Arndt keeps buzzing around the track

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Former New Ulmite Ezra "Buzz" Arndt can't get enough flat track motorcycle racing.

The 60-year-old Brooklyn Park barber keeps on winning so he keeps on racing.

"I'm the oldest winning racer I know of," Arndt said Sunday during The Flying Dutchmen Motorcycle Club Flat Track Races at the Brown County Fairgrounds.

Arndt began racing in 1965 at age 29. He has been on just about every race track in the Midwest.

Last weekend, he competed in the Over-40, Over-50 and Vintage Twin classes. If there were Over-60 classes, he'd win them too.

The owner of 22 motorcycles, Arndt raced his Rotex 600 in the Over-40 and Over-50 classes. He raced his 750 Yamaha in the Vintage Twin class.

Arndt said he enjoys the people he meets racing the most.

"It makes me feel good when people ask me how to do things," Arndt said. He operates a motorcycle race track in Cambridge and has been promoting motorcycle racing in that area for many years.

Flying Dutchmen Club member Gary Wiltscheck said that without Arndt helping the club get set up, it wouldn't be in its seventh year hosting the races.

"There is a lot of demand for tracks like this, but not many people are willing to take the effort," Wiltscheck said. "Buzz" knew all of us so he came down and helped us get set up. He got a guy with a grader brush it in and made it raceable."

Arndt said he reaches speeds of up to 70 mph or better racing on the straightaway.

"When the track is right and you put a good ride together, it's fun," Arndt said.

He isn't Evil Knievel, but he is headed down a similar road.

Arndt said his knees and an ankle "are gone." He wore a brace on one knee, suffered a compound fracture on his left leg and had hyper-extension injuries.

Nearly 30 years ago at a one-third-mile, banked track near Cedar, Minn., he fell off a motorcycle in a race, hit his head and spent five days unconscious in a hospital bed.

"I thought I could ride it out, kept the gas on and she bucked me off," Arndt said. "I want to quit as soon as I can. I feel I've done my deed. I got flat tracking started, and it's time for somebody else to take over. Lots of clubs picked up what I started. Now we have tracks all over the place. I'm one of the last ones that stayed with it. Lots of other guys bailed out."

Arndt said he really enjoys returning to New Ulm to race and see old friends.

"I'm glad and proud to be from New Ulm," Arndt said. "The people here are great. I love coming home and being around my old friends. It's a great town."

Arndt won all his races Saturday and Sunday except one race that a professional racer won. That didn't count against Arndt since he isn't on the pro circuit.

Race results:

80 open-1. Joshua Koch. 2. Jory Norriss. 3. Jeremy Anderson.

Beginner quad-1. Ryan Johnson. 2. Mark Hoeft. 3. Glenn Boutwell.

Vet 30 amateur-1. Richard Waschek. 2. Brian Jensen. 3. Marty Mataya.

51 cc Peewee/shaft-1. Dustin Paul. 2. Cara Lauberstiemer. 3. Dominic Ray.

250AA pro-1. Greg George. 2. Darren Ray. 3. Brent Kulk.

Beginner-1. Terry Peterson. 2. Jeff Schrul. 3. Natasha Washek.

Master 50 amateur-1. Buzz Arndt. 2. Logan Coombs. 3. John Sutherlin.

250A amateur-1. Shawn Burr. 2. Travis Henrichs. 3. Troy Solnitzki.

Single Cyl. 4-stroke-1. Richard Waschek. 2. Travis Waschek. 3. Logan Coombs.

500 Pro-Am-1. John Reinneccius. 2. Brent Kulk. 3. Greg George.

65 Mini B class-1. Nick Mataya. 2. Chris Laubersteimer. 3. Cole Fealy.

Senior 40-amateur-1. Buzz Arndt. 2. Marty Mataya. 3. Bob Becker.

250A stock-1. Jon Reineccius. 2. Trevor Turek.

Open A amateur-1. Shawn Burr. 2. Richard Waschek. 3. Keegan Iverson.

85 mini (ages 7-15)-1. Joshua Koch. 2. Jacob Mataya. 3. Jeremy Anderson.

500 open quad-1. Jon Reineccius. 2. Ted Peterson.

Vintage single-1. Bob Becker. 2. Dan Cunningham. 3. Logan Coombs.

Beginner (125-500cc)-1. Shawn Burr. 2. Travis Henrichs. 3. Kevin Anderson.

51cc peewee/chain-1. Kevin Walter. 2. Jordan Schleicher. 3. Cara Laubersteimer.

Vintage twin amateur-1. Buzz Arndt. 2. John Sutherlin. 3. David Koch.

500AA pro-1. Greg George. 2. Jim Bullis. 3. Darren Ray.

OpenAA pro-1. Bill Hofmeister. 2. Willie Broten. 3. Eric Broutard.

Arndt keeps 'buzzing' around the track