There is plenty of competition in the Wissota Midwest Modified class at Viking and I-94 EMR Speedways each week. But for brothers Taylor and Tanner Bitzan, there is one person in particular they want to beat. And that’s one another.
“I want to beat him, no matter what,” Taylor said. “If there’s anybody out on the track, I want to make sure I beat him first. It’s fun, we push each other.”
“It’s got an edge to it,” Tanner said. “I always want to beat him. Me and him have been so competitive over the years, playing sports since we could almost run. It’s always, ‘I’ve got to beat him.’”
The two siblings – Taylor is 23 and Tanner is 22 – are in the early stages of their stock-car racing careers after getting their starts in the go-karts. Taylor is in his third year of racing in the Midwest modifieds and already has four feature wins, Tanner is in his second year and picked up his first career feature win at Viking Speedway on June 17.
Both are products of the go-karts, and their last name is well known at Viking Speedway. Their cousin, Dusty, races in the Wissota Modifieds and is a top competitor; another cousin, Dennis, was inducted into the Viking Speedway Hall of Fame in 2022.
“Dennis, Dusty and my dad – just coming every weekend watching those guys,” Taylor said of what drew them to racing.
Taylor Bitzan started in 2021 and had three top fives in 29 events. Last year, he found his groove in just his second season, with two wins and seven top fives in 28 events. His first career win came at Viking on July 9, 2022.
“It made the next races that much better once you get that off your chest,” Taylor said. “It made it fun. It’s really hard to win.”
In his rookie season (2022), Tanner had two top fives in 28 starts. This year, he has two top fives in 12 starts, including the feature win on July 17.
“It means a lot,” Tanner said. “It felt good to get the monkey off my back. Many drivers I’ve talked to, they all say the first one is the hardest and the rest come much easier so I’m excited to finish out the rest of the season.”
Both drivers view the Midwest modified class as a chance to learn and build experience; both are aiming to eventually make the jump to the Wissota Modifieds.
“It seemed like a good starter class,” Taylor said. “Eventually I want to get into a big mod. But I want to learn here.”
“It’s a good starter, especially with what we want to get to down the road,” Tanner said. “It works out good with our tracks around here being able to race Friday and Saturday nights.”
And along those lines, both are looking to get valuable seat time – and learn -- during the remainder of the season. Developing a comfort level is one of the goals.
“Just being more comfortable in the car and being able to search for lines and know when not to do things – just to get smarter as a driver,” Taylor said.
“More comfortable,” Tanner said. “Being able to trust the car is a big thing.”
The brothers enjoy racing against each other – and the competition. They also know that in the end, their cars are housed in the same shop.
“We work on the equipment all together and race them clean,” Taylor said. “Otherwise, we have to fix it and we hear about it from our parents and everyone else working on the car.”
Driver Profiles
Taylor Bitzan
Wissota Midwest Modified #24TB
Residence: Brandon, Minn.
Age: 23
Tanner Bitzan
Wissota Midwest Modified #42B
Residence: Brandon, Minn.
Age: 22
Sponsors (both cars): MH Painting, Bitzan/Ohren Masonry, Bitzan Machine, Bitzan Farms, TRE Raceparts, Sower Power Race Engines, CRC Motorsports, DCR Shocks, Nutrien, Millerville Co-op Creamery, Leslie Ness Construction, JB Tractors, West Central Electric, West Central Tool and Grinding, Viking Bank, StoneBridge Wealth Management, DHS Grain Service, Mike Rasmussen Trucking, Maxim Defense, Joe’s Gas and Deli, Klimek Bros., Elite Snow Management
Comments