#39 - Heath Oestricher

This week on The Short Track Shakedown, we sit down with Junior Niedecken, son of Gulf Coast racing legend Wayne Niedecken Sr. Junior talks about growing up around the sport, his early days at the track with his dad, and what it was like moving from Texas to Pensacola to chase more opportunities behind the wheel.We dive into the start of his racing career, the lessons learned along the way, and the stories that shaped one of the most respected names in local short track racing.If you love the history, heart, and grit of Gulf Coast racing, this is one you won’t want to miss. 🏁

Local legend Heath Oestricher joins the show!Heath shares how his racing career began, the story behind stepping away after an off-track injury to focus on his son’s motocross journey, and how he found his way back behind the wheel in the SCDRA ranks. You don’t want to miss this one!

This week on The Short Track Shakedown, we sit down with Billy Robertson, owner of Deep South Speedway. Billy shares his incredible journey from growing up in a big Mississippi family and building a thriving excavation and paving business to transforming Deep South into one of the Gulf Coast’s premier dirt tracks.He opens up about the challenges of running a racetrack, the true costs behind keeping the gates open, and why honesty and hard work have been the foundation of both his business and his racing life. We also dive into his time behind the wheel, his family’s multi-generation involvement in the sport, and what’s next for Deep South Speedway.

The legendary owner of the blue and yellow #12 vintage car, Bobby Pittman, and the cars current driver, Ricky Haugen join the show! Listen in to hear Bobby's life story, and his journey as a local car owner as well as Ricky's take on driving and winning with the iconic car!

This week on The Short Track Shakedown, we sit down with former NASCAR driver David Reutimann. From his early days growing up in a Florida racing family to competing at the highest levels of NASCAR, David shares how hard work, opportunity, and a little bit of luck shaped his career. We talk about the challenges of making it as a small-town racer, the lessons learned from racing against legends, and what life looks like after stepping away from the Cup Series garage.Whether you’re a lifelong NASCAR fan or a short track regular, this is a story of grit, determination, and the love of racing that you won’t want to miss.

This week on The Short Track Shakedown, Joshua Joiner joins the show to share his journey from growing up in a racing family to helping build Hunt the Front into a major name in dirt late model racing. We talk about his own racing days, his start in motorsports journalism, and how HTF TV and the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series came to life. Josh gives us a behind-the-scenes look at running a regional series and previews the upcoming doubleheader at Southern Raceway.

In this episode, we sit down with Tom Lowery, owner and promoter of Southern Raceway. Tom shares his personal history and how he first got started in racing, the journey that led him to owning the track, and the challenges that come with running a racetrack. We also clear the air by addressing and dispelling the many rumors surrounding the future of Southern Raceway.

Welcome back for part 2! In this episode we go over what brought Matthew back to the gulf coast, why he runs Ford engines, and what the future holds!

This week, we’re joined by #18 IMCA Modified driver and active-duty Air Force member, Matthew Triefenbach! Matthew takes us back to his early days growing up in the heart of dirt track country, sharing how his passion for racing began and the challenges he faced balancing his military career with keeping his racing dreams alive.

Episode 31 of The Short Track Shakedown takes you inside the 13th Annual Southern Street Stock Nationals at Whynot Motorsports Park, as hosts Jake Moore and Josh Goodwin share their experiences from the weekend and feature pre-race interviews with Trey Bright, Dillon Ussery, Michael Emmons, Jonathon Langham, Jamey Boland, and Wyatt Parker.