Racing Nuggets

Rich Bickle Jr. is the ultimate storyteller and guest on the Racing Nuggets podcast. A racer from the heyday of Wisconsin short-track racing, he has stories for days that will make you laugh, cry, and pine for those days gone by. We definitely needed more than an hour and will have him back on to share more stories in the future--and who knows? Maybe he'll be sliding back behind the wheel again before too long. It could happen!

This week on the Racing Nuggets podcast, PJ and Dan sit down with Jerry Gille, the multi-champion title holder--who also has oodles of 2nd place finishes in championship battles at Rockford Speedway. Jerry is recovering from a torn shoulder but hopes to get back behind the wheel before this final season at Rockford Speedway comes to a close. He also shares some incredible stories of growing up around legendary racers and helping on their teams before he finally climbed behind the wheel himself.

This week on the Racing Nuggets podcast, PJ and Dan catch up with the multi-talented Dan Margetta of videography fame at Slinger Super Speedway, co-host on the LTN Radio Network, journalist, and so much more. He's a super fan of racing, which comes through in all he does in the racing community. Enjoy this chat with one of the colorful characters and the most interesting man in short-track racing.

In this episode, PJ and Dan catch up with dirt and asphalt racer Nick Panitzke from Lonsdale, Minnesota on the Racing Nuggets Podcast. He chats about their racing family--including his wife Morgan, a tire specialist for both him and their young son, Cam, who also races now. Good stuff from a good guy. Enjoy this episode!

This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan chat with Susan Deery from the Rockford Speedway. She, her brother David, and the entire team at Rockford Speedway are preparing for their final season opener--The Spring Classic--this Saturday (4/22/2023). Susan shares some awesome memories from her years at the track and how important the extended racing family is to her. Be sure to make it a point to get to Rockford Speedway during this "Last Lap" for their final year before closing for good.

This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan chat with a third-generation driver from Bangor, WI--Skylar Holzhausen. After having several seasons of not racing much and last year not racing at all, the young buck will be making a return to run the full season at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway in a car built by Toby Nuttleman, Chris Johnson, and his brother, Craig. With support from Johnny Gilbertson and what he calls a "dream team," Skylar hopes to make this return behind the wheel a triumphant one.

This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan chat with Dells Raceway Park Promoter Jerry Auby. A formidable racer in his own right back in the day--these days, he is flexing his prowess as a promoter. He has many of the same challenges as other promoters. Still, Jerry definitely brings a racer's mentality to his problem-solving approach, making his track a favorite destination for many racers in the Midwest.

This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan catch up with Alex Papini--former Midwest racer who has moved to Florida. Alex is a very colorful character with a rich and deep history in his own family of racers--and quite a lot in his own right too. We cover plenty--from what it was like to witness his father's fatal accident at Rockford Speedway when he was just 11 years old to his infamous front stretch "Monster Truck" incident at Rockford. Alex will be back to run a handful of times at Rockford in this Final Lap season for the famed facility.

This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan chat with Ryan Farrell from Big Bend, WI. He's a mechanical engineer who is a mighty stout racer--and he has an interesting claim to fame with NASCAR Fantasy gambling too!

This week on the Racing Nuggets Podcast, PJ and Dan chat with Minnesota's Jacob Goede who has many accolades on his resume and still striving for more. Goede's wife, Erica is a former racer herself and together they are raising three little girls who have also been bit by the racing bug.