Fallen Heros

If you have any information for the following people, or if you have someone we have missed that either raced or was involved with Riviera Raceway, please send information or pictures to kkesting@gmail.com, or may be mailed to me at: Keith Kesting, 751 Sudlow Lake Road, North Augusta, SC 29841

Bill Kirk started his career in 1959 when his wife and his parents talked him into going to a local track in Onawa, Iowa. It was there that he caught the racing bug and after a few short weeks, he purchased a race car.

Even before his race career even unfolded, it was said that Bill was quite the terror on the two-lane black tops and gravel roads around his home in Sloan, Iowa. Beginning at a young age, he was fascinated with speed.

A local racer, William (Bill) Bradstreet, took the young lead foot under his wing and taught him a few tricks of the trade. As Kirk would say later, "I would follow him (Bradstreet) through the pack, trying to stay clean so I could finish. I couldn't believe some of the moves he would make on the track, psyching out the other drivers."

Eventually it was Bill Kirk who was leading the pack and psyching out the other drivers. Kirk would go on to be the most dominant drivers in the Siouxland region. He won championships at several different tracks throughout the region including:

Soo's Speedway in Sioux City (1)

Raceway Park in South Sioux City (4)

Riviera Speedway in Norfolk, NE. (2)

Collins Field in LeMars, Iowa (3)

Interstate Speedway in Jefferson, S.D. (3)

Kirk was the only Siouxland triple crown winner in 1973 when he scored championships at Collins Field, Interstate Speedway and Raceway Park.

Bill was also considered a pioneer of sorts leading the industry through it's steps, from the coupes of the 50's, to the super modifieds of the late 60's and finally to the late models of the 70's.

Throughout his racing career, Kirk felt a responsibility to promote the sport he loved so much. Even after a long, hard night of racing there he was, a smile on his face, greeting race fans, young and old alike.

He was known as the "pro" of professionals. The "Salix Speedster" Bill Kirk passed away in 1988.

Curt “Oz” Zuhlke who tragically passed away along with his father in a traffic accident in October of 1999.

Gerald Bruggeman won the very first race he entered and kept on winning for the next 30 years. “Boog” moved from stock cars to modifieds, supermodifieds and finally sprint cars. He won track championships at Columbus and at Alta, Iowa, driving for R. D. “Biz” Bisping of Norfolk. Bruggeman became the first man to win three straight championships at Huset’s Speedway, in Brandon, S.D., turning the trick in 1977, ’78 and ’79. His first two titles at Huset’s came in supermodifieds and his last in sprint cars. Bruggeman, who was always very popular with the fans, retired at the end of the 1980 racing season. Bruggeman was inducted into the Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2001.

Kim Lingenfelter started racing in 1968 at the age of 17 and raced through 1986 when won the points titles in Columbus and Albion driving late models for Will Schaller. He raced sprint cars from 1972 to 1982 and raced some with the World Of Outlaws and raced Knoxville Iowa weekly. One of the people he drove for was Dick Morris, a car that is pictured above and one of the nicest cars at the time. Kim owned Norfolk Transmission and Muffler which he built from the ground up and is still in business and is ran by his brother Ron. He was killed in a work related accident on Nov 13th 1986.

Joe Krohn starting racing in 1980 with car number 56 Hobby Stock for one year. Then changed number to 38 Special Hobby Stock. Then later changed to Street Stock division. Then later changed to Late Model. Joe died June 12, 1999.

Randy and his wife were killed in a motorcycle accident in Battle Creek Nebraska.