made the decision to close any further possible
inductions from the Pioneer Era (1950-1969) as they feel the proper drivers from that
era have been identified and honored by their inductions. The committee is now
concentrating their research efforts on recently discovered racetracks in both Bismarck
and Mandan that were in existence since the early 1920’s. All of the drivers from that
time period have long since passed away so information is very limited. However,
efforts are ongoing to make information available to the public.

Era: Legacy

By John Gartner Sr.

Tony Belohlavek started racing in 1961 at the old Dacotah Speedway, just east of Bismarck on

Old Highway 10. Back then it was in what was termed the “B” division that would probably be

compared to a modern Hobby Stock race car. He selected the number 22T and the cars from

then on out would all be Fords. The track closed a few years later so Tony had to wait until a

converted motorcycle track they called Central States Raceway opened in the early 1970’s.

The Mandan farmer raced both a 1961 and ’65 Ford and they both sported big block 390 and

eventually 427 engines that were always one of the favorites. Tony won many feature events but

never a season championship as spring planting and late summer harvest had to come first. His

long term pit man was also his only “hired man” on the farm and Joe Ripple said they built

everything from scratch. Wife Belinda said “money was tight” at the time as many farmers were

struggling so they had to “make do” with what they had or could scrounge up. Fellow HOF

inductees Alan Berg and Ernie Seeman helped in the process as high performance Fords that

came into the scrap yard were quickly scavenged for parts.

Belohlavek raced until the 1978 season and then retired as a driver. Like many HOF inductees,

Tony still helped others get into the sport he loved after he hung up his helmet for the last time.

HOF inductee Darrell Bauer credits Belohlavek for getting him started in racing. Even great

racers have to start somewhere and most all would say those first couple of seasons are pivotal

as everyone needs help and mentoring early on. Belohlavek not only helped young drivers, he

checked up on them during their racing careers. When mistakes turned into wins he celebrated

their accomplishments with that young driver. If you ask any HOF inductee if that confidence

builder helped them find success you will rarely hear a no as a response.

Tony passed away in 2020 at the age of 81. Bauer will accept the award and make sure that

Tony’s wife Belinda will be presented with it.

Era: Pioneer

By John Gartner Sr.

Hard charging drivers are nothing new in today’s sport of Stock Car Racing. However, in the

1950’s a driver appeared on the scene that most fans had never experienced as tracks at that

time rarely were graded weekly and holes in the track had to be avoided to finish a race. It was

common to see broken axles, wheels, and rollovers were common. Curley Werner was not a

driver who feared a hole or worried about breaking something on his car. He had one speed and

that was flat out. He led many of the races he entered as he had good equipment and the will to

push it to the limit. Often, especially early in his career, the #22 driver didn’t finish a race due to

an incident on the track. Over time, especially after the new, modern Dacotah Speedway was

built and better track equipment was secured, Werner started finishing races and the wins

started to become more common.

Werner started racing soon after he did his stint as a US Army Air Corp paratrooper and medic

in the Korean War. He returned home and joined a group of barnstorming drivers led by HOF

pilot Lefty Herman that put on performances at county fair horse tracks. Soon a track was

created between Bismarck and Menoken that was called Twin City Speedway. That meant local

racers would no longer have to race on horse tracks but conditions were still not good. Sunday

afternoon races meant a dusty and often rough race tracks as graders and water trucks were

hard to find. Hard fought battles between Werner, Herman, and Johnny Gartner were common

and the trio’s names were well known in the area.

Those hard fought battles often times created a rivalry that wasn’t always friendly. Gartner won

two season championships before the 1960 season and Curley was not going to let him have

another. True to his word he won that championship and also was elected to a new state wide

racing group in 1961 as their president.

Gartner and Werner became great friends and when they both retired as drivers they decided to

trade their racing helmets for raising horses as they helped each other out. Werner was a

master bricklayer by trade and he created many beautiful fireplaces in new houses that are still

being used today.

Curley cherished his racing days and was well known throughout the state for his hard charging

ways. He moved to the Valley City area in 1964 and died in 2010 at the age of 78. His wife

Beverly passed away in 2022, so the HOF plaque will be sent to one of his five surviving

children who all live outside the state.

Donnie “Big Block” Bender started racing at the old Dacotah Speedway in 1967. That track located east of Bismarck raced a class we now would call a hobby stock. Back then a hobby stock was a 1937 model car (probably a Ford) and Bender was hooked on racing. He was “Rookie of the Year” in 1968 in his first full season of racing.

Unfortunately, the track closed and was abandoned until a new track was created in 1972 a snowmobile/motorcycle track that was converted to a dirt track, opened that they called Central States Raceway. Bender decided to move up to the Late Model division at the new track and it soon became apparent that the #107 driver had the talent to wheel these new cars wherever he went. He won the Late Model season championship at Bismarck in 1975-76.

Tri-Can was organized after the 1976 season to encourage an especially good field of drivers to showcase their skills throughout ND, SD, MN and Canada at a time sanctioning bodies were rare in our region. This organization of drivers created a common set of rules that allowed the best drivers in the region to race against each other at least once during the season at tracks that wanted a Tri-Can special event. Bender quickly got attention as Bismarck’s top driver. Hank’s Datsun became Bender’s primary sponsor as fellow racer Hank Albers recognized Benders hard driving style. The nickname of “Big Block” took hold as to the new #77’s selection of a 454 Chevrolet engine fit Bender’s driving style on heavy wet tracks. Feature wins were common across the whole area as three and even four nights per week were possible with common rules and tracks working together to feature the Late Model class. Bender won the Tri-Can championship in 1978. He also won season championships at both Bismarck and Minot that same year.

Bender also got into the promotion business as he purchased Central States Raceway in 1979 and ran it for two seasons while still racing.

Tri-Can went out of business after three years as driver run organizations were starting to morph into sanctioning bodies. In large part Tri-Can turned into Wissota when it became clear all classes needed common rules.

Bender moved with his family to California after he left the promotion business. With Donnie turning over driving duties to his sons he retired as a driver to help his two boys. Kevin Bender raced dwarf cars and still does today. Donnie passed away in 2018.

Racing for Brian Swenson began when his father Leo brought his young son out to the old Central States Raceway where the current Bismarck Landfill is located. He knew at a young age that he wanted to be a race car driver as he admired many of the iegends of the time that ran on the old 1/4 mile track.

Swenson built his first car late in 1987 and took it out to race at that same track then renamed Bismarck Speedway. His car was a bone stock 1970 Pontiac LeMans racing in the local street stock division. He picked the number 20 as that was his age when he first started racing. Swenson struggled like most rookie drivers as there was little in the way of written information at that time for chassis help as few publications existed and not all veteran racers were willing to help younger drivers. He took what info was out there, studied it, and made it work. He shared what he learned and bounced ideas off of two fellow young drivers—Shawn Strand and Marc Dahl. This common love of racing turned into lifetime friendships. Making a race car go fast by understanding the many complexities of the chassis became his passion. Early on in his career two race fans joined his pit crew. One became known as “Johnny Five” (John Steffen) and Cody Motl brought his talents to what became a true racing team. Feature wins started coming and Swenson won the 1993 Street Stock Championship at the new Dacotah Speedway in Mandan. Soon it was a Wissota Super Stock that looked like fun and Swenson had good success in this division as well.

In the late 80’s the new Wissota Modified division became very popular in the area so Swenson and his team of friends took on this especially challenging task. True to form, he won his first Mod season championship in 2001. Swenson won championships in three divisions at the Jamestown Stampede in one year. That accomplishment quite possibly has never happened since. Swenson also showed his talents at the Fall Classic in Alexandria, MN by winning back to back titles in 2009 and 2010. Swenson also drove a Late Model for Paul Mueller. All together he drove a Road Hog, Street Stock, Wissota Modified, IMCA Modified, and Late Model over his racing career.

Swenson has also been instrumental over the years helping many young drivers make their cars handle better. He gave a handling clinic at a local swap meet and he went to the shops of anyone that asked for his help. His positive outlook and can do attitude about all forms of racing were evident to all he helped as it seemed that enthusiasm for racing he had as a young boy never left him. Even when he became the driver to beat in almost every division he entered he stayed positive and promoted the sport by his good sportsmanship.

Brian Swenson enters the Bismarck-Mandan Stock Car Association Hall of Fame as a driver in the Modern Era at the Dacotah Speedway Awards banquet on Saturday, October 28, 2023.

Modern Era
by John Gartner Sr.

Marlyn Seidler’s racing career began in 1973 when he purchased a ’55 Chevy that had been sitting in a pasture in Goodrich for $50. He raced that car in Underwood, and then once more in Minot where he hit a track pole on his first night. Some said Marlyn “took out all the lights in South Minot” that evening.

In 1974 Marlyn bought his first Late Model, which had been refashioned with a ’49 Oldsmobile body. Two years later he would win his first Late Model feature in Jamestown despite squaring off against talented drivers including Ernie Brookins, Jack McDonald and Bob Simmers (who would also go on to become a Dacotah Speedway Hall of Famer). Marlyn declared he was hooked after winning that race.

In 1980 Marlyn began developing his own chassis until he struck upon the configuration that best complemented his driving style. Many of the nation’s most talented Late Model drivers raced at the North Dakota State Fair that year, including legends like Ed Sanger, Bob Shryock and Mike Niffenegger. Marlyn beat Sanger to become State Fair Champion – a victory he would always consider as one of his all-time greatests. Marlyn proceeded to rack up over 25 more feature wins that year. The feat earned him the opportunity to become a professional-level chassis builder. In true humble North Dakotan fashion, he declined it in favor of focusing on his farm.

In 1987 Marlyn decided to return to racing, but in a new class: the Dakota Modified. After spending a summer piling up feature wins, he chose to extend his season into the winter by joining the WISSOTA Modified. Marlyn fondly remembers racing in the Florida Speedweeks Modified championship during that era – an event joined by several sanctioning bodies’ best of the best. Marlyn won that points championship in 1990, which was also the year he became Dacotah Speedway’s first-ever WISSOTA Modified Season Champion. An auspicious start for Dacotah Speedway, as 1990 was the first season of the track’s existence.

As of 2023, Marlyn’s career includes 19 season championships and over 100 IMCA Modified feature wins. His career is also far from over. He has recently won several feature races, including the 2022 Oktoberfest show.

Marlyn does not only take pride in his own career. He has helped many other local Dacotah Speedway racers become faster over the years, including Brent Schlaffman, Tracy Domagala, and Spencer Wilson. Ricky Thornton Jr., a racer who has earned national acclaim, also received a great deal of support from Marlyn early on in his career.

A driver cannot enjoy such a long and outstanding career without others’ help. Marlyn attributes part of his success to three special people. First is his talented son Ben, who started building claimer engines for his father’s #7 cars when he was only 13 years old. Marlyn needed many of Ben’s engines over the course of a career that included 22 claims, and was especially proud to call his son his teammate when both raced the IMCA Modifieds.

The second is Mike (whom  everyone knows him as “Bubba”), Marlyn’s right-hand man and crew chief of many years. The son of Dacotah Speedway Hall of Famer Lynn Christianson, Bubba prepares Marlyn’s car for races while its driver is busy farming and also serves as Marlyn’s confidant during the long trips to and from racetracks. Marlyn has not raced without Bubba to support him in the pit since 2009.

The third is Christie – Marlyn’s better half, and living proof of the old saying: “A good woman can turn a good man into a great man.” Christie cheers Marlyn up during the bad times and encourages him to exercise humility during the great ones. She runs Marlyn’s farm while he is away racing, and has always helped the great (yet occasionally stubborn) driver stay focused on what’s most important in life: cherishing friendships. Good or bad, win or lose, Christie has always stood by Marlyn’s side.

Marlyn entered the Dacotah Speedway Hall of Fame as an Outstanding Driver who won races for nearly half a century. No one is more deserving of a place in Bismarck-Mandan racing history.

by John Gartner Sr.

Foundation Builder
by John Gartner Sr.

An engineer by trade, Herb first began lending his expertise to the Dacotah Speedway when he facilitated the track’s creation back in 1990. But it was Herb’s long-time service as the BMSCA’s treasurer which truly helped the all-volunteer organization to excel. By combining his devotion to racing with his expert fiscal management, Herb has kept our club consistently solvent while continually improving it for more than three decades.

Herb got his start as a driver at a later stage in life. He won a contest to drive a club-built hobby stock type car at the old Bismarck Speedway during the late ’80s. The BMSCA had recently taken over the management of the facility, and its members were happy to see that their promotion to attract talented new drivers worked perfectly. Once hooked on racing, Herb proceeded to win events in Street Car, Late Model Sportsman, and finally in Modified. Herb’s positive demeanor on and off the track also earned him several awards for sportsmanship over the course of his career.

Although he has retired both as a driver and as a professional engineer, Herb continues to donate his efforts toward promoting the BMSCA and the great sport of racing however he can. Herb epitomizes what a driver, volunteer club official and Hall of Fame Foundation Builder should be.

Blaine Doppler

Blaine Doppler has raced just about every class of car (with the exception of sprint) during a career that spanned over two decades. He started out at the old quarter-mile Bismarck Speedway track in 1988, where he drove a Bomber to win during his inaugural year of racing. Blaine sold that car to fellow Hall of Famer Carrie Mundahl and switched to a Wissota Street Stock for his second season of racing. True to form, Blaine won the season championship in that division as a rookie.

Blaine made the move to the Late Model Sportsman class in 1991. He won feature races in that division while driving on Dacotah Speedway’s new track in Mandan, and also drove Daryn Schuler’s WISSOTA Modified during a part of the season Daryn was unavailable for.

Blaine made the biggest move of his career when he joined Paul Muehler’s race team in 1996. He raced with Paul at several tracks throughout North Dakota, as well as one in Aberdeen, SD which was a hotbed of Late Model talent at the time. Blaine showed his mettle while competing against legends including Kent Arment, Curt Gelling, Mitch Johnson and John Seitz.

In 2010 Blaine etched his name on the North Dakota Governor’s Cup Late Model trophy – an achievement which was only more remarkable given that the best of the very best were racing at Dacotah Speedway at the time.

Blaine has many good memories of racing, and has also expressed great pride for having served as a board member for the club while improving both its facility and its track. Blaine’s tenure as a board member coincided with tremendous growth at Dacotah Speedway, but it was no coincidence. His support for the track and his fellow drivers equals the feats Blaine accomplished while he was behind the wheel of the #46 car, and exemplifies what it means to be a Hall of Famer.

Foundation Builder
By Becca Pelkey

Charlie Erickson (or Charlie Williams, as many locals know him) grew up in south-central Minnesota. He became interested in racing at a very young age while watching all-time greats like Mario Andretti, Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin and Richard Petty on the television. Charlie pursued that passion in the early ’90s when he got into dirt track racing while living in Sioux Falls, SD. At that time he frequented Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, SD, where he watched World of Outlaws drivers deftly navigate the famously muddy track.

Charlie quickly joined the local racing community when he moved to Bismarck in 1996 – the same year he started announcing at the old Bismarck Raceway. Charlie would also become Dacotah Speedway’s announcer in 2000, and joined a third track when he became Jamestown Speedway’s announcer around the same time.

Charlie was elected to the Missouri Valley Stock Car Association in 1999. When the Bismarck Raceway closed, he was instrumental in pushing for a merger with the BMSCA. He served as club president from 2004 until 2014, ultimately deciding to step down so he could solely focus on announcing.

Dacotah Speedway built a new scoring tower, installed scoreboards in corners one and two, and added a new pit shack under Charlie’s leadership. Charlie pushed for the track to use RACEceiver racing radios and helped to install its transponder scoring system. Thanks to Charlie’s efforts, Dacotah Speedway became one of the first tracks in the state of North Dakota to feature electric time and scoring. He also spearheaded the track’s state-of-the-art sound system, and started Dacotah Speedway’s original website.

Charlie introduced Dacotah Speedway to electric race management. The program, which is called MyRacePass (formerly Speednet), calculates race lineups, tabulates points, and handles the draw every race night. Charly worked closely with Marlys Schuler, who had previously performed all of those tasks by hand, to ensure the new software was working properly before sending the results and points off to the proper sanctioning bodies.

Charlie’s wife Deb and sons Jordan and Mitch also volunteered at Dacotah Speedway. In 2017 the couple moved to North Carolina to live closer to their sons. Although Charlie may not live here anymore, his legacy lives on through all the improvements he made to our great racing facility.

Dave McFerran

Dave McFerran’s racing career began in 1954 at the old Twin City Speedway near Menoken, ND. He raced in the B Division, driving old cars from the ’30s and ’40s that had been furnished with powerful Ford six-cylinder flathead engines.

Dave was very successful in the B Division, winning many feature races before taking the North Dakota State Championship in 1959. He was one of very few local drivers to gain distinction during that era, as at the time many small-town and county fairgrounds around the state could only feature stock car racing on dedicated horse tracks.

Dave also drove an A Division car with a V8 engine for Phil Thomas in Mandan. He raced using Phil’s #21 car in addition to his own B Division #74 car. Dave raced at the old Dacotah Speedway until its closure in 1962. He passed away in 2020.

Modern Era

Pioneer Era
by John Gartner Sr.

Marlan “Hawk” Haakenson entered the world of stock car racing in 1954. That’s the year he joined fellow Hall of Famer Johnny Gartner at the old Twin City Speedway near Menoken, ND. Hawk proved to be a talented pitman for Johnny despite his young age.

Hawk became a driver in 1962, choosing a motorcycle for his inaugural races at the the old Dacotah Speedway near Bismarck. He soon switched to stock cars, and drove a ’56 Chevy with a 283 V8 engine when he won the season championship during his first year on the track.

In 1967 Hawk bought a used supermodified (now known as a sprint car) from a driver who had just won the prestigious Minnesota State Fair. He adorned car #14 in patriotic red, white and blue and raced it against legends including Hank Albers, Don Mack, Andy Nikitenko and Butch Skari over the course of his long career. He won at least five season championships during his time on the track in addition to several features.

After retiring as a driver, Hawk devoted much of his time to helping other young men get involved in his beloved sport. He also served as Mayor of Bismarck from 1986 until 1990, during which time he facilitated the creation of the Missouri Valley Fairgrounds and the Bismarck Speedway. He even helped to break in the new track by running hot laps around it in his vintage race car.

Foundation Builder
by John Gartner Sr.

Curt Klien didn’t fall in love with the local stock car racing scene until 1990 – the year his late wife wanted to go and check out Mandan’s newest race track. His initial experience at the freshly built Dacotah Speedway stirred a newfound appreciation for the operational side of racing in Curt’s heart, and so he became a volunteer on the track maintenance crew the very next year.

The club used to need someone to cart a big dry erase board in front of the cars during lineups. Curt volunteered, and quickly mastered the art of running backward so drivers could see the board as they sped by. When the club needed someone to perform tech duties, serve as corner official, and man the big tower’s scoring booth, its members asked Curt. His answer was always the same: an enthusiastic “Yes.”

Curt became a club board member in 1994, club president in 1997, and then a board member again until 2000. When the club’s idea to start a Hall of Fame started picking up momentum, Curt’s preternatural knowledge of local racing made him the ideal historian. He spent countless hours alongside Marlys Schuler poring over yellowed newspaper articles and old racing programs dating back to the ’50s while researching legendary drivers. Curt unearthed many photos in the process that had previously been assumed lost.

Curt just recently announced his retirement from his official duties at Dacotah Speedway. His contributions to the local racing community are just as invaluable as they are permanent, and so we hope he will say yes to us one more time when we ask him to help us create the North Dakota Racing Hall of Fame.

by John Gartner Sr.

Lynn Christiansen started racing in 1967 at the old Dacotah Speedway – back when the track was located on “old, old” Highway 10 just southeast of Bismarck. His first car bore the number 172, and he raced it in a class that was very similar to our current Hobby Stock division. Lynn switched to Street class and the number 45 during his first year on the track.

Dacotah Speedway closed its gate for good with the end of the 1970 season. Many drivers started searching for a new track, which led some to found the Capital City Drivers Association in 1973. Lynn served as the group’s inaugural president. That is also when he changed his Chevelle’s colors to blue and white – a paint scheme that rapidly gained popularity as he started racking up wins. Lynn placed third in points in 1976, and fourth during the following year. At the time Lynn shared a class with many talented drivers, nearly all of whom used powerful big-block engines taken directly from the popular muscle cars of the era.

In 1979 Lynn decided to move up to the new Super Stock division, which allowed headers and significantly wider racing tires. He finished in fourth place in 1980. Unfortunately, his preferred track closed once again for financial issues at the end of that season. The track reopened under a new promoter in 1983. The following year Gordy Berg offered Lynn his #44 car, which he drove until his final year of racing in 1988.

Lynn won many heats, features and trophy dashes during a career that spanned over two decades. Always friendly and always the life of the post-race party, Lynn gained plenty of friends and pitmen over the years. Many of them went on to race themselves. Many others started turning wrenches for new drivers. Both of Lynn’s sons would become key pitmen for other drivers as well. Mike “Bubba” Christiansen currently serves as a board member for the BMSCA and crew chief to long-time driver and Hall of Famer Marlyn Seidler.

by John Gartner Sr.

Tony Geiger began racing at the old Dacotah Speedway in 1964. He got his start driving what was then known as a “B” car – very similar to our current Hobby Stock cars, with stock components. He raced at the track until it was permanently gated following the 1969 season.

There was no racing in the area during the 1970 and 1971 seasons. Fortunately, Central States Raceway opened in 1972, and with it came Tony’s long-awaited return to racing. His brother Bob joined him in a new class called Late Model. Two-digit numbers were encouraged to help lap counters keep track of the Late Model cars, so Tony emblazoned his own with the number 79.

Tony and Bob owned a used auto parts business, and they both loved to tinker. In other words, they were suited perfectly for developing Late Model cars’ high-performance engines. Tony built a Nova with a custom racing chassis and painted it black – an unusual choice of color at the time. It did not deter A & B Pizza, a new restaurant that was rapidly gaining popularity in the area, from sponsoring Tony. He raced full-time with great success until the 1980 season.

The Geiger brothers were quite popular among other local drivers – not just because they offered a wide selection of quality parts, but also because they freely shared their knowledge with younger drivers who were still cutting their teeth on the sport. In an era before the track attracted parts vendors, the Geigers’ connections with emerging chassis builders secured other local racers’ access to key parts. The BMSCA’s inaugural Swap Meet was held in the brothers’ own shop. The event gained traction, and gradually grew into a regional event that helped countless drivers pursue their passion and advance their careers.

by John Gartner Sr.

Danny Herman came from a racing family – his father and fellow Hall of Famer Herbert “Lefty” Herman was one of the pioneers of racing in the Bismarck-Mandan area. Danny began his career by driving a street stock car at the old Central States Race Track in 1972. Two years later he moved up to the Late Model class, driving a bright red Camaro with #61 on its side.

Danny raced for a time in the Tri-Can Late Model series, finding success at tracks all around the region. His best year was 1976 when he finished third in season points. He concluded his Late Model days in 1980, as his local track remained closed in 1981 and 1982. Danny then switched over to the popular Super Stock class, finishing third in points in both the 1984 and 1985 seasons. When the class switched to the Late Model Sportsman division in 1990, Danny followed suit and finished third in points once more in 1991. Danny switched divisions yet again in 1995. He would compete in the WISSOTA Modified class until 1998, when he passed away at the young age of 48.

Danny took pride in building almost all of his own equipment, just as his father had during the earliest days of racing in our area. He was a hard-charging driver, who often refused newer technology like power steering. To Danny, race cars were meant to be manhandled around corners.

Danny’s son Steve helped pit for his father, and also raced for himself for a time. In doing so he became one of the area’s very first third-generation drivers.

Modern Era
by John Gartner Sr.

Terry “The Outlaw” Barnes started racing in 1983 in a blue and white Chevy Impala Street Stock. In 1987 he made the jump to Late Model, competing at the old Fastrax Speedway and other tracks throughout the region. The Outlaw switched to Wissota Super stock in 1987, and then moved up to WISSOTA Modified the following year. He continued to race until taking a break in 1998, but eventually returned to the track for a couple more years while competing in Wissota Street Stock.

The Outlaw is just as colorful a character as his nickname suggests, but he also has a heart of gold. He gave away hundreds of bikes to young children, and many claim it was actually he who started the bike giveaways that are popular at race tracks around our region. He was also generous with his time and expertise. Several drivers credit The Outlaw for getting them started including Troy Butz and Jeremy Schmidt.

The Outlaw also spent time serving on the BMSCA’s board of directors in the ’80s and ’90s. His generosity toward fans and fellow drivers was matched by his marketing skills. The gifted promoter tirelessly drummed up interest in Bismarck Speedway and Dacotah Speedway during a time when both tracks were in operation. The Outlaw was also involved in starting the North Dakota Governor’s Cup Auto Race, and even met with Governor George A. Sinner during original planning of the event.

The Outlaw is never at a loss for words, and always had a colorful phrase or two for anyone he might have disagreed with. But while he may not have supported every decision that was made at Dacotah Speedway, he was always eager to show up and lend all of his effort toward supporting the greatest sport on earth. That is the hallmark of a Hall of Famer in our book.

Modern Era
by John Gartner Sr.

If there was ever a local driver whose career merited induction to the Dacotah Speedway Hall of Fame, it is Leo Burkhardsmeier.

Leo began racing as a teenager at Fargo’s big half-mile Red River Valley Speedway in 1968. He cut his teeth driving his #8 car with the flying eight ball theme against Fargo area legends including Rick Aukland, Johnny Correl, Big Joe Jacobson and Bobby Sagen. Leo founded a transmission business in Bismarck in the early ’80s, but still found time to race in Fargo every Friday night. He used the venerable big-block 440 engine to build the all Mopar Super Stock that won him multiple season championships and hundreds of feature wins all over the region.

When WISSOTA Modified entered the scene in the late ’80s, Leo adapted that same Mopar engine into a Chevy frame to create a car that was all but unbeatable. He took four consecutive national WISSOTA Modified titles in the mid ’90s. In doing so he caused WISSOTA to outlaw big-block engines altogether, instituting a lower weight rule that favored small-block engines and slightly less dominating cars as a result.

Leo switched from WISSOTA Modifieds to IMCA Modifieds and raced locally until his retirement from the sport in 2012. When asked to name his toughest competition, he narrowed it down to a single driver who didn’t race very often in the eastern part of North Dakota: Hank Berry. “Hank didn’t have the best equipment early on,” Leo recounted, “but he could drive anything well.”

Leo has been nominated in the Modern Era category despite having raced during all three time periods. If you ever get an opportunity to listen to him speak about his long and storied career – seize it.

Foundation Builder
by John Gartner Sr.

Allen Johnson has attended stock car races for nearly as long as they have been presented in the Bismarck-Mandan area. He first became a fan at the old Dacotah Speedway, where he remembers fondly watching great drivers including Bob Bender, Marlyn “Hawk” Haakenson, Herbert “Lefty” Herman and “Curley” Werner as they raced around the old quarter-mile track until its permanent closure in the late ’60s.

Allen could finally resume watching his favorite sport in person with the completion of the new Central States Raceway. There he witnessed a new generation of drivers such as Donny “Big Block” Bender, Marv Gillig, and a fellow salvage yard owner named Leroy Walker. Many drivers of that era were also Allen’s good customers, as parts from Johnson’s Wrecking were often installed on and inside their cars. Allen began sponsoring many of those cars when he took the Mandan business over from his father “Pops” Johnson.

When the new Dacotah Speedway was built in Allen’s hometown, he started supporting the track with advertising and by helping to keep its older maintenance vehicles operational. Allen always seemed to have (or at least know where to find) the inexpensive parts the track and its drivers needed in order to keep going every night. In time Allen’s son Brian also stepped up to help out at the track.

Allen’s support for Dacotah Speedway as a life-long fan, sponsor and advertiser is unmatched. No other local businessman in the area has sponsored more cars or helped more drivers than him. For that reason we are honored to induct him to the Hall of Fame under the Foundation Builder category.

Pioneer & Legacy Eras
by John Gartner Sr.

Pioneers of our area’s racing scene characteristically wore multiple different hats. Once they concluded their driving careers, they continued to keep the great sport of racing alive by supporting their favorite tracks during their retirements.

Allan Berg exemplified this principle. He raced from 1964 until 1967, and then again in 1972 at Central States Race Track. He was chosen as Sportsman of the Year in 1967, and elected as president of Stock Car Inc. by his peers from 1968 until 1969.

But Allan’s retirement did not end his active support for racing. He was a car owner for many drivers and sponsored the cars that were driven by many others. His wrecking yard provided an invaluable source of parts that he was quick to sell to racers at reduced prices (if he charged them at all).

Allan also served numerous tracks as their wrecker driver. Local tracks seldom owned their own towing equipment back in the day, but they could always rely on Allan to arrive and be ready on race nights. Allan would keep a cool head and a steady hand whenever emotional drivers emerged from their wrecked cars. He would calm them down as he loaded their cars onto trailers. He offered them sage advice, as well as the parts they needed to fix the damage – oftentimes for free.

As a true renaissance man of the racing world, Allan was universally respected and regarded as an excellent role model by younger drivers. We lost Allan in 1997, but the Bismarck-Mandan racing community still remains strong thanks in no small part to his kindness, advice, and passion for our great sport. We are proud to honor a foundational contributor to the Modern Era of racing.

Pioneer Era
by John Gartner Sr.

Johnny Gartner officially started what would become a three-generation racing family when he first took the wheel at the old Twin City Speedway in 1955. His friends had recently persuaded Johnny that racing was much safer than the illegal street hotrods of the time. The new track just east of Bismarck provided the perfect place in which to demonstrate his talent.

Johnny initially drove a “B” car that was owned by Bob Anderson. His number, 147, represented the first three digits of Bob’s Body Shop’s phone number. Johnny moved up to the “A” division the following year, when he drove for Ken Landers and was sponsored by Harley McDowell’s new Big Boy Drive Inn.

Johnny’s best year came in 1958, when he raced all over the state in a Corvette powdered by a fuel-injected 283 V8. He developed a close friendship with fellow cobbler Andy Niktenko of Minot during that time. In 1960 Johnny moved up to the Super Modified division, where he drove a car with an Oldsmobile fuel-injected engine, early sprint car chassis and wing on its roof. Johnny was severely injured during a rollover at a race in Jamestown – a mishap which convinced Johnny that cars’ capabilities had evolved faster than their safety features.

Johnny was always the life of the party after each race. No matter how fiercely a driver competed against him, they would quickly become Johnny’s long-time friend off the track. Johnny believed that sportsmanship, family and giving back are all inextricable qualities of racing. He passed away in 1974 at the young age of 46, but we are proud to keep his philosophy alive at Dacotah Speedway.

Modern Era
by John Gartner Sr.

If you looked in the driver’s seat of Johnny Gartner’s car after he finished a race, you might have found two boys taking turns at the wheel and making engine noises. They would have been Greg and John – Johnny’s sons.

John started following racing alongside his father in the late ’50s. After John’s father passed away, John kicked off his own racing career by teaming up to build his own car with his fellow shopmates Paul Mueller and Don Sayer. John was hooked on racing for life when he won three features in 1976. In 1983 he teamed up with car owner Warren Greenwell and raced in the new Super Stock class in Bismarck, Fargo, Jamestown and Minot. He took the Minot Harvest 100 and several other features in 1983. He won the Super Stock Season Championship in Bismarck in 1983. John also had the distinction of becoming one of North Dakota’s first drivers to get featured in a national magazine when his ’84 Dodge Daytona appeared on the cover of Circle Track.

John was the BMSCA’s very first promoter, beginning at the old Bismarck Speedway in 1988. He worked closely alongside his friends and a host of hard-working volunteers to build the new Dacotah Speedway in 1990. In 1991 John was hired as director of the Mandan Park District, which owned Dacotah Speedway, and was instrumental to shepherding the track through its earliest years.

John made plenty of other contributions to racing when he wasn’t at the wheel making engine noises. He acted as mentor to many track officials, guiding them so they could become better at their duties and managing their yearly training program. John’s knack for instruction was nationally recognized when he was invited to speak at an RPM Promotions workshop. John served as one of the founders of the Dakota Classic Modified Tour, which he also helped guide.

John’s leadership united Western North Dakota racetracks for many decades, and for that we are honored to name him as a Foundation Builder for the Modern Era of racing in our area.

Modern Era
by John Gartner Sr.

Don Helbling’s involvement with the BMSCA began in 1982 when he built a Ford Super Stock to run at the old Fastrax Speedway east of Bismarck. He served as the club’s president for many years, leading the movement to transition from a privately promoted racetrack to the club-run facility that is still in existence today.

Don worked with the Mandan Board of Park Commissioners to establish the fundraising system that would ultimately build the track known as Dacotah Speedway. Don continued to lead the club after its move to its newly established facility in 1990. In 1991 Don built a WISSOTA Modified which he raced until his retirement from driving three years later.

Don was instrumental in the creation of local swap meets, and worked diligently to help nearby tracks coordinate their scheduling. His sharp business acumen and experience in construction inspired the group of volunteers which built Dacotah Speedway’s lower grandstands, old announcer’s tower, current pit concession stand, water trucks and scale. Don took inspiration he gained during visits to NASCAR tracks and adapted it to fit the local racing scene’s unique needs.

Don’s ability to stretch a dollar without sacrificing continual improvement of the track and its equipment was indispensable during the club’s early years when its funding was so tight. He was a leader with a singular vision for his beloved club  – and the rare talents he needed to bring it to life.

Pioneer Era
by John Gartner Sr.

Lefty and his family were true pioneers in the sport of stock car racing. They were instrumental in constructing the Capital City Track (later renamed Twin City Speedway) on the Rennick farm seven miles east of Bismarck. Lefty raced with his brother Eldon “Eldy” Herman, and also joined his father working on cars over the years.

Lefty started his racing career upon completing his service in the United States Army in 1950, driving for a while at a track situated between Bismarck and Mandan. He won the points championship in 1954, and spent the rest of the decade competing at tracks across North Dakota. Lefty moved to Jamestown following his retirement from racing in 1961, but still participated as a car owner for several more years.

Lefty passed away in 1997 at the age of 68. His brother Eldy is still a great fan of racing, and has supported the club by submitting old photos and sharing history of the earliest days of racing in our area.