Herzog Motorsports

A winning team

From 1987 until 2014, Herzog Motorsports competed successfully in a variety of racing series including off-road, NASCAR, ASA, and NHRA and was instrumental in helping launch the careers of such drivers as seven-time NASCAR Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson. The Herzogs left behind a legacy of team ownership, remembered by those who were there as them having the best people, the best equipment, ultimately leading to an impressive record of success. Today, Herzog remains a part of the racing community as an active member of the ownership group for the Music City Grand Prix — an annual festival of events focused on IndyCar racing, music, celebrity, and food, in Nashville, Texas.

Watch Patrons of Horsepower

Produced by veteran motorsports broadcaster Rick Benjamin watch the one-hour documentary on the history of Herzog Motorsports and founders Stanley, Randy and Bill Herzog. Also get to know the life and career of Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR champion, who rose to the top of his game with the support of Herzog Motorsports.

Check out the exhibit

Visit the Herzog Motorsports exhibit in Lincoln, NE at the Museum of American Speed featuring an impressive collection of Herzog memorabilia, race vehicles including Baja and Pikes Peak-winning trucks, as well as Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR Busch Series and ASA Monte Carlos.

It started with a phone call

The story of Herzog Motorsports is an important thread in the Herzog family history, and closely interwoven with the evolution of the enterprise. As Herzog grew from a regional paving business into an international rail maintenance service and transit operations provider, the Herzog’s sense of adventure also grew. Bill, Stan, and Randy Herzog sought another outlet for their inborn competitiveness in off-road desert, stock cars, and drag racing.

Randy Herzog recalled brother Stan calling him from Las Vegas, NV in 1987 and saying he had just seen trucks racing in the desert, and “It’s the damdest thing! We’ve got to find a way to get involved in this.” Stan then started to race with Herzog employee George Wagenblast, who had a Class 7 Ford Ranger pickup truck. Stan won the first time out, in the Plaster City Blast, a smaller club event in Nevada—and that was enough to set the hook.

Randy was pulled in to run logistics, as longer races required crew people, spare parts, and support vehicles being in the right place. A race truck needs to be refueled, have tires changed, and repairs made to keep it in the race, often in the middle of nowhere…a challenge very similar to that faced in keeping railway equipment running.

Stan and Randy also decided at about this time to turn driving over to someone more qualified to win. Meeting the Midwesterners at a golf tournament, a young Danny Ashcraft said “if you like how I golf, I can race even better,” and got the job along with co-driver Dave Mason, and they set off to win. The program turned around and “we went from barely finishing events to winning,” says Dave Mason. Herzog’s first victory with a seasoned driver came in 1990 at the Gold Coast 300 in their Ford Bronco II.

Music City Grand Prix

In 2021, Herzog joined forces with a special team of investors to bring the inaugural Music City Grand Prix to the streets of Nashville, TN. The IndyCar street circuit race is a unique atmosphere of racing, live music, and local cuisine for fans and families to enjoy.