Announcement of Dick Van Wieren's Retirement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Howe Racing Enterprises announces the upcoming retirement of General Manager Dick Van Wieren, who officially began working at Howe in 1984. Prior to that, Dick worked as a teenager for local Howe supplier Donnie Mitchell, manufacturing Howe suspension components after school.

A lifelong friend of Chas Howe, son of company founder Ed Howe and current Owner and President of Howe Racing Enterprises, Dick’s connection to the Howe family extends far beyond the workplace. Chas and Dick grew up and attended school together. Both served on Ed Howe’s pit crew, stood as best men in each other’s weddings, and Dick is the godfather of Chas’s oldest daughter, Patsy Howe. Dick’s father, Dick Van Wieren Sr., was a Michigan Hall of Fame football coach under whom both Chas and Dick Jr. played varsity football.

From 1987 to 1988, Dick worked as a full-time crew member and, at times, as a crew chief for seven-time ASA National Champion Mike Eddy. Mike Eddy and Ed Howe were significant influences on Dick’s career, along with Canadian racing legend Don Biederman, who worked closely with Dick for several years before his passing in 1999.

Throughout his career, Dick worked with hundreds of prominent asphalt oval racers, including Jim Sauter and his sons Jay Sauter and Johnny Sauter, along with Indiana racing legend Denny Nyari, Robbie Pyle, Dave Weltmeyer, Tim Ice, Tracy Leslie, and many others. In more recent years, Dick assisted accomplished road racers including Wally Dallenbach Jr., Marc Miller, Shane Lewis, Gar Robinson, Rafa Matos, Mike Skeen, Nathan Herne, and Jan Magnussen.

Dick played an essential role in the development of hundreds of racing components, numerous chassis designs, and multiple production fixtures at Howe Racing Enterprises. He completed advanced training in racing shock service and development under respected industry experts Jan Zudic (JRZ), Mats Thorson (Öhlins), and most notably Allen Croll, whose influence was profound and who remains a close friend following his retirement from Penske Racing. That experience directly contributed to the development of the Green Howe Shocks, introduced in 2018.

After an accomplished career and more than four decades as a key member of Howe Racing Enterprises, Dick has decided that it is time to retire. While he will always remain a valued friend of Howe Racing, Dick is completing a transition out of his day-to-day responsibilities through January 2026.

Reflecting on his career, Dick shared, “How many people get to live where they want and do what they love and make a living? I’ve been blessed.”  Dick looks forward to spending more time with his wife Tonia, whom he married in 1989, their daughters AshLee and Tara, and their five grandchildren.

Howe Racing Enterprises President Chas Howe shared the following:

“You can’t replace someone like Dick, but we will redistribute his responsibilities thoughtfully and with tremendous appreciation for the work he has done. Dick has graciously agreed to remain open to working with us in some capacity—on-site or off-site—as things evolve. Our top priority is that Dick does what is best for his family and his well-being. Dick was my friend long before we worked together, and that won’t change when he steps away from his role here. This change will undoubtedly be a significant loss, but in the long run, the transition of seasoned people often creates new opportunities for those who remain, as it did for me many years ago. We wish Dick nothing but the best in this next chapter.”

Howe Racing Enterprises thanks Dick Van Wieren for his decades of dedication, leadership, and friendship, and wishes him continued success and fulfillment in retirement.