Evan Shotko enters 2023 focused on the future after winning his first Berlin Raceway title

The 2022 season at Berlin Raceway was something Evan Shotko had dreamed about repeatedly while growing up at the facility.

A total of seven wins, including a triumph in the prestigious Battle at Berlin, not only allowed Shotko to join his father Billy Shotko as a champion at the family‘s home track. They also resulted in his claiming the Michigan state championship in the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.

Besting seasoned veterans like Brian Campbell, Joe Bush and others for a Berlin title was something in which the 19-year-old Shotko took immense pride. But he knows expectations must be kept in check if he wants to put together another strong campaign in 2023.

“We‘ve got another hot rod for this year,” Shotko said. “However, I‘m a realist, so I realize it‘s going to be tough to top what we did last year. If we can do half as good this season, then I‘ll be a happy guy.”

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Racing has been a pivotal part of Shotko‘s family history from the moment his grandfather Bill turned his first laps several decades ago.

Bill‘s love for motorsports ended up being passed down to Billy, who became one of Berlin‘s best drivers in the Modified division with three titles. As Billy kept accumulating victories, Shotko paid close attention to his dad‘s intuition on how to find success. He became determined to win at Berlin himself as soon as he was old enough to race.

The opportunity for Shotko to compete against many of the same drivers he idolized during his childhood materialized in the late 2010s, as he started making frequent appearances in Berlin‘s Super Late Model division while also traveling to different tracks in Michigan.

Due to inexperience and his family team initially lacking resources, Shotko admitted his first years in a full-bodied stock car were far from a smooth experience.

“To be honest, I wasn‘t very good when I first started,” Shotko said. “There was a lot of stuff we needed to learn, and we did everything ourselves. We never hired anybody to help us and never paid for a setup. It took me a while to get to where we were good enough to win races.

“We had to do everything the hard way.”

A part of that journey for Shotko saw him start up his own business in Shotko Motorsports, where he specializes in assisting drivers with their own needs such as shock services, setups and custom fabrication.

By spending so much time preparing cars and bouncing ideas off competitors with different backgrounds, Shotko only grew wiser about what his Super Late Model program needed to be efficient. He used that knowledge to emerge as a Berlin track champion in 2022.

Jeff Striegle, who is the general manager at Berlin, envisioned that Shotko would one day win a championship at the facility but said the acumen Shotko possesses with his cars at such a young age is a quality that will guarantee him success in motorsports for many years to come.

“What makes Evan unique is his knowledge,” Striegle said. “We all recognized Evan was going to be a talented race car driver, but we didn‘t know how soon it would be. The amount of effort, time, knowledge and testing Evan puts into his program sets him aside from others. He has elevated himself to being one of the best in the country.”

Striegle puts Shotko‘s initiative up against many industry veterans in regards to experimentation and applying his own distinctive critical thinking to setting up a car. With Shotko’s 20^th birthday coming in July, Striegle expects the driver’s knowledge to expand as he gains more experience.

Whether Shotko is able to parlay his success and knowledge of short-track racing into the top divisions of NASCAR is yet to be determined. Shotko himself admitted he would need to find a significant amount of funding to make that possibility a reality.

Despite this, Striegle has confidence in Shotko‘s future and believes the reigning track champion is going to win a plethora of races outside of Berlin this year; a feat he already accomplished in the rain-shortened Motor Mountain Masters at Jennerstown Speedway last August.

Striegle cited Shotko’s victories at Jennerstown and the Battle at Berlin in the same week as a career-defining moment for the young driver. He expects more career-defining moments from Shotko as he continues to build his own brand.

“Evan believes in Shotko Motorsports, and [everyone at Berlin] believes in it, too,” Striegle said. “He can grow that business by showcasing his ability at other tracks around the country. I don‘t know if we‘ll see him every Saturday night, but I‘d like to see him have that chance to keep developing his skills as a driver and as a business owner.”

Although Shotko would love to defend his championship at Berlin from 2022, he said venturing out to other tracks and series is the most pragmatic approach for him to grow his company and take away some of the financial burden from his parents as they continue to support his career.

Shotko knows he is betting on himself this year, but he intends to make his own luck across the country and prove to everyone his efficiency as a driver extends far beyond his championship run from Berlin.

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“In racing, you make 95 percent of your own luck, but the stars need to align for the final five percent,” Shotko said. “You could have the fastest car on the race track, but sometimes you don‘t end up winning the race. I expect myself and my team to put ourselves in a position to win each time we race. We‘ll just see if the stars align from there.”

A combination of experience, knowledge and a strong racing background allowed everything to line up perfectly for Shotko becoming a Berlin track champion. He hopes those qualities guide him to success once again as he searches for more wins to add to his growing resume.