By Chad Meyer
Dick Manske’s legacy as a racer at the Kossuth County Speedway and as a Algona-based racer who won at other tracks, transcends just his win total.
“I started racing in 1991 in a Stock Car,” Manske recalls. “We went to the races all the time and I remember sitting in the stands saying, ‘I think I could do this.’ The Erpelding’s, Mark, Craig and Tim helped get me going. Tim was racing himself at this time and I couldn’t have done it without Mark and Craig was a real diehard on the crew. Phil Asa was a great mechanic for me, too.”
In a career that lasted until 2003, Manske raced at Algona, Fairmont, Mason City, Alta, Webster City, Boone and Britt. His first wins came in a bunch in 1993 and featured a bounty placed on his performance that season.
“The first race I won was the first of three in a row. We ultimately had a bounty placed on us, there was a sign outside the track showing that bounty,” he remembers. “It was tough competition racing against Kevin Berte, Craig Gray, Greg Hilbert. There were so many good racers there. One of those wins in 1993 I came from the back of the B [feature] and the back of the A main to win.”
In 1995 Manske scored four wins at the Algona track, including the season championship feature that year. ’96 he three times there and a year later Manske captured the Kossuth Fabricators Fall Special. The final of wins of his career at Algona came with one each in 2002 and 2003, his last year of competition.
Primarily racing and winning in Stock Cars, Manske tried IMCA Modifieds for a couple years. “It was the worst decision I made. I didn’t care for them,” he said.
When asked what his favorite memory or biggest win from racing was, Manske answered the question a little differently than most.
“What I remember the most was all the kids that followed the car. The kids would come to victory lane. Later, they would all come to the pits and sit in the car and I let them sign my car. We’d hand out certificates for free ice cream cones at McDonald’s, who was a great sponsor,” Manske said.
Countless people through the years have reminded Manske of the impact those interactions at the track and all the free ice cream cone certificates had on them.
Manske recalls one interaction later in life with a child who was the recipient of one of those ice cream certificates. “We were on the way back to Algona from a wedding and were in a hurry to watch [our son] Scott race that night. We got stopped for speeding. When the deputy checked my license, he asked if I was the Manske that raced. When I said yes, he told us to be on our way [safely] and that he appreciated those free ice cream cones.”
“I also remember all the people that came to watch us race. We brought a lot of people to the stands and had friends from South Dakota and Webster that came all the time. And I had a big crew. Thursdays were our time to work on the race car and I’d have about 10 guys there. At first, they didn’t care if I won, but as time went on they expected it.”
Manske stopped racing after the 2003 season. His son Scott raced B-Mod’s successfully from 2000-2008. Scott was 2004 Algona season champion and he also won the Kossuth County Fair race that year.
Manske is retired and lives with his wife Linda north of Algona.
