10 Questions…Champions Edition Russ “Rusty” Dobberpuhl

1982 Figure 8 Champion

How did you get into racing?
I met Jim Kannenberg many years ago and helped him with his racecars and eventually built my own car.

What do you like about Slinger Super Speedway?
I liked running on asphalt and it was nice that Slinger was so close to home.

Who do you want to thank from your racing days?
Most of all I would like to thank Jim Kannenberg and a lot of friends from school who were involved. At one point, I think we had about ten cars that came in our group.

Did you have any pre-race traditions/superstitions?
No traditions, we just had enough to deal with running so many cars every week.

What is your favorite racing memory from Slinger?
My favorite memory is making the Late Model feature the first time.

How did you get your car number?
Number 25 was on my Late Model, but there was no real meaning behind it other than the points position finished the previous year. Number 1 was on my Figure 8 car, also the points position finished.

If you could have dinner with any three people, who would they be?
I am a very private kind of guy and don’t get too excited about that kind of thing. I am perfectly happy spending time with family and friends.

What divisions did you run at Slinger?
I ran Late Models, Figure 8, and more recently the Slinger guest cars on PMF Landscape Supply nights.

What is your real job?
My real job is building high end muscle cars at Speedkore Performance Group.

Which Slinger driver (past or present) do you respect the most?
I have always liked Tony Strupp.