Double duty driver Kranz aiming to defend Gen X track championship at Casino

The racing bug bit Curt Kranz of Watertown when he started attending Casino Speedway as a kid. And he’s pretty much been at the 1/4-mile oval ever since.

“My dad worked for the racetrack for several years when I grew up,” Kranz said. “I’ve been coming to races since before I remember.”

Attending the races as a kid sparked his interest in driving someday. The 47-year-old’s driving career is nearing two decades, and he currently pilots two cars – a Wissota Late Model and a Gen X Late Model.  In 2025, he won his first career track championship in the Gen X Late Models at Casino; he didn’t win a feature but finished in the top five every night at his hometown track.

“It went pretty good,” Kranz said.

After racing in the Wissota Street Stock and Modified classes, Kranz jumped into the late models in 2013 and has been in the class every since. In 2022, he added a Gen X Late Model to his racing.

Some fans in racing may wonder the difference in the two late model classes. Kranz said a Gen X car has about 400 horsepower and runs stock shocks; the Wissota-type late models have about 700 horsepower and run open shocks.

“Suspension-wise and car wise, they are pretty much the same,” Kranz said. “Definitely more power in the Wissota car. I think the Wissota car can get a lot tighter. The limited, you force that car around a little bit better.”

Depending if he has both cars in attendance, Kranz also will have nights where he does double duty at the 1/4-mile oval. He’s had success in both cars; in 2020 he won three late model features and 2021, he added two Wissota and one Gen X win. He won 4 Gen X features each in 2022 and in 2023 and won one feature in each class in 2024.

He does have a victory that stands out in his Wissota Late Model.

“My most memorable win would be in Miller with me and Scott Ward racing side by side. I inched him out at the end for the win,” said Kranz, who works at Terex as a quality technician.

He plans on racing both cars this year, but not always on the same night.

“The plan is to travel a little more with the limited, and use the Wissota car for the Tri-State series,” Kranz said.

One goal is to defend his Gen X title at Casino.

“Any time you step on the track, you always want to be competitive,” Kranz said. “I’d like to (finish) top five in points with Tri-State.  The Gen X, I’d like to contend for another track championship. There are some great drivers…it’s always going to be tough. It’s going to be a lot of fun racing; I’m looking forward to that.”

After almost two decades of driving, and more than four decades of being around racing, the sport is still fun for Kranz.

“I enjoy the rush of racing,” Kranz said. “And all the friends and time spent at the tracks.”

Driver Profile

Curt Kranz

Wissota and Gen X Late Model #87

Residence: Watertown, S.D.

Age: 47

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