Crossing the finish line

MILLERVILLE, Minn. — Dustin “Dusty” Bitzan has spent nearly two decades balancing two demanding worlds — dairy farming and dirt track racing.

By day, he milks 60 cows on his family’s dairy farm. By night, he straps into a modified race car, black with white accents and lettering, competing at dirt tracks across west-central Minnesota. He started racing at 18. Now, at 36, he is an 18‑year veteran with multiple points championships at both Viking Speedway in Alexandria and I‑94 emr Speedway Inc. in Fergus Falls.

Bitzan admits he has lost track of how many titles he has won.

“I honestly don’t even know how many championships I’ve had there,” Bitzan said. “I’d have to go back and look.”

This year’s championship came at Alexandria, adding to several he has earned in Fergus Falls.

Racing fits into a weekly routine shaped around chores and car maintenance. During the week, Bitzan and a small crew gather in the evenings to prepare the car. The group includes a longtime friend who has helped him since he began racing, his brother Jason, Jason’s son, Riley, and a few buddies who stop by.

“I think they are more there for the talking than doing anything,” Bitzan said, “but they are always willing to give a hand.”

Friday afternoons follow a strict schedule. Bitzan starts milking around 4 or 4:30, finishes chores, and heads to the track. The car owner hauls the car, and Bitzan meets him there. Saturdays follow the same pattern, except the destination changes to Viking Speedway. He raced about 25 nights this season, usually arriving at the track between 6:30 and 7 p.m.

Bitzan says he has never missed a start time.

“I kind of know where I have to be with everything at a certain time,” Bitzan said. “I’ve never really had that happen yet where I didn’t make it.”

A typical night begins with an 8‑lap heat race. Finishing well in the heat can improve a driver’s starting position in the feature, but not always. The top finishers enter a redraw, where starting spots are determined by pulling numbers.

“The guy that finishes fourth could possibly pull out the one,” Bitzan said. “The guy that won it could pull out an eight. That happens all the time.”

Bitzan is known for his position on the track and credits his team for his success.

“I am usually kind of known for the high side,” he said. “We are all on the same page all the time, everybody gets along well, and we all know what we are doing.”

Racing has taken on new meaning since Bitzan became a husband and father. His wife, Toni, and their daughter, Eva, attend races when they can. Their newborn son, Elliot, has kept them home more this season, but they plan to return soon.

“It means a lot,” Bitzan said. “My daughter stays busy playing in the dirt and monkeying around with everybody. She loves to be down in the pits.”

This season brought another highlight. Bitzan won the first qualifying feature for the WISSOTA 100, the largest event of the year for their sanctioning body. The race draws drivers from across the Dakotas, Wisconsin and other states.

“There was even a guy here from Louisiana,” Bitzan said.

Bitzan said he still enjoys pulling into victory lane.

“It’s a good feeling,” he said. “Now it seems like I have gotten older, and I have won a fair amount. It is exciting to win every race, but now it is more exciting when you win a special or a bigger‑paying show.”

However, Bitzan emphasized that drivers do not get rich racing.

“You lose money even if you are winning every week,” Bitzan said. “It is the love of the sport and the hobby.”

Milking cows gives him time to think about racing. He often reflects on past races while working in the barn.

“Later in the week, when I am milking, I can tell you everything where I needed to be better,” he said. “I start taking it all in and thinking about it a little bit.”

He has raced at a few tracks outside the region, but traveling is difficult with dairy chores and a young family.

“I always do my own chores,” Bitzan said. “I never really ask anybody to do anything for me or expect anybody to do anything if I am gone having fun.”

As for how long he will keep racing, Bitzan said he is not sure.

“As long as we are having fun,” he said.

For now, between a points championship, a newborn son and a pole start in a major race, he is still having plenty of fun.