Sorokie joins The Rock as Director of Race Operations
Rock Falls Raceway is pleased to announce the hiring of Travis Sorokie as Director of Race Operations. He will be joining Business Manager Brian Sandy, Marketing Director Ben Peterson, and the rest of our outstanding team to help elevate the customer experience in 2023.
Travis first started coming to drag races with his family in 1977. One fateful day, he sat behind the wheel of Don "the Snake" Prudhomme's ARMY Funny Car and he was hooked.
In the late 1980s he began to help Alan & Nancy Dancer campaign their bracket cars at several area drag strips. In 1993, Travis had decided it was time to start racing himself at the age of 19. With the help of his family and the Dancer's he bought his 1st drag racing car (1969 Chevy Nova) from the Schmit Family out of Sheridan, WY.
In the Fall of 1996 Travis bought one of his drag racing mentor's cars. Alan Dancer's 1967 Chevelle SS "Old Habits." The 1st event he entered with his new car was at Rock Falls Raceway in May of 1997. He won that event!
While bracket racing was a lot of fun, he always wanted to run NHRA Super Stock.
In 2006, the opportunity presented itself to purchase the racing operation of the late Dan Larson. With the help of Ron "the Professor" Zenzen and his family, Travis fulfilled his dream and enjoyed a brief, yet mildly successful NHRA Super Stock career that ended in 2014 with the passing of his father Bill Sorokie.
Travis walked away from the drag racing scene after the 2015 season to focus on fishing and family after the loss of his father. While the competitive juices still flowed, he focused his energy on tournament walleye fishing. In 2017, after obtaining several marketing partners (which he credits his drag racing background for), he entered his 1st professional walleye tournament with his tournament partner Doug Robinson.
In 2019, Travis joined American Heroes Outdoors Tv as an Ambassador. The outdoor tv show highlights Our Nations TRUE Heros and helps them heal in the great outdoors.
One day during this time period, Travis made his way back to Brainerd International Raceway to watch some of his friend's race. Shortly, Travis found his way up to the tower and sat in with the regular Announcer calling some of the action. A few weeks later, Travis was back helping Warren Evans, and Bob Unkefer broadcast a Lucas Oil Divisional Event.
In 2021, shortly before the 6th Annual Badger Classic, Rock Falls Raceway was in need of an Announcer for the event. Travis' name came up in conversation and the rest as they say is history.
In 2022, Travis was a figure at Rock Falls Raceway off & on as his time allowed. During this time, he started to learn how Rock Falls Raceway operates and the vision the Board of Directors have for the track. After we wrapped up the 2022 drag racing season, we tasked Travis to start thinking about the 2023 season and beyond. As ideas went back-n-forth, the opportunity presented itself for Rock Falls Raceway to host an NHRA National Open (more on that at a later date).
A self-proclaimed performance junky, Travis lists Pro Stock, Competition Eliminator, Super Stock, & Stock as his favorite classes. That being said, he is no stranger to the bracket racing scene either having owned/driven his own cars for over two decades.
Some of Travis' Drag Racing Accolades: 1997 MDRA Pro Champion, 1997 MDRA Rookie of the Year, 2005 Pro Season R/U at BIR, 2005 National Dragster Challenge event Winner, 2008 Lucas Oil Divisional Super Stock Winner, 9 NHRA Super Stock Class Wins, 2008 NHRA Best Appearing Crew, 2010 NHRA Best Appearing Car, & 2012 NHRA National Open R/U.
Please help welcome Travis Sorokie as Director of Race Operations to the Rock Falls Raceway family!
