What’s Your Story?
By Karl Haglund, Hawkeye Racing News Columnist
Deep in the heart of Iowa lies a 1/3 mile dirt oval called Boone Speedway. It was there amongst the screaming fans and thunderous engines that a young Toby Kruse was inflicted with the life-altering “Racing Bug”.
Toby grew up in a fairly large family by today’s standards. He has two older brothers and a twin sister. It was as a family that the Kruse’s visited Boone Speedway on Friday nights and then Webster City on Saturday nights. It became their weekend ritual. The ritual continued up until Toby’s teenage years when Toby started venturing to the races more by himself and with friends.
“My Dad had coached me in little league and took a liking to that … so the family slowed down on going to the races and I just kept going”, Toby recalled.
Eventually, being just a spectator was not enough for Toby. That’s when Boone Promoter Robert Lawton and Boone Flagman Bill Olsen gave Toby his shot as assistant flagman. A year later Toby got his first full time flagman job at Buena Vista Raceway in Alta, Iowa and has never looked back.
Toby went from flagging at Buena Vista, Des Moines, and Jefferson to announcing at Boone with Denny Gravenbauer. He spent three and a half years working with IMCA as Director of Track relations and has announced and flagged all over the US.
Toby has also had the opportunity to announce the Nextel Cup and Busch fall race at Charlotte with Ken Squier. Toby added, “That was one of the highlights of my racing career … working with someone of that caliber”.
This year Toby is more involved than ever. He still flags Wednesday nights in Alta seventeen years later, announces at Boone on Saturday nights, flags Sunday nights at I-35 Speedway and new this year to his to-do list is his Friday night job at Marshalltown Speedway as Promoter.
Toby says Promoting is by far the toughest job he has held in the racing community. “You feel like you’re prepared for it. I knew it would take time, but it actually takes more time than I anticipated. You need to work at it seven days a week”.
A lot of work has already been done to Marshalltown Speedway according to Toby. Aside from the basic “fix-up” type stuff, they have added new lights and reconstructed the track.
Toby credits a great crew with the progress and hopes to work on the bleachers and concession stand next. “I want to make that a track, that when people around the country are talking in their racing circles, they say ‘Hey, have you ever been to Marshalltown? They have great races and a great facility’”.
Toby had learned a lot about Promoting long before he ever signed papers in Marshalltown. He credits both Robert Lawton and Joe Ringsdorf as being great people to learn from. “I like the way they run races” Toby added. “I like the things they do, I’ve learned different things from both of them because they are both successful, but they do a lot of things differently”.
Promoter Joe Ringsdorf calls Toby’s style professional and smooth. Ringsdorf adds that having Toby as the chief starter at I-35 Speedway helps make the night more organized and thus more fun for everyone involved. “Toby can handle any situation. He will do well as Promoter at Marshalltown, the fair board there definitely got one of the best”.
Toby signed a long term contract with Marshalltown Speedway and hopes to continue to improve the facility and quality of racing. “For the first time in years I feel really at ease. I know where I’m at and I know what I’m doing. I can see myself being at Marshalltown for fifteen years”.
For some people racing has an off season, this is not the case for Toby, he stays busy year round. He will be promoting, flagging, and announcing regular season races until September. From there he has specials all through October and then heads to Las Vegas in November to announce. December through March is also filled with special shows, trade shows, workshops, and off season work he does for Marshalltown. There is never a dull moment in the life of Toby Kruse.
Outside of racing, Toby loves College Basketball. He also has a Harley Davidson motorcycle that he enjoys when he can. “I don’t get a lot of time to ride, but when I do, I love spending time with friends riding”.
I didn’t ask Toby if he had a big house and a new car or a large savings account, he may very well have all those things. In my opinion, the best way to judge success is not by material possessions, but by friends and family and being able to do something in life you truly love and do it well. It is by this standard that I would say Toby has had a very successful life. He loves what he does, he does it well and in his own words he has great people around him and he’s right where he wants to be. .
“I’m very happy where I’m at. Family and friends mean the most to me and I have the best family in the world and the best friends in the world. I’m surrounded by great people”.
One last question: Who is your favorite driver at any level and why?
Toby: “Tony Stewart. I’ve seen Tony in the Modifieds, Late Models, Midgets, Sprint Cars, and Nextel Cup. He is the most versatile driver I have ever seen and any one of those cars he gets in he is competitive and a threat to win. Tony is unbelievable”.
