Randy Droescher Celebrates 30 Years at Husets
by Jill Funke
What started as a hobby has become a way of life for Randy and Dianne Droescher of Larchwood. By the age of 5, while most kindergartners were learning how to cut properly with a scissors and color inside the lines, Randy was tearing alarm clocks apart and putting them back together correctly. At 14, his interest in making things work led him to take over his father’s machine shed, and at 15, he and his brother rebuilt a 1936 Plymouth from scratch and began racing. Even though the rules stated that racers had to be at least 16 years of age, Randy recalls with a chuckle that he misled racing officials so that he could begin at 15.
When he met Dianne, racing had already become a way of life for Randy. She knew that she was not only marrying the man, but she was also pledging her love to his race car as well. No longer satisfied with the local racing atmosphere in north central Nebraska, the Droeschers and many other racers from their community hit the road in search of other tracks, which brought them to Rock Rapids, Iowa, Jackson, Minnesota, and Brandon, South Dakota. Racing for the Droeschers was a family affair, and for 20 years they would pack up what they needed for the next three days and leave Hadar, Nebraska headed north to race. During the early years, they spent many nights living out of suitcases and sleeping on the couches or floors of the friends they had made in the racing world. It was during those times that Randy and Dianne said their lives were enriched by the large number of wonderful people they met through racing. On their way to and from events, Dianne would drive the tow rig about 450 miles, which allowed Randy a little more quality time with his daughters, Misty and Bobbi.
After the last heat on Sunday night, the family would pack up and drive home. Even though they arrived as late as 2:30 a.m., Monday mornings, Randy and Dianne made it to work on time to begin a new work week. Misty and Bobbi would start the unpacking process, then clean out and wash the truck and trailer. In 1996, the family moved to Larchwood where Randy’s sideline business, Designing Performance, eventually become a full-time endeavor. Since they had made so many friends in the area, they were able to settle in right away and were happy to meet so many more great people in their new community. Racing three nights each week requires a lot of time and work to get a car ready for the track every night, and Randy says it would be impossible to count the hours he has devoted to racing. Because they eliminated most of the driving time, no longer had to drag along their suitcases and pack half of Randy’s shop for each event, the move had a very positive impact on Randy’s racing.
It is a challenge to race on a budget and Randy is proud that he does at least 70% of the work himself. Since so many of the younger participants have large sponsors who finance most of the work, he says that some people in the racing world consider him a bit of a dinosaur. Randy is proud that while he spends approximately one quarter of the amount that many other racers spend to stay competitive, yet he still usually places within the top five, and 98% of the time he has finished in the top ten at all tracks he has raced.
This year marks Randy’s 30
th year of racing at Huset’s Speedway, as well as almost 40 total years of racing. An achievement like this is admirable, and Randy is quick to point out that he couldn’t do it without such great sponsors, outstanding pit personnel each year, supportive family and solid upbringing by his parents who left him with a very strong work ethic. From his original group of racers that began heading north in 1976, Randy is the last one still racing. Not only has Randy been honored for the role he has played in racing, Dianne has earned quite a reputation for fairness and knowledge. Known by most simply as Mama D, she says that she realizes how much she and her family sacrifice for racing, but their love and affection for Randy motivates them to do so. The couple’s commitment to racing was recently recognized when Huset’s Speedway honored them as a ‘Couple Dedicated to Racing’. It is an award never previously bestowed on any other recipients.Over the years, Randy has walked away with hundreds of trophies and earned championships and other acclaim including features in the newspapers and magazines. However, he says that all of those accomplishments are a testament to what can be achieved with a supportive family behind him.