Ashton Schwinn, from Little Falls, Minnesota is the 2023 WISSOTA Mod Four Rookie of the Year. Schwinn, 18, entered 53 events split between the Mod Four and Mini Stock classes during the 2023 season and raced to six feature wins, including his first in the Mod Fours during his rookie year, besting all other rookies in the division for the national Rookie of the Year honors.
Schwinn’s father Conrad has been a mainstay in the Mod Four and Mini Stock divisions for many years, winning over 50 feature races over the last seven seasons, so Ashton had all of the tools and knowledge necessary to be successful right away, which parlayed its way to national rookie honors.
Ashton’s 2023 season was obviously his first in the WISSOTA Mod Four division, but was his fourth year behind the wheel in total. He competed in the local Bemidji Mini Stock division throughout the first three seasons of his young career and continued in the Mini Stock class in 2023, winning five features and winning the Bemidji Speedway Mini Stock Track Championship in the process as well.
Of all the races he entered this season, one night specifically stands out to Ashton, which was the night he won both his first heat race and his first feature on the same night at his home track, the Bemidji Speedway in Bemidji, MN. He recalled his dad talking the cooler full of ice water and dumping it on him in his car as soon as he got back to the pit when he won his first feature race. Another fun night he recalled was when Tommy Pogones won the MPH Invitational and after winning his first Mod 4 race and being up all-night changing gears and working on the car to go race the next day. Just hanging out with all my buddies at the track and making lots of new friends all season long.
Schwinn’s #18 carries sponsorship from Erickson Logging, Schwinn Motorsports, Ag Tech Drainage, Tom’s Windshield Repair & Auto Glass, Red’s Racing Supplies, Weeks Automotive, Paul Bunyan Mini Storage Center and Bernick’s of Bemidji. He is supported on and off the track by his dad Conrad, his brothers Cameron and Danny.
Ashton wanted end by giving a special thanks to his dad Conrad Schwinn for everything he does to help him out! He would like to also thank all of the fellow drivers who helped him out all season including Nick Macann, Tommy Bawden, Doyle Erickson, Blake Erickson, Tommy Pogones and Don Teskey.
At the conclusion of the 2023 season, Schwinn amassed 1937 points to win the Rookie of the Year title. He was able to win the title by 101 markers over runner-up Nick Seitz when the final points were tallied. His Rookie of the Year season is dedicated to his grandma Idella.
Ashton wanted to send a quote along to everyone, saying ‘the more you put in, the more you get out. Racing is the fun part; it’s the reward of all the hard work. Being Rookie of the Year is one of my greatest accomplishments thanks to all the hard work I have put into the car and racing in general.’
As of today, Schwinn plans to continue to compete in the Mod Four division and race for national points during the 2024 season with a goal of finishing inside the top ten at the end of the season.
Congrats!
The WISSOTA Promoters Association exists to benefit its member tracks to enhance safe, profitable and successful dirt track racing, through unified, cost-effective rules, policies and procedures, enacted within a democratic environment.
The WISSOTA Promoters Association was founded in 1981 by eight track promoters in Wisconsin and Minnesota, with intent to offer uniform rules for the promoters and drivers involved in the Late Model division. Soon, the group decided to do the same for the growing Modified division.
In 1984 a voluntary steering committee was formed to oversee the business aspects that developed and to guide the future of WISSOTA’s racing divisions. That steering committee evolved into a board of directors, and the non-profit racing organization became incorporated in 1986.
Promoters who join the organization become, in essence, part owners of the racing organization and are expected to contribute to its overall success. Each November, the WISSOTA annual meeting is held; the member promoters gather annually in this forum to discuss the future of the organization. Member promoters are given the opportunity to vote on all organizational policies and procedures as well as rules for competition in the various racing divisions. WISSOTA’s member promoters and racing associations have spent approximately 30 years of hard work at the annual meetings crafting unique rules for each of the divisions, which are known as WISSOTA Late Models, WISSOTA Modifieds, WISSOTA Super Stocks, WISSOTA Street Stocks, WISSOTA Mod Fours, WISSOTA Pure Stocks and WISSOTA Hornets.
WISSOTA is proudly sponsored by Hoosier Racing Tire, Speedway Motors, AFCO Racing Products, MyRacePass, Structural Buildings, Chevrolet Performance, Engine Quest, World Products, Manley, QA1, Allstar Performance, Bassett, Brodix Cylinder Heads, AMI Graphics, MSD, Minuteman Press Princeton, Simpson, Hooker Headers, Marv’s Trailer Sales, Leighton Broadcasting, Joe Provo Racewear, Mahle, Moser Engineering, Performance Auto, ATD, Holley, American Solutions for Business, Speedwerx, Bradshaw & Bryant, All Star Trophy and Awards, SERVPro, Shaw Trucking, AT21, CMD Race Shocks, US Foods, Race Gear Designs, QualityFreightRate.com, Dirt Track Supply, Velocita, Motul Oil, Dirt Race Central, WISSOTA.tv, and Garage-Tech X-treme.
For more information on WISSOTA, log on to www.WISSOTA.org.