MAPLE GROVE Raceway mainstay Billy

Kleinspehn has been an active voice for drag racing in the Northeast since high school . His first trips to the dragstrip took place when he was 2 years old , and now he is honored to be part of the staff at Maple Grove .

Kleinspehn ’ s position at Maple Grove Raceway ties back to high school , when he selected a deep dive into the inner workings of Maple Grove Raceway as his senior project . The project is a requirement to graduate and entails each student digging into their intentions after graduation .

When he pitched it to the school officials , though , they were hesitant .

“ My school was really big in sports , and they didn ’ t like the idea . But my goal when I was young was to be involved in drag racing and motor-

sports ,” explains Kleinspehn , 27 . “ But once I presented my project and showed videos – two jet dragsters from Maple Grove – they changed their minds . One of the teachers called me in and said it was one of the best presentations he ’ d ever seen , so I figured I must have done something right .”

Kleinspehn ’ s position at the venerable racetrack

sprouted from the project , when he job-shadowed former Track Operator Lex Dudas , who has since passed away , as well as the race operator and communications director . He also spent time in the announcing booth , observing and learning .

The young man made enough of an impression that during the offseason , he got a call inviting him to come and work at Maple Grove Raceway , and he immediately accepted . Once on staff , Kleinspehn continued to impress , and in his first season on staff – 2012 – he was named Rookie of the Year , an honor typically bestowed upon a racer .

Kleinspehn ’ s role has fluctuated through the years . He started with handing out time slips and progressed until today , when the amiable gentleman works any position needed but is primarily found in tech and the staging lanes .

“ I love this sport ,” says Kleinspehn . “ I ’ ve always told the racers and staff that my hope is to be full-time , and I ’ m definitely going to take that if it comes available – even if it means going on the road . But they also say , ‘ the sky is the limit ,’ so my ultimate goal is to be the general manager at Maple Grove . Maybe someday .” – KELLY WADE DI

AT JUST 24 , “ Quick ” Nick Schroeder has already shown the eighth-mile outlaw racing world that he has the tuning knowledge of someone twice his age . He ’ s been steadily building on the foundation built by his father , “ Smokin ’ Joe ” Schroeder , over the last 20 years or so . Joe turned over the keys to his Outlaw 10.5 operation to Nick a few years ago – provided Nick would pay the bills – and Nick has taken full advantage of the opportunity , quickly becoming a hitter in the PDRA ’ s new Pro Street division .

“ I ’ ve grown up all my life at the racetrack ,” Schroeder says . “ My dad ’ s had blown alcohol stuff for 20-some years . My uncles – they ’ re not really my uncles , but I ’ ve grown up with them my whole life and they live right down the street so they ’ re closer to me than some of my own family – but being around them , and seeing a good friend of mine , Mark Benston Jr ., start driving , it gave me the ambition to drive . I ’ d driven Jrs . and bracket cars , but nothing at this level .”

Schroeder ’ s current level is wheeling the screw-blown “ Ruby ” ’ 06 Pontiac GTO , which recently became the first screw-blown 10.5 car in the 5s with a 5.99-second pass at 238 mph at the Haltech World Cup Finals . Schroeder also made a monster run in eighth-mile Pro Street trim at the Shakedown Nationals .

“ The biggest success for me this year was ripping off a 3.92 on a 10.5 ,” says Schroeder , who won the Shakedown in Outlaw 10.5 in 2019 . “ There ’ s only a handful of guys that can say

they ’ ve been in the 3s on a 10.5 , let alone low 3s . That was just nuts . That blew my mind . I never thought I would go that fast on that tire .”

Along with his dad , Schroeder says he picked up a lot of his tuning knowledge from guys like Lonnie Hood and David Reese . Hood taught him about the screw-blown combination when

Schroeder switched to the combo in 2009 , while Reese educated him on torque converters and gear ratios .

“ I think those two guys are the biggest reason why I have a little bit of success ,” Schroeder says . “ What I ’ ve learned from them is what ’ s got me consistent and knowing what to do and what not to do .”

In 2022 , Schroeder is driven to improve on his fourth-place finish in PDRA Pro Street points this season . He had a fast hot rod all year , qualifying No . 1 at two of the five PDRA races he attended , but a win escaped him . Parts breakage at a couple races and missing the Norwalk race also prevented what he believes could ’ ve been a championship runner-up finish .

“ I really thought I could win one of those things this year ,” says Schroeder , who thanks his parents , crew member Ryan Carrick , and supporters like Supercharged Motorsports and Hussey Gaskets . “ It just never played out in my favor . Honestly , next year I just want to go out and have fun and win at least a couple races . If I can start out good , I really want to go after the championship .” – NATE VAN WAGNEN DI

PHOTOGRAPH BY TARA BOWKER