The following story appeared in the 2007 Madison yearbook.
Riddle Sets Sights on Madison Late Model Championship
Oregon, WI (December 28, 2006)
Zack Riddle of Brooklyn, Wisconsin, might only be seventeen years old, but he’s literally beenaround racing his entire life. This year he will be heading into his third season of racing in one of the Midwest’s most competitive weekly divisions, the Madison Late Models at Madison International Speedway in Oregon, Wisconsin.
Riddle got a very early start at Wisconsin’s Track of Champions. When he was five years old, he was the lucky winner of a go-kart in a raffle at the speedway. The youngster celebrated his good fortune by taking his kart on the track for a parade lap while the late model field waited for him.
When he was ten he began his racing career at Sugar River Raceway in Brodhead, Wisconsin, in the Junior Box Stock class in 2000. It only took Riddle three starts before he picked up his first ever feature win. Riddle would also go on to win the Don Fairman Memorial Race, Aaron Anderson Memorial Award, and Rookie of the Year honors. “My earliest memories of racing were working on my go-kart onSaturday nights and racing on Sundays,” said Riddle.
The next few years found Riddle quickly moving up the ranks in the karting world and he was crowned “Best in the Midwest” in 2003 while running for the Midwest Championships. Most of the time Riddle was competing against drivers many years older than him…something that he saw as a challenge.
But Zack felt the need for more speed and the high banks of MIS were calling his name.
Madison International Speedway is known as one of the top short tracks in the United States and a look at the list of past track champions supports that claim. Drivers such as Matt Kenseth, Todd Kluever, and Travis Kvapil have won championships at Madison. Legendary stars such as Tom Reffner, Dick Trickle, Rich Bickle Jr. and Joe Shear also are on the elite list along with Zack’s grandfather, Johnny Ziegler. Ziegler has three track championships and thirty feature wins to his credit at Madison. Zack’s uncle, Jared Ziegler, had also won a track championship in the limited late models. So it only made sense when Zack chose 93 for his number.
In 2005, Riddle made the move to stock cars and returned to Madison International Speedway where he had taken that first lap some ten years earlier. His first season found him finishing twelfth in overall points out of fifty-one competitors and earning the respect of his fellow racers.
The 2006 season saw Riddle make big strides as he moved up to eighth in points and won his first-ever feature at MIS. “This was my most memorable experience at MIS by far especially since my primary sponsor, the Homburg family, were all there that night,” noted Riddle.
Fans at Madison knew that there would be many more wins in Zack’s future. Riddle’s popularity with the fans was proven when he was selected “Favorite Driver” in the Madison Late Model division.
This year Riddle has his sights set on one goal…the 2007 track championship. “I want to win my first championship and continue to earn the respect of my fellow competitors,” said Riddle. This won’t be an easy goal to accomplish when one considers the talent that competes weekly at MIS. Riddle competes in a very competitive division that features some of the top short track drivers in the Midwest such as Bobby Wilberg, Nathan Haseleu, Travis Sauter, Chad Wood, and Andrew Morrissey.
“At MIS, Wilberg, Haseleu, and Wood are the drivers I most enjoy competing with on a weekly basis. You’re only as good as your competition and in my opinion these are some of the best,” noted Riddle.
This will be the fourth year of the Madison Late Models at MIS with Wilberg winning back to back championships after Ron Breese Jr. took top honors in 2004.
Riddle also adds that he strives to be like Matt Kenseth, Todd Kluever, and Kelly Bires. “These
are even keeled, hands on, consistent drivers who have proven themselves successful at MIS,” added Riddle. Kenseth was the 1994 MIS track champion while Kluever took top honors in 2000.
Riddle would like to make a career out of driving a racecar and his goal is to get a shot at a NASCAR ride.
Riddle’s family will be with him every step of the way as he races for the track championship in
2007. “Simply it’s in the family. My grandfather and uncle and the entire family are involved in racing. I didn’t know a lot else growing up. I played hockey for a few years, but nothing compares to the adrenaline rush of going fast.”
Riddle’s crew includes his dad, Steve, mom, Brandie, sister, Stevie, his uncle, Mark Feiler, along with Mike Egan, Tim Thoma, Brett Gustrowsky, Jason Anderson, and Chad
Peat.
When asked what advice he would have for young drivers looking into getting into racing Riddle
said, “Start young…get laps and learn correct race etiquette and respect those with more experience that you look up to. And never give up.”