NELSONS CONTINUE TO ADD TO RACING LEGACIES

 The Nelsons have both raced at the Brown County Speedway.

Father and son competing in same division at Brown County Speedway

by DAVE VILHAUER

The Nelson name has been synonymous with auto racing success for nearly three decades. Gregg and his son Trevor raced in different eras at Brown County Speedway, but have gotten a chance to compete in the same race a time or two the past few years.

That happened on opening night when the duo lined up side-by-side in the front row of a Super Stock heat race for the first time at the local track.

“I’ve never been in that position before,” Gregg said. “First time in my life. It’s overwhelming to a point.”

Getting a chance to compete against somebody who taught him invaluable lessons about racing is something special for Trevor.

“It’s kind of a dream come true getting to race against your own dad,” he said.

The father and son have had incredibly similar racing careers. Both have won numerous track championships, and both have finished as high as third place in national points.

Needless to say, Trevor got into the sport by following his father’s footsteps, but the competitive desire was there long before he got into organized racing.

“My whole life I’ve kind of been a motorhead,” Trevor said, noting that he raced snowmobiles, four-wheelers, whatever was available on the family farm. “I’ve always kind of liked the speed and danger of it, I guess. I wasn’t really scared of anything.”

Interestingly, Gregg got out of and back into racing because of his family.

The elder Nelson walked away from racing in 2003 to spend more time with his family and because of the cost of competing.

“When I was racing, gas was getting to be $1.75 a gallon,” Gregg recalled, “and I said I think I’m going to quit.”

Nelson remained out of the sport until his son became a fixture at the local track. Soon, he found himself helping Trevor with his car and eventually made it back behind the wheel, although on a somewhat limited basis.

It’s kind of a dream come true getting to race against your own dad.”

Gregg has been working on his own car, but his priorities have changed since his competitive days.

“He’s had a car since 2016. I think it’s been raced five times and updated seven,” Trevor said. “They’ve torn it apart more than it’s been raced.” Still, with the right person behind the wheel, a car can come to life pretty quickly.

“That car is kind of our trial-and-error car. We kind of throw some wicked stuff at it just to see what he thinks,” Trevor said. “He’s just out there for fun anyways, but it really didn’t take him long to knock off the rust.”

Gregg understands completely that this is not a family rivalry. He has yet to beat Trevor in his return to the track and doubts that it will ever happen.

“I’d have to race three nights a week to get back in shape to beat him, I think,” Gregg said. “He’s running pretty good. My goal would be maybe just to keep up with him for a few laps. He’s on top of his game right now.”

So much so that the younger Nelson only

 Trevor and Gregg Nelson have been able to compete in the same races after Gregg returned to the sport.

lost two features the entire season at Brown County Speedway last summer. The fact that the teacher can no longer beat the pupil is just fine with Gregg.

“When he first started racing, I helped him as much as I could and tried to teach him as much as I could,” Gregg said. “That’s what my goal was. I wanted him to beat me. It makes me feel like you did your job as being a dad.”

Trevor will be the first to tell you that his success on the oval can be traced right back to his father.

“I don’t think I could ask for a better mentor,” Trevor said.

In addition to helping to set up his vehicle, Trevor said that his dad has taught him a variety of things, like “patience, being straight and smooth, and just all that little stuff.”

Gregg is wondering if any of that information has sunk in with Trevor. He is still waiting to see if his advice about being patient will be put into practice.

“I told him for years on the starts when the green flag drops the first time, just hold back a lap or two and let the cars get spread out. When you go hard on that first lap, it bites you in the butt lots of times,” Gregg said. “He always tells me, ‘OK, OK, I’ll stay back, I’ll stay back’ and every time the green flag drops, he’s in there threewide. He’s never held back on a first lap yet, I don’t think.”

While that may be, there is no denying that Gregg’s talent and racing skills have been transferred to the next generation.

Last season Trevor broke Gregg’s track record at Brown County Speedway for all-time victories in the Super Stock Division and he is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.

Not only has Trevor duplicated his father’s success inside a race car, he also has his dad’s former number ‘71’ on the outside of it.

“I was happy he took it. I wanted him to take it,” Gregg said. “When he first took the number, I didn’t think I’d ever be racing again, anyway.”

Gregg is content to compete with the number ‘71SR’ with the SR standing for what else -- senior.

Looking back on it, Gregg wishes he would have competed for a while longer than he did during his prime.

“I wish I would have stayed in it longer back when I quit or actually started sooner,” he said. “I was almost 40 years old when I jumped into a Super Stock.”

While those days may be in the past, Gregg is still finding ways to remain connected to the sport. Now if he could just find a way to be able to compete with his son.

“I’m very proud of him,” Gregg said of Trevor. “I figured he was going to be all right if he kept to it and kept working hard, but he came on pretty quick.”

Trevor knows that if his dad starts getting serious about his return, his strongest competition could very well come from somebody who has helped to pave the way for his auto racing success.

“His time is coming,” Trevor said of his dad. “If he keeps racing consistently, he’ll be right up front with us.” //

The YAPATorium’s reel Skate by ANNIE SCOTT program showcases aberdeen’s young skATing scene.

ro skaters like Tony Hawk and Mark Gonzales have introduced many to the exciting world of extreme sports. Watching the pros on the television is impressive, but with the rise of YouTube, almost anyone can make a name for themselves as long as they have a camera, a passion, and the will to make it happen. Make sure you keep your eyes peeled for the next generation of stars – they might just come from Aberdeen, South Dakota.

Three years ago, Nick Eilts started hosting Reel Skate as part of the YAPAtorium’s summer programming. This year, they will be entering their fifth season of filming with some new additions to the program.

At Reel Skate, participants bring their skateboards, rollerblades, and scooters to Melgaard Park’s skate park and shoot footage for videos that are uploaded to the YAPAtorium’s YouTube channel. Kids are also able to get their daily dose of physical activity and improve their skills.

Nick has been an avid fan of skating for many years, and now he shares that passion with local youth.

“It began when a YAPA patron, Quade Pharis, and I would record some stuff at the skate park and play around with some new camera equipment.” Nick said. “We’d run into a lot of YAPA kids out there, and they joined in too. We had a YouTube account for YAPA for a while, and once a few skate videos were done, I realized that they were pretty easy to do.”

Since then, Reel Skate videos have become a core part of the YAPAtorium’s curriculum. Sometimes the videos have a theme for holidays like Halloween. Most of the time, though, the videos are simply a display of what happens at each week’s session. The amount of footage captured can vary each week, but Nick makes sure that every participant gets screen time.

“Participants come on their own volition,” Nick said. “There isn’t a strict schedule that they have to

adhere to. As long as they have a way to get here and know the basics, they’re welcome to join.”

Reel Skate is more than just a fun summer activity. The program helps local youth focus on health, safety, and the community that inevitably forms around those with a common passion. weLlneSs

While Reel Skate is promoting better general fitness for kids, it’s also helping them develop real physical abilities with their chosen wheel sports. Not every child ends up involved with school sports, and Reel Skate becomes a chance for them to socialize and stay active. The flexible scheduling allows participants to join when they are able without having to worry about strict obligations.

“We had one kid who just got a scooter and came to Reel Skate. They came every week and went from doing bunny hops to winning the skate competition in one year.” Nick said.

On top of the physical benefits, Reel Skate helps instill confidence in kids. Participants get to see themselves perform in videos with polished effects. Over time, their improvement

Serving families in the Aberdeen Area for over 75 years Serving families in the Aberdeen Area for over 75 years Serving families in the Aberdeen Area for over 75 years Serving families in the Aberdeen Area for over 75 years Serving families in the Aberdeen Area for over 75 years To Love, To Honor, To Remember To Love, To Honor, To Remember To Love, To Honor, To Remember To Love, To Honor, To Remember To Love, To Honor, To Remember 101 6th Ave SW Aberdeen, SD 605 - 225 - 0295 101 6th Ave SW Aberdeen, SD 605 - 225 - 0295 101 6th Ave SW Aberdeen, SD 605 - 225 - 0295 101 6th Ave SW Aberdeen, SD 605 - 225 - 0295 101 6th Ave SW Aberdeen, SD 605 - 225 - 0295

is documented, and they have these videos to look back on to see how far they’ve come.

“There’s never a push to do something they’re uncomfortable with,” Nick said. “Kids don’t have to be super skilled to get their face in a video. It’s all about documenting what they can do at  Reel Skate Wednesdays at 3:00 PM June 1 - August 17 Melgaard Park Skate Park (605) 626-3595

Become a Member!

OVER 80 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES

Sail On! The Beach Boys Tribute Tues., Nov. 8, 2022 – 7:00 pm

Chester Gregory: Tribute to Jackie Wilson & Friends Thurs., April 13, 2023 – 7:00 pm

Side Street Strutters: Swinging Nostalgic Band Sun, Sept. 11, 2022 – 4:00 pm

SD Jazz Festival Concert Thurs., Jan. 19, 2023 – 7:30 pm

Los Rumberos: Fiery Latin Ensemble Tues., Oct. 25, 2022 – 7:00 pm

Seraph Brass: Female Brass Quintet Tues., Feb. 28, 2023 – 7:00 pm

$70 Adults | $25 Students | $145 Family/Grandparents

Concerts will be held in the Johnson Fine Arts Center Harvey & Cynthia Jewett Theater at Northern State University 1200 S. Jay Street. ACCA Memberships can be purchased at Interior Design Concepts located at 21 N. Main Street or online at the ACCA website.

WWW.ABERDEENCOMMUNITYCONCERTS.ORG

 Hub City Hoedown Saturday, August 13 1:00 PM Melgaard Park

the moment and helping them become more confident with their skills. A lot of peer coaching ends up happening among the participants.” SAFeTy

“All parents have the same main concern - helmets. We want to see more kids in helmets, so this year we are offering a free helmet program,” Nick said.

 Plans for Melgaard

Park’s skate park expansion.

Expanding the concrete hubba (item 21) is planned for this year.

The program, funded by a grant from Change Network South Dakota via the Bush Foundation, will provide participants with a helmet free of charge. Each helmet is from the high-quality brand Triple Eight and will belong to participants even after Reel Skate has concluded for the summer. Participants can get their helmet at any Reel Skate event, as well as The YAPAtorium and the National Night Out event this August.

“Part of the Change Network program is to make community members aware of social issues. There are families of all economic groups in town, and we want to help those who can’t afford proper safety equipment. A lot of families are only one accident away from facing financial hardship, so hopefully this program will create a culture of awareness towards safety equipment.”

An unfortunate reality is that many pro skaters don’t wear helmets during their events. While the culture around helmet use is slowly improving, it is still important to talk with children about proper helmet use.

“A lot of the pros on camera aren’t getting hurt during their big tricks,” Nick added. “The mindset is different when they’re not performing stunts. Little accidents that occur during causal riding are the most common. They’re not as focused and as a result, they can get hurt.” coMmunItY

“Ultimately, what I would like to see is growth in the extreme sport community in town,” Nick said. “A lot of these kids have the stuff they need, like the boards and skates, but they don’t have contact with others who are into this. I want to see these kids willing to participate with others in these sports and see them have the same mentality that football or basketball players have.”

In order to foster that sense of community, Nick organized the Hub City Hoedown skate event. Skateboards, rollerblades, and scooters are allowed to compete in a variety of categories, including best trick, best one-minute and three-minute run, long jump, and high jump. As participation grows, Nick plans to incorporate other categories. This year, the Hub City Hoedown will be hosted at Melgaard Park on Saturday, August 13.

“Reel Skate is a media production, but it also functions as practice for those who want to compete in the Hub City Hoedown,” Nick said. “Even if you don’t win a competition, you may be a person who can do a difficult trick on camera. Public acknowledgment is almost more important than an award, and I hope that we can get a larger audience for the skating community.” //