Just how did Max Pogeler receive his nickname of “Maytag?” He got it after spinning out whenever he took the lead during his rookie season in the bombers last year. However, the spin cycle appears finished now. On Wednesday, Pogeler kept the lead to win his first-ever feature, earning it at Buena Vista Raceway in Alta, Iowa.
“My first win was so needed,” Pogeler, of Cherokee, Iowa, said. “I was getting discouraged because I couldn’t hold the lead.”
Discouraged no more. With that win came more confidence for the 15-year-old driver.
“Every time I took the lead previously, I started overdriving and spun out,” said Pogeler. “I had to calm myself down. I told myself not to be excited when I got into the lead. But it is hard not to get excited when you have the lead.”
His father, Tony, helped Pogeler remain calm. He did so by signaling to Pogeler from the infield.
“I could see my dad letting me know I had a good lead, and not to overdrive,” Pogeler said. “I stayed calm and won.”
The high school student works at Storm Lake Truck & Trailer while on summer break to help fund racing the bomber. In addition to competing in full-size cars, Max Pogeler still races karts. He earned two wins at Kee Kart Speedway in Cherokee, Iowa, this year. In 2023, he had nine victories in karts. However, Pogeler’s focus remains on the bombers, which he regularly steers at Buena Vista Raceway. Fortunately, he has seen himself grow as a driver in the big cars.
“We’ve had a pretty good start to this season — a big improvement from last year,” said Pogeler. “Seat time is the most important thing needed to be a better driver. Now that I have a win, I have the confidence to win again.”
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
