Rich Bickle has won more than 260 stock car races in his career, but few of those victories were as satisfying as capturing the 1990 National Short Track Championships at Rockford Speedway.
"It was huge for me to win that race," stated Bickle, who will compete in the Super Late Model portion of the 43rd-annual NSTC event at Rockford this weekend. "I grew up at that track watching my dad race there. I won every contest they had for kids there - the bowling ball toss, the bike race, the penny grab, the grocery cart push, the demolition derby. Any promotion for kids, I won it. As a driver, I had the Short Track Championships bagged three or four times only to have something come up. Rockford had a stranglehold on me and to finally win it was a huge thrill for me."
The Rockford speedfest is the granddaddy of short-track stock car classics. The creation of legendary promoter Hugh Deery, the event debuted in 1966 with Dick Trickle winning the inaugural 300-lap race on the Rockford quarter-mile paved oval. Since then, the event has been held at the end of each racing season with the likes of Ramo Stott, Mark Martin, Mike Alexander, Butch Miller, and Tim Fedewa all wearing the now famous winner's wreath in Victory Lane. The late Joe Shear, and current racing great Steve Carlson have captured the most NTSC titles with seven each.
"When I was a kid, it was amazing how incredible Short Track weekend was," said Bickle, who will wheel the No. 45 Perlick Chevrolet in this year's NSTC event. "They had so many cars. They'd have the Five States Race, one race each for drivers from Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota. They would have a brand race - Chevy, Mopar, Ford. They not only had a ton of cars, they had all the great cars. It was really something."
This year's event is shaping up as something special as well as Bickle will part of field of more than 40 super late model competitors on hand when practice sessions get underway on Thursday. The Edgerton, WI native is one of four former NSTC winners in this year's field which also includes Jeremy Lepak (2007, 2006), Steve Rubeck (2002) and Eddie Hoffman (2005, 2004, 2001). Additional entries from current ASA Midwest Tour front runner Dan Fredrickson and Wisconsin Challenge Series point leader Steve Holzhausen have been received while recently crowned 2008 Madison (WI) International Speedway titlest Nathan Haseleu is also set to compete.
Top Midwestern Super Late Model stars Jerry Gille, Brett Sontag, Jeff Kendall, Bobby Wilberg, David Prunty, Eddie May, Brad Mueller, Josh Vadnais, Larry Schuler, Ryan Carlson, Tony Strupp, Dan Lensing and Steve Campbell are also entered giving this year's NSTC event one of its strongest fields in recent memory.
"It's always tough to win at Rockford, but it's especially tough now given I'm a part-time racer," said Bickle, who now competes in special Late Model events after making 218 career NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck Series from 1989 through 2005. "When you don't compete on a regular basis, it's tough racing guys who are doing it four and five times a week. Still, we've got a great car and I have had a ton of experience at Rockford. It's a real driver's track and I'm going there to win."
While Sunday's 200-lap Super Late Model clash will be the headline event of the program, it's hardly the only thing that will be happening at Rockford this weekend. The NSTC is a race fan's dream with a whopping 12 divisions of racing over the four-day weekend. This year's NSTC slate also includes the Big 8 Late Model, Mid-American Challenge, All American Sportsman, USST Super Trucks, American Short Tracker, Road Runner and Illinois Vintage Racing divisions.
In the end, Bickle, who now owns and operates Muscle Up Performance, a classic, hot rod 
and muscle car restoration and repair shop in Janesville, WI, would like nothing better than to win another National Short Track Championship title at Rockford this weekend.
"Given all the times I had it won and we didn't get to take home the trophy, I'd like nothing better than to win it this time around," Bickle stated. "I think we can do it. We'll know a lot more about our chances after we go there and test this Thursday."
The 2008 National Short Track Championships at Rockford Speedway will open this Thursday, September 25 with an open practice for all divisions from 5:30-9 p.m. (all times Central).
Friday's activities will roll off with the first racing of the 43rd-annual event at 7 p.m. with Saturday's action taking the green flag at 5 p.m. Sunday's championship action will get underway at 12:30 p.m.
For more information about the 43rd-annual Rockford Speedway National Short Track Championships, please visit www.rockfordspeedway.com or call 815-633-1500.
Photos courtesy of Russ Lake
