Nearing the final turn at Elko Speedway, Michael Ostdiek was closing in on his first Legend Car race in 2011, but there was bigger meaning to the race than it being his first win.

Ostdiek’s Uncle, Dwain Behrens, tragically passed away in a snowmobile accident 18 years prior. Behrens was one of the top racers at Elko Speedway in Minnesota at the time.

The race that was about to jumpstart his career was the Dwain Behrens Memorial race. Adding to the drama, Ostdiek was battling with his brother for the checkered flag. Matt, his older brother, was in car No. 40, their uncle’s number when he raced.

“That night couldn’t have gone any better,” said Ostdiek, a freshman at Iowa State. “To beat my brother by less than a foot, on a night where our uncle was being honored, was surreal.”

Career Path

Ostdiek’s racing career began long before he can remember and long before he was born. On his mom’s side, his grandpa raced around the Midwest several times a week and of course, his Uncle Dwain raced too.

On his dad’s side, his grandpa owned two tracks in Minnesota, Raceway Park and Elko Speedway, Ostdiek’s home track. His dad owned a car and successfully guided his son toward the racing world.

Ostdiek started racing in the quarter midgets division at the age of five. Quarter midgets racing ranges from age five to 14 and while in this division, Ostdiek saw tremendous success. He recorded over 100 wins and was a five-time quarter midget champion, which is no easy feat.

He then jumped to the legends car division and later to the late model division. Ostdiek saw success in both divisions and most recently finished No. 4 in the 2015 Big 8 Series Late Model Division.

Matt noted that he and his younger brother have very different approaches when it comes to racing. Michael takes an aggressive approach and has no fear, but has also balanced the aggressive mentality with a controlled approach too.

Alan Kulwicki Development Program

On March 2, 2016, in Larch Hall, Ostdiek nervously awaited the biggest interview of his young life while he sat in his dorm room. A successful conference call would put him on path to become one of the best young drivers in the country, but as Ostdiek put it, “You never really know what you’re going up against and I knew how big this could be for my career.”

The interview was conducted by members of the advisory board and lasted roughly 30 minutes. Ostdiek was peppered with questions on why he deserved a spot in the final seven, but with his outgoing personality, Ostdiek smoothly raced through the interview.

Ostdiek was named as a semifinalist for the Kulwicki Driver Development Program, along with 16 other drivers.

Alan Kulwicki died in 1993 when he was heading to a race and the plane he was in crashed. The program was started in memory of him and to honor young drivers looking to make a difference in the racing world.

“To be a semifinalist is an honor in its own right,” Ostdiek said. “It just stresses [you out] to do your own thing and make a name for yourself.”

Kulwicki won the NASCAR Winston Cup, now the Sprint Cup Series, the year before he passed away. The winner is typically in the early stages of their career and exemplifies the sort of life that Kulwicki lived.

“Mike traveled almost every weekend last semester,” said freshman Robby Scholl, Ostdiek’s roommate. “He always had a school-first mentality.”

Ostdiek and Kulwicki could be mirrored images of one another. Kulwicki was the only college-educated racer in NASCAR at the time and Ostdiek is working toward an undergraduate degree currently, and both successfully balanced racing and school. More importantly, both have had success on the track too.

“The real clincher was [Michael] being a college student and successfully balancing his racing and studies,” said Tom Roberts, Executive Director of the Kulwicki Driver Development Program. “That aspect was important to Alan and it is apparent that it’s just as important to [Michael].”

Family Aspect

On top of racing, Ostdiek also has to balance a full course load. This is where his team and family come into play. Ostdiek typically spends three to five nights per week working on his car over the summer, compared to the winter where he rarely has time to work on it.

“My mom might be the biggest member of the team,” Ostdiek said. “She keeps us all feed and in line.”

The family goes beyond his actual family, as he has a crew of four or five guys that are by his side every race.

Bond Beyond Racing

Ostdiek bods with his father as they work in the shop on most summer days, something that he cherishes. He said that it’s one of those things that can be challenging, but it helps bring the passion and fire to the racetrack every weekend.

“It’s frustrating and we battle adversity,” Ostdiek said. “But it strengthens our trust for one another.”

A brotherly bond is a slippery slope, but for Ostdiek and his brother, they have forged a bond far beyond anything they had before racing. Racing has brought the two together. 

“Racing is our days on the lake,” Matt said. “We are completely opposite people. But we find a common interest in racing.”

Future

With it well known that school is his top priority; Ostdiek also noted that if he gets an opportunity to continue racing after school he’ll gladly take it. However, racing isn’t a cheap sport with all the repairs and traveling that is required.

Ostdiek is ultimately at Iowa State deciding between business and mechanical engineering, but whether or not Ostdiek is able to continue racing after school, he wants to remain around the racing world, even if it means owning a team or being a member of another team.

“[Michael] is well deserving just off talent,” Matt said. “But what also sets him apart is his people skills. Not many drivers have both and no matter what he does in life, he will be successful.”