Midwest Racing Central Today
"Midwest Racing Central Today" provides coverage and commentary to the short track scene in and around Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana and Michigan. Our focus is primarily asphalt and dirt track racing on both the weekly track and regional series fronts. This podcast will feature conversations with guests including drivers, track operators, media reporters and industry insiders.
Midwest Racing Central Today
Berlin Raceway Season Preview with GM Jeff Striegle
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Berlin Raceway General Manager Jeff Striegle previews the 2026 season at the west Michigan track and discusses how he keeps the track feeling fresh.
Follow us on X: @MWRacingCentral
Watch the video version on Youtube: @MidwestRacingCentral
Midwest Racing Central Today is hosted by Pete Pistone and produced by Mia Pistone
Hi, everybody. Welcome into Midwest Racing Central. Today I'm Pete Bistoni, and today we're going to talk about some short track racing at one of the best tracks, in my opinion, in the country. And the general manager of Berlin Raceway, Jeff Striegel, is with us here on Midwest Racing Central today. How are you, Jeff? I'm good, Pete. How are you? I'm doing great. Good to talk to you. Good to see you here on our uh podcast here. I want to start the conversation with uh, you know, the you guys are up there in Michigan. We're on the other side of the lake over here in Wisconsin and Illinois, so we're hoping the weather breaks. Your opener's what, April 25th? How are things from now, Jeff, to when you guys uh put cars on the racetrack up there in Martin, Michigan?
SPEAKER_00You know, I was thinking, Pete, that you were probably gonna start with that question. And I'm thinking to myself that as we sit here today, you would say, Man, there's no way we're gonna be ready on April 25th. But I think every track promoter uh around the country at this particular point of the year thinks that same thing, but we'll be ready. Um, you know, the the snow is gone, that's a good thing here, Pete. Uh, which means that a lot of our team right now is out on the concourse, out on the track. In fact, we have a car that just came in. Uh, it'll be the first car on the track this year uh with the practice session. So, you know, I think everything is in place. Um, we've done this before. There's a lot of work that goes into it right now, but we'll be ready.
SPEAKER_01We always are. So last year you had a really big season. It was an anniversary season. What were some of the things from last year, Jeff, that maybe were a little different building on a foundation for the 2026 season for you guys up at Berlin?
SPEAKER_00Well, that's a great question, Pete. You know, last year was just such a good year, 75 years as a racetrack here, uh, just outside of Grand Rapids. And we really did a lot for the fan. That was our focus. Kids, adults, have something every week for everybody. Uh, and I really felt like our team pulled that off. And so when I look back at that, it became pretty easy. That, in my opinion, was what this track needs to do. I think it's what every track needs to do. We learned from it, it was successful. Now let's continue to create that, evolve that, make it better yet. I think we have a great schedule going into this season. I'm proud of the schedule that we have, and I'm proud of what we do as far as, and Pete, I know you know this, but the fan interaction, trying to make sure that we have something more than racing every single time they walk through the gate.
SPEAKER_01And you certainly hit that at Berlin Raceway, the few times I've been up there in recent years, and we'll get to that in a second. But you mentioned the schedule, and another thing that really stands me, stands out to me, Jeff, about your your track is the diversity of your schedule. You have they have touring series, you have regular weight racing as well, threading the needle. I mean, the variety of race races and racing divisions you have at your track, I don't think that's like rivaled anywhere else. How do you go about cobbling together the schedule? What's sort of your goal and your vision for that, Jeff?
SPEAKER_00Well, the the goal is to give every race fan here in West Michigan, or for those that are willing and want to travel, the diversity that you talk about open wheel, stock cars, east coast cars, west coast cars. Um, you know, I look at it as a big puzzle piece. You know, you dump all the puzzle pieces out on the on the table, and then you just start moving them around to make them all fit. You know, it starts with this, Pete. Our main division here are super late models. The same thing that you would see, you know, running down at five flags or out on the west coast, down in Texas. All right, those guys can't race every Saturday night, they just can't afford it, don't want to put that kind of wear and tear on race cars. So when they race every other week, that leaves that number one slot, if you will, that headliner open. And in my opinion, a good racetrack needs to fill that with a good headliner. Is that sprint cars? Is it super modified? Is it outlaw late models? Is it midgets? What is it that is going to bring the fans in here? So that's how I start. You know, you you you take a look at the super late model schedule, you lay that all out, and then you come back and you go, okay, we got a headliner hole here, we have a headliner hole here and here, and then you're on the phone going, okay, when when could you come here? Do you want to come here? And I think, you know, over the the the short time that I've been here, Pete, what's made it unique, interesting, and something to be proud of is I usually don't have to call anybody. They are calling Berlin Raceway. We want to have an event at your track. That's great. Now let's see if we can find that hole that works for you, that works for us, and let's put this deal together.
SPEAKER_01For some of our listeners to have heard about your track, Jeff, and maybe don't know the specifics about your racetrack. The first time I was up there was back when my dad drove me and him all the way up there from the Chicago suburbs. There was an Arco race that went on there. I mean, that was one of the bigger tracks, short track wise, that I'd never seen. Can you maybe talk about the evolution of where that track was when you were part of it as a participant and kind of where it is right now with you being the general manager?
SPEAKER_00Well, you know, you know, something I tell everybody, and Pete, you know this because you continue to visit short tracks around the country. And so you recognize, you'll run into somebody that says, Man, I haven't been to your track in 20 years. You know, my first question is, why haven't you been back? And, you know, they'll say, Yeah, you know, just life, you know, this happened, this happened, just haven't been there. And I'll I'll remind them that when you come back to Berlin, and I hope it's next week, you're not going to recognize this place. The only thing that has stayed the same with Berlin Raceway over the years is the actual track surface configuration. A little bit like Phoenix Raceway, Pete. Um, they completely redid that facility. The track never changed. Track is what it's always been, and that's the same here at Berlin Raceway. The grandstands have been replaced, the concourse is new, the band stage, the lights. Um, I guess I would say this the one thing that hasn't changed is our concession stands. Um, I'd love to see new concession stands. Uh, they they've been here a long, long time. They are still functional, they work well. But you know, when you're looking at what is the next big upgrade that you'd like to do, that's probably at the top of the list. But as far as restrooms, very important to me. Clean, functioning restrooms, and we have them here. Uh so I think it's always fun because there will be a time when I'm on the concourse and somebody will walk up and say, Man, I haven't been to your track in years and years. I can't believe how this place has grown.
SPEAKER_01It's amazing. The last time I was up there, the layout of your racetrack, though, is also very unique. So for me in the Chicagoland area in Wisconsin, the only track I ever knew, Jeff, that didn't have walls was the lake great Lake Geneva Raceway. That was the only one that didn't have wall. You guys do not have a wall. I know people ask you that question all the time. Why not? Why is there no wall around Berlin Raceway on the backstretch?
SPEAKER_00I don't even know if I know the answer to that, Pete. I'd like to put one there. I don't know why they decided, you know, when we talk about no walls, um, you know, obviously what you mean is when we come off of turn number two, that wall ends and down the back straightaway going into turn three, there is no wall. Once you get to turn three and down the front straightaway, of course, there's walls and catch fence. But you know, Pete, I don't know why. And the late great Chet Meislewick, who developed this racetrack back in the 50s, is gone. Or I would love to sit down with him and say, when you when you sat down to configure this racetrack, Pete, what was your thinking? Why did you do this and why did you do that? Um, the man was a visionary, there's absolutely no doubt about it. I would I would like to put a wall in. I don't think it's going to happen in my time. You know, the when you look at cost to do things today, it's just your ROI on it. You'd never return uh the investment that it would take. Um, some people will say it saves race cars uh because once you go off the back side of the racetrack, you've got a lot of room to slow the race car down. Um, but there also is that blunt turn three wall that has taken out a race car or two in its time. It's protected, of course, but it's still going to tear up a race car. I I don't know, Pete. It makes it unique. The other thing about our racetrack, as you know, Pete, because you've been around it with me, is that you are always inputting on the steering wheel. You can sit in the grandstands and you can say I'm on the front stretch. You can watch them come off turn two and say they're on the back stretch, but it is not a back straight, it is not a front straight. You are always inputting on the steering wheel. And for some drivers, they love it, and for some drivers, they say, I can never figure out that racetrack, and I hate that place.
SPEAKER_01It's very unique for sure. Uh Berlin Raceway. Uh, when you bring in national events that we talked about, and one of them is the Arca Menard series, and you get national television coverage. You had it with SRX a couple years ago last time I was up there. What does that mean for the track, Jeff? How about you personally? The satisfaction when that happens.
SPEAKER_00Uh I uh, you know what? I you know me, Pete. I'm always proud. I'm gonna be proud on opening day. I'm gonna be proud when Arca is here, I'm proud when our super lights unload and we got 22 taking the green flag. Or you know, it's just you just have to. I I said in an interview at one point, for me, you just have to realize what it is you have. Don't let it go backwards, always keep improving. What is the next thing that we need to do to make it a better facility? Lead, follow, or get out of the way. That's my words to our team here. What does it mean? It means that every single time we open the gate, Pete, whether it's for a national TV audience with the ARCA series, opening night, the championship night, I want this place clean, spotless, tight, and ready to go to welcome the fans in from the time they're greeted by the first person in the ticket line until they're greeted by somebody at the concessions. They get a chance to go down and talk to the race drivers because we open up our pit area. It's just important to be no matter what we have going here, to put on a show. I don't care what that marquee out front says, it doesn't matter to me. We need to address every single event as though it is an ARCA national tour.
SPEAKER_01Well, it's a couple of signature events you had. You talk about super late mile racing, that's one of your weekly divisions. But when you bring in the UARA for those two Wednesday night shows, how big are those events? And I'll ask you this question: as we all know, Asphalt Late Mile Racing's got a little bit of a splinter going on. We got the ASA over here, we got the UARA over there, we got local tracks trying to do a unification of rules. What about those two divisions and aligning yourself with Ricky Brooks and the UARA, Jeff? What's the best part of that for you?
SPEAKER_00Uh Ricky does a great job. There's absolutely no doubt about it. Ricky Brooks is a true professional in our sport, and I'm going to say it right now: Marty Mello, Bob Sargent, absolutely true professionals in our sport. Why, for those that may not know, Ricky Brooks, heads up UARA. Uh Marty Mello, now heads up ASA. They are two completely different organizations running the exact same car. Uh, we have a couple of UARA shows, like you mentioned, both Wednesdays, uh June 10, uh is our big money in the bank UARA show, August 12, the Tecton 250 battle at Berlin. But Pete, what we have been able to do, and I think you've seen it on the schedule, um, inroads at least are being made with us, Berlin and ASA, CRA. We do have the CRA Prolate Tour coming in on September 11 and 12. You know, it it comes always comes down to a business decision, and people will ask me all the time, why do you do this rather than that? There are reasons. Uh, and the reasons typically come down to just trying to make a good business decision. Um, I'm very appreciative of what Marty Mello is doing with ASA. Obviously, same thing with Bob Sargent, you know, still involved over there. And my hope is there'll be room for two. They're two great organizations trying to do the same thing, and that's grow asphalt super late model racing. And they want to be here, and we want them to be here. So um, we'll have the two big races. Uh, we actually will have a third that that weekend, Pete, September 11 and 12. We'll have the pro lates here on Friday and another big super late model race here on Saturday. We're still, I feel like we're delinquent at this point of the season, but we still have not announced the purse and uh the actual lapse, but it's going to be similar in nature to a big money in the bank show.
SPEAKER_01Love it. End of season special. Jeff, the last topic I want to ask you about uh is sort of a two-fold question. Aligning yourself with NASCAR now, the local racing series, which Berlin Raceway is part of that program, and flow racing. I mean, if I can't make it to Berlin on a Saturday night because it's a little bit of a drive for me, I could just fire it up and watch it on flow. What were sort of the decisions of getting involved with both those two different projects? And and how do you think that it benefits your racetrack?
SPEAKER_00I think it benefits the racetrack because of the amount of traction we get nationwide. I think I think it's this, Pete. If if I truly didn't care what the reputation of Berlin Raceway was nationally, I don't know that we need to be involved in flow. You know, you just shut it down and say, you know, somebody out in California, Texas, Florida. Um, I don't care if you see Berlin Raceway. It doesn't make any difference to me, but it does make a difference to me because I do like the fact that we can showcase our facility to race fans around the country. And I do, you know, when you and I were traveling with the Motor Racing Network, we'd bump into a fan or two or three or a hundred that would say, Hey, you know, you're with Berlin Raceway, uh, watch it on you know Saturday nights. What a great facility. One day when we travel up in Michigan, we're gonna come by and visit your facility. That comment right there is the only comment I need to keep our flow partnership going. One day when we're in Michigan, based on what we see on Flow, we want to come and see your place in person.
SPEAKER_01Well, I know there's a lot of people that I still see today that say that. So we look forward to be able to tune it in. I know you're busy this time of the year getting ready for a new season. Great to see you. Very much appreciate the time, Jeff. Best of luck for 2026. Looking at the summer schedule, I'll see you up there sometime this summer for sure.
SPEAKER_00And I can't wait to see you, Pete. Thank you very much. Have a great day, and hopefully everybody has a great race season.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. That is Jeff Striegel. He is the general manager of Berlin Raceway, one of the best tracks anywhere in the country, up in Marn, Michigan. I'm Pete Pastoni, and you're watching Midwest Racing Central today.