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Steensma & Wajer to be inducted into Hall of Fame - July 19th

Darin Wajer's Induction Article
Spending time with family is a lot of what made for winning nights at Murray County Speedway for Darin Wajer. “Growing up, my brother and sister-in-law, Rich and Mary Wajer, brought me to the races,” said Wajer. That introduction to the sport spurred a 14-year racing career that began in 1990 at the Murray County Fair when he got behind the wheel of a Hobby Stock.

The family atmosphere and fan support at Murray County Speedway kept Wajer coming back. His brothers Rich, Mark and Jon, along with nephews James, JJ, Matt, Jesse and Jason, were always there to work the pits or lend a hand, along with friends like Jason Krohn and Todd Neilson. A perfect example of that camaraderie happened one night at Murray County Speedway after Wajer’s motor blew during a heat race. “My pit crew and I were able to drop a new one in by the feature and I finished third,” said Wajer.

“I have lots of great memories of racing at Murray County Speedway – some fun wins and some tough losses – but the best part was all the great nights spent with my brothers, nephews and pit crew,” Wajer added.

It didn’t take long for Wajer to earn respect as a racer. Wins began to accumulate and in 1993 Wajer’s efforts culminated in the Murray County Speedway Hobby Stock track championship.

That’s when Wajer decided to switch things up.

He purchased his first professional chassis in 1994. It was a SCS Stock Car Chassis which Wajer tempered with a 355 Chevy engine. That chassis was good to Wajer. It had a lifespan of six years! He wouldn’t invest in a second SCS Chassis until 2000.

Wajer’s career highlights extend outside Murray County Speedway. He won the Bud Shootout in 2000 at Fairmont Raceway and he always enjoyed the experience of participating at the Boone Super Nationals in Iowa.

Among Wajer’s supporters over his 14-year career were sponsors like Wajer Farms, Mike’s Plumbing & Heating, Hanson Construction, Dierks Oil, Hegstad’s, Krohn Farms, Gass Trenching and Holinka Distributing.

Article written by Steve Zwemke

Mike Steensma's Induction Article
When the fierce-looking number 10 Modified showed up at the track you knew you were going to see something special. Whether it was in a Harris, Hughes, or his favorite, a 2007 Skyrocket Chassis, Mike Steensma brought dirt track racing fans to their feet at Murray County Speedway – and around the nation.

In his younger years Steensma tagged along with his father to Murray County Speedway on Friday nights where he crewed.

Steensma’s first opportunity to get into a race car was in 1987. He raced Hobby Stocks and Stocks Cars and earned his first Murray County Speedway win in 1989. But most of Steensma’s 23-year racing career was highlighted with great success in the Modified division.

“There are so many, but I’d have to say the night we won our 100th feature in 2003 was a big one,” Steensma said of his highlights at Murray County Speedway. “It’s been my home track and the place has its own characteristics. I’ve raced many tracks all over the country and many are similar, but Murray County Speedway is hard to compare to any. Its faster than it looks. It’s just always been home for me,” he added.

And, though it may be difficult to recall specific wins or events, Steensma does list his first Sprint Car win in 1998, the 2006 Jackson Nationals and his first United States Modified Touring Series win in 2010 as very special moments in his career.

Back up … a Sprint Car win?

Yes, Steensma raced a Sprint Car during the 1998 season!

“We raced Husets Speedway in 1996-97 and got to know the Rubins very well and they kept prodding us to move to Sprint Cars. The following winter at the Sioux Falls swap meet we (Travis and I) may have had a few too many Bud Lights because the next morning we headed to Wagner, South Dakota to meet Jake Peters and get our Sprint Car! It was a fun venture and we adapted rather quickly winning the second night in the car. But the cost was much higher so we sold it after that season,” Steensma tells.

“John Jarchow, Berwin DeJaeger, Travis Damman, Don Douma, Ralo Lolkus, Scott Hookie, Joel Elbers, Gavin Smidt, Jeff Ham, Mike Kuechenmeister and his brothers Jeff and Brian – many of these guys not only helped on the crew but also owned or sponsored the car. My family, my dad and mom, Tammy Gavin and Mason Keegan – they’ve always been there for me. There are way too many sponsors to list over 23 years, but I absolutely could not have accomplished anything without all of them,” said Steensma.

When Steensma’s name is mentioned it’s usually in a discussion about the top modified drivers from the Upper Midwest and fans continue to recall amazing things he did on the race track.

Article written by Steve Zwemke

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