Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
THE MEN of Fat Kids Racing arrive at the Gogebic County Fairgrounds Thursday afternoon to prepare for the Vintage Snowmobile Olympus races this weekend. From the left are Clayton Radtke, pit crew; Josh Hitsman, driver, and Nathan Rosten, pit crew. It is the third year in a row for Fat Kids Racing and they plan on leaving with hardware.
By Ian MINIELLY
Ironwood - The three-man team making up Fat Kids Racing arrived at the Gogebic County Fairgrounds Thursday with every intention of leaving winners. Josh Hitsman, team driver, has raced in the Vintage Snowmobile Olympus for the last two years, making this his third run. His cousin, Clayton Radtke, worked the pit both of those years and also returns. They bring their friend, Nathan Rosten, for the second year in a row.
The team made the 4.5-hour drive from Sheboygan, Wis., and will depart Sunday after the races. Like many of the other racers, they are staying in a local motel and eating out on the town, pouring money into the community.
Rosten and Radtke are not financially compensated by Fat Kid Racing, but they do receive some beer and cigarettes for their efforts and an opportunity to visit Ironwood again.
Hitsman will primarily race his 1973 Polaris sled, which he said has been clocked at 99 miles per hour. He also brought his dad's 1978 sled as a back-up.
Two years ago, Hitsman won the Fire on Ice race in Weyauwega, Wis., and is hoping to add another victory on his old sled this weekend.
