Former WISSOTA executive Voeltz dies
First WISSOTA executive director Terry Voeltz, who spent more than 20 years promoting his hometown Brown County Speedway and previously managed Jamestown (N.D.) Speedway, has died Tuesday after a two-year battle with cancer. The Aberdeen, S.D., resident was 78.
Calling him an integral part of the current promotional team who worked at the track as recently as Friday, Brown County Speedway announced Voeltz’s passing today. “Terry shaped racing here at BCS and all over the WISSOTA country over the past 50 years,” a statement on the track’s Facebook page said. “He will be missed by all here. Rest easy, Friend.”
After flagging at and then promoting the Jamestown track, Voeltz promoted Brown County Speedway from 1996-2008, creating one of the richest races for WISSOTA Late Models with the Dacotah Rumble, which ran 66 laps to match Voeltz’s car number when he competed. He served as WISSOTA president from 2005-08 and took the role as the first executive director of the upper Midwestern racing organization from 2009-16. He also operated the short-lived Rumble Dirt Series in 2008. He returned to Brown County as co-promoter in 2016.
“He led and spoke with passion, and sometimes not everyone agreed with him, but no one can deny he always acted with the best of intentions for our sport and our racing communities,” Jamestown Speedway posted on its Facebook page. “Everyone in our sport is in a better place because of what Terry did and who he was.”
Voeltz’s innovative promotions included in 2020 matching fans with Dacotah Rumble starters with a lucky spectator collecting $10,000 just like race winner Joel Cryderman.
"My wife thinks I'm nuts sometimes. She says 'You sure like to spend money,' " Voeltz told National Dirt Digest with a chuckle. "You don't have to be crazy to be in this business, but it don't hurt.”
Besides Jane, his wife of 48 years. survivors include daughters Chantel and Chandra and son Travis along with eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary and Crematory is handling arrangements with plans for a private family burial.
Editor's note: Updates with survivors and other details; corrects date of his return to Brown County promotions to 2016, not 2020.
