Mike Stelter's racing experience has been many years in the making, and a family passion. He started in racing working on super modifieds at the Oswego Speedway in the 1970's with his stepfather on his famous orange #36, driven by Chuck Ciprich. Stelter's step-father --and the team's chief engineer--is Ron Buckner. Ron has over twenty-five years of racing experience. During his11 years that he ran at Oswego Speedway, he built and designed cars that won over thirty features, including back-to-back International Classics, the biggest super modified race in the country.

1983 and 1984, Ron was asked to be a crew chief for Chuck Ciprich in the CART series, and naturally Mike went along. They just missed out on qualifying for the Indy 500 both years, but had some success at other tracks on the tough Indy car circuit. The second half of '84 found Mike back at Oswego Speedway helping out Jerry O'Neil in the Al Aroneck #26 until 1987. In 1988,Mike got his first taste of sprint car racing helping out current ESS/URC runner Doug Emery in his rookie campaign. In 1989, he went back to the supers and helped out the Jerry West team for half the year and then hooked up with Kenny Bell. The team had some success over the years and had some great runs, but they could never get the car into victory lane. Mike was with Kenny Bell until the end of 1994.

1995 saw Mike climb behind the wheel of a race car for the first time. He started racing in the sprint car division full time running with Empire Super Sprints (ESS). Mike went on to win" Rookie of the Year" honors. With a best finish of third, he also recorded four top-five finishes and ten top-ten finishes, along with eleventh in points. Running in non-ESS events, he had a best finish of second and four top-five finishes.

1996, Mike won two races. He ended up with eleven top-five finishes and eighteen top-tens, and a final standing of ninth in the points. The highlight of the year was winning his first feature race on his mom's birthday at Freedom Speedway.

1997, Mike had a best finish of second, three times. The season ended with eleven top-five finishes and twenty-one top-tens in thirty-nine races.

1998 was an even better year for Mike, with three wins, ten top-five finishes and twenty-one top-tens in thirty-three races. He finished tenth in points and was voted most improved driver for the season.

1999 saw Mike grab two more feature wins, ten top 5's and seventeen top 10's in 27 races. A finish of 9th in the final point standings capped off the year. Mike also went back to his roots in supermodified racing and ran a half dozen races on the ISMA circuit.

2000, Stelter Racing came up with a whole new concept of a sprint car. Engineer Ron Buckner designed and built a one of a kind coil-over car. With everyone taking notice, it was fast right out of the box. Good finishes and consistency made 2000 Mike's best year yet. He finished 4th in ESS points, winning 4 races, fifteen top 5's and twenty-five top 10's in 37 races. At the annual awards banquet, Ron was named the ESS "Mechanic of the Year".

2001 wasn't as successful as hoped. Running third in the ESS points up to the month of August. A couple of flips, some bad racing luck and Mike ended up 9th in points. The bright spot of the year was Mike getting elected to the Board of Directors for Empire Super Sprints.

2002 was one of Mike's most interesting years yet. A motor problem kept him out of one of the first races and some bad luck put him way behind where he wanted to be at the start of the season. Mike kept his focus and ended up 7th in ESS points and 4th in Canadian points. Total for year, he collected 2 wins, 9 top 5's, and 17 top 10's in 33 ESS races.

2003, Ron and Mike have build a new sprint car with a few new tricks up their sleeves. They have moved the fuel tanks to the side of the car to play around with the weight distribution. T the car needed much R & D and we didn't have the time to give it.  We converted it back to a standard sprint car with coils, but the frame was too stiff for dirt. We stiffened the frame to help make it crash worthy which was a mistake. Dirt cars need the frame to flex, when asphalt cars need a stiff frame. We still won two features with one getting a DQ for not going to the scales.

2004 started out with the coil car and we were not making any progress, so I went and bought a torsion bar car half way through the season and we where competitive again

2005 saw great promise for a ESS Points Title until the Canadian government stepped in and would not let me across the border. At this point we where 3rd in points and only 25 out of first. We still managed to win an ESS feature and an open show.

2006 was a year of being in the right place at the wrong time, just had no luck! We tried our best and always do at all events, but it was just not meant to be.

2007 was a great year, for I married the only girl who likes racing and me!! My wife Laura is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. We won a feature the week after we where married. I teamed up with Tom Bliss and I got reunited with my crew chief Steve Merz, and was having a blast. As the seasoned progressed we where running fifth in points and then it went down hill from there. Ended up ninth in points and made all the big shows at the end of the year. Thank the lord for keeping my stepfather alive, as he came down with sepsis, and had open heart surgery. He is doing well now. Lost my racing Uncle Bob Stelter, if you ever saw him race it was something to see.Dirt tracking a supermodified on asphalt. Amazing!! Steve lost his grandfather Bob Merz at the end of the year who was also a racing legend in his own right. Special thanks to my mom for keeping everyone going forward.

2008 is here and we are going to kick ASS!! Steve, Pat and I have been working all winter to be the best we can be. Follow the web site and see where we will be.