
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.
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