Why F.Y.E. Motorsports Was Born…..

FYE Motorsports Promotions was created in 2003 by longtime race fan and nationally-known announcer Chris Stepan. Stepan has been a race fan all of his life and took his love for the sport to the next level when he began announcing at the age of 21 at the Cedar Lake Speedway in his hometown of New Richmond, Wisconsin and began writing a weekly column for All The Dirt Racing News.

Since jumping behind the microphone at one of the nation’s premier dirt tracks, Stepan’s talents have been recognized on the national level, where Chris has announced for such series as the Stacker2 Xtreme DirtCar Series (XDCS), the World of Outlaw Sprint Car Series (WoO), the World of Outlaw Late Model Series (WoOLMS), the United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS), the United Midwest Promoters Association (UMP), the Renegade STARS Late Model Series (STARS), the Northern Outlaw Promoters Association (NOPA), the Midwest Sprint Association (MSA), the United States Racing Association (USRA), the Northern Vintage Stock Car Association (NVSCA), the International Motor Contest Association (IMCA), the IRA Outlaw Sprint Car Series (IRA), the Northern Late Model Association (NLRA), the American Sprint Car Series (ASCS), the Northern Allstar Late Model Series (NALMS), the DIRT Modified Series (DIRT), the Border Racing Association (BRA), NASCAR's Whelen Asphalt Series (NASCAR), the Western Dirt Late Model Tour (WDLMT), the Desert Dwarf Car Series (DDS), 600 Racing's Legend Series, the United States Auto Club (USAC), the Barnett Modified Series as well as countless Dirt Track Racing Association, WISSOTA Promoter’s Association and unsanctioned events across the United States.

Stepan travels from his St. Cloud, Minnesota home to Arizona each January, February and November to call the action at the Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, AZ for the annual Wild West Shootout Late Model & Modified Series, held during the second week of Jnauary in sunny Arizona, the annual West Coast Modified Championships in February and the annual West Hurst Memorial Modified event, which is held Thanksgiving weekend in the desert as well.

Stepan also travels to Las Cruces, New Mexico each March and November to call the action at the annual $10,000 to win Winter Meltdown and Fall Nationals Modified events at the Speedway of Southern New Mexico and also calls that action at Sun City Modified Classic at the El Paso Speedway Park in El Paso, Texas in each March.

Stepan calls the action at the Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada each March and November for their annual Las Vegas Dirt Classic and Duel In The Desert USAC Sprint Car, Modified and Late Model events.

Chris just recently also became the official announcer of the Modified WinterNationals at the East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Florida each February, an $8,000 to win event held the week leading up to the Daytona 500 each year.

In late 2007 Stepan was also hired as the new speedway announcer at the state-of-the-art Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway in Calvert City, Kentucky. Stepan will travel to Sherri Heckenast's speed plant and announce the special events throughout the 2008 season and beyond.

Stepan took his passion for and involvement in dirt track racing and announcing one stop further when he took on the position of the Director of WISSOTA’s Late Model Challenge Series, a touring circuit for WISSOTA’s premier division, back in 1999 and continued to bolstered the series’ schedule, point fund and following until the end of the 2005 season when Stepan resigned his position with the series to concentrate on making his FYE Motorsports promoted events a bigger priority.

After several years of announcing at Cedar Lake, Stepan was hired on to be the announcer at the Chippewa River Speedway in Jim Falls, WI, and the Fox Ridge Speedway in Arcadia, WI as well as the Dodge County Speedway in Kasson, MN where Chris spent several seasons behind the microphone. In fact, Stepan has called races at 50 different dirt tracks across 13 states and Canada over the past 11 seasons.

Currently Stepan can still be found behind the microphone at Cedar Lake Speedway every Saturday night, and also has spent a lot of his time and talent focused on being the track promoter at the Superior Speedway in Superior, Wisconsin over the 2005 and 2006 seasons and the Fox Ridge Speedway in Arcadia, Wisconsin throughout the 2007 season.

Stepan’s passion for the sport of auto racing is very evident with his timeless involvement with Superior, Viking, Cedar Lake, along with his new business – FYE Motorsports.

FYE was created in 2003 to stage higher-paying special events around the Midwest to allow the drivers that compete weekly at local tracks to run for some bigger dollar shows throughout the season. The first FYE promoted show was the 1st annual Viking Fall Classic, held at the Viking Speedway in Alexandria, MN on October 8th & 9th in 2003 and was an unbelievable success, despite Mother Nature’s best efforts to spoil the near-perfect weekend. The event was an instant success, which saw over 250 race cars enter the first ever Fall Classic.

Once the Fall Classic was in the record books, talks began how to make the 2nd annual event bigger and better. Needless to say FYE and Viking Speedway both stepped up to the plate and threw more money into the purse which made the 2nd annual Fall Classic outlive it’s expectations again with an almost unheard of 317 race cars doing battle on the 1/2 mile Viking Speedway.

In 2005, FYE Motorsports again partnered with Viking Speedway to host the first annual Minnesota Modified Nationals, a WISSOTA-sanctioned Modified event, which paid the feature winner, Jason Thoennes, a $7,000 paycheck, the biggest winner’s purse of any WISSOTA Modified show in 2005. FYE also held the 3rd annual Viking Fall Classic, which drew nearly 250 cars again and paid over $80,000 to champions Don Shaw, Zach Johnson, Dave Mass, Jimmy Williams and Dan Wheeler, among others, for their efforts.

In 2006, the Modified Nationals was in force on Saturday and Sunday, July 1st & 2nd with Rice, Minnesota driver Shane Sabraski taking home the whopping $7,000 top prize. And, of course, the Viking Fall Classic returned and was bigger and better than ever at Viking on October 5th, 6th & 7th. The 4th annual Fall Classic was an enormous success which saw 289 competitors and Don Shaw raced to both the Late Model and Super Stock titles, while Craig Thatcher raced to his second Fall Classic title in the Modified division. Keith Tourville raced to his first ever Classic championship in the Street Stock class, while Dallas Gulbrandson picked up the Midwest Modified Fall Classic title.

Along with those events, FYE Motorsports has added a partnership with one of the nation’s top touring Late Model series for 2006. The PolyDome World Dirt Racing League has formed an alliance with FYE Motorsports and Stepan will promote five WDRL events in the upper Midwest throughout the 2006 racing season. The first two events which were held on Wednesday night June 14th at Red Cedar Speedway in Menomonie, WI and Thursday, June 15th at the Superior Speedway in Superior, WI saw Chadwick, Illinois driver Darren Miller and Mound, Minnesota driver Justin Fegers take home the victories. The next three FYE promoted WDRL events, which was a week-long swing throughout the Northland held on Monday, August 7th at Superior; Tuesday, August 8th at the Viking Speedway in Alexandria, MN and Wednesday, August 9th at Fox Ridge Speedway in Arcadia, WI. These events saw Menomonie, Wisconsin pilot Jimmy Mars storm to the victory in both the Monday and Tuesday shows, while Davenport, Iowa racer Brian Harris won his first career WDRL event in Arcadia.

Stepan will still be behind the microphone at Cedar Lake on Saturday nights, who just celebrated it's 50th anniversary during the 2007 season. Chris will also serve as the track announcer for the multiple events at the Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway in Calvert City, Kentucky, along with the FYE promoted special events throughout the year.

As we do each spring, FYE Motorsports proudly gives back to the racers in the area and will be supporting the efforts of several of the Midwest’s top dirt track competitors this season.

Introducing Team FYE '08……

Scott Lawrence – Superior, WI
In 2007, the FYE banner flew proudly on the Lawrence Motorsports team’s Super Stock from Superior, Wisconsin and will again in ‘08. Scott Lawrence picked up his fourth consecutive track championship at the ABC Raceway in Ashland, WI and made many visits to area victory lanes with his #77 in 2007. FYE will be back on the hood of the #77 for the upcoming WISSOTA season in 2008 as the team attempts an unprecedented 5 straight championships at ABC!

Jamie Lemke – Hutchinson, MN
Also added to 'Team FYE' in 2007 was Hutchinson, Minnesota driver Jamie Lemke's #17L Modified. Lemke will compete in many WISSOTA sanctioned events throughout the 2008 and will be looking to defend his thrilling Viking Fall Classic championship from ’07 as part of Team FYE.

Scott Paulson – Kimball, MN
Kimball, Minnesota Street Stock pilot Scott Paulson will once again carry the FYE banner on his potent #33 Street Stock in 2008. Paulson, a former multi-time National Champion, is a threat to put his FYE sponsored Streeter into victory lane any time he pulls through the gate at area ovals.

Jason VandeKamp – Forest Lake, MN
Forest Lake, Minnesota driver Jason VandeKamp's new-look #16 Midwest Modified will sport the ....Follow me to the Viking Fall Classic....and FYE Motorsports logos in hopes that all of his competitors that are following him on the track will choose to follow him to the Fall Classic as well while he tries to win the end of the year special in back to back seasons. Vandy raced to 22 feature wins and a runner-up finish in the DTRA National Street Stock point standings a year ago.

Ryan Olson – Strum, WI
2005, 2006 and 2007 Fox Ridge Speedway Midwest Modified track champion Ryan Olson from Strum, WI was added to the list of drivers that joined 'Team FYE' for 2007. Olson is a Midwest Modified force and looks to continue his winning ways in '08 as part of Team FYE. Olson raced to nearly 20 feature wins and 2 track titles in ’07.

Randy Vezina – Duluth, MN
One other additional driver that flew the FYE colors in 2007 is Duluth, Minnesota driver Randy Vezina's #5r Midwest Modified. Vezina will go at his Midwest Modified rivals across the Northland again in ’08 as part of Team FYE.

Travis Vezina – Duluth, MN
12 year old 3rd year go-kart racer Travis Vezina from Duluth, MN will also sport the FYE colors on his #5t kart in 2008 on his quest to top his rivals in the go-kart ranks around the upper Midwest.

Scott Greer – East St. Paul, MB
Team FYE has added a few faces for the upcoming 2008 season including East St. Paul, Manitoba, Canada Late Model hot shoe Scott Greer. Greer is fresh off a solid runner-up finish in the final ’07 NLRA Late Model point standings and looks to aim for the title in ’08 as part of Team FYE.

Jason Gabrielson – Austin, MN
Jason Gabrielson, a talented Super Stock racer out of Austin, MN has joined Team FYE for 2008 as well. Gabrielson will be competing at Southern Minnesota ovals all season with hopes of putting his WRC Race Car in victory lane as often as possible sporting the Team FYE colors in ‘08.

Adam Burrows – Belgrade, MT
Team FYE has added a Western racer to the stable as well with the addition of Belgrade, Montana Street Stock pilot Adam Burrows. Burrows is coming off a great 2007 season and looks to dominate Western WISSOTA as part of Team FYE in 2008.

Dale Gangl - East Bethel, MN
Prominent Super Stock front runner Dale Gangl has been added to the potent lineup of Team FYE for 2008. Gangl has had a storied Super Stock career and the defending DTRA 100 Champion is looking to continue his winning ways throughout the '08 campaign.

Bobby Smith - St. Joseph, MN
The former Bemidji, Minnesota Modified hotshoe has relocated to St. Joseph, MN and has been out of the driver's seat for a few seasons, but will jump back into the sport in his familiar red #19, but for 2008 the Midwest Modified division will be where he will focus his efforts.

Trevor Wilson - Superior, WI
Trevor Wilson is the final piece to Team FYE's racing puzzle for 2008 and will add nicely to the already dominant field of Super Stocks that FYE supports throughout the region. Wilson will attempt to put his #87 into Northland area victory lanes throughout the season as often as possible.

FYE Motorsports wishes all of our team members good luck throughout the upcoming 2008 racing season and hopes to see each of them in victory lane across the upper Midwest this season.

If you have any questions regarding FYE or if you are interested in partnering with FYE to stage a ‘special’ event at your track or if you are looking for a professional announcer for any event at your speedway, FYE Motorsports Owner Chris Stepan can be reached at (715) 497-8916 or via e-mail at either chris@fyemotorsports.com.