SODA appoints Dan Vanden Heuvel as Interim President

With the 2022 Short-course Off-road Drivers Association season over, President Willie Freshour has big plans for the future but also a life to attend to. Intending to spend the offseason focusing on family and running Freshour Precision Welding, he has enlisted Dan Vanden Heuvel in his place as interim president.

“Please help us welcome Dan Vanden Heuvel as SODA’s interim President! Dan will be stepping in to help fulfill this position over the next couple of months,” SODA announced.

“You may recognize Dan from his years of involvement in off-road racing. Dan has over 45+ years of experience racing Class 13, Class 8, Sportsman 2, and Pro 2. Dan was also the original MORR president and spent time promoting races in Antigo and Oshkosh. We are so happy to welcome him to the team.

“Please report to Dan with any questions you may have. Willie Freshour, Current SODA President, will be taking a step back to focus on his business & family.”

Vanden Heuvel has extensive short course experience that includes racing in the original SODA, Championship Off-Road Racing (CORR), World Series of Off-Road Racing, and TORC: The Off-Road Championship. Nicknamed the “Flying Dutchman” (which his team Flying Dutchman Off-Road Race Team has also adopted), he won three SODA Class 13 championships along with the 2008 WSORR Pro 2WD title.

His sons Dan Jr. and Mike have also competed in WSORR and TORC. Mike also doubles as a crewman for Championship Off-Road driver Kyle Kleiman, with whom he won the 2020 Pro 2 crown.

In 2009, Vanden Heuvel became the first president of Midwest Off Road Racing, a sanctioning body for sportsman classes that compete at Championship Off-Road events.

The addition is the second major executive change for SODA’s leadership. In September, Kelly Kuether became Vice President to replace the late Kyle Koehler.

SODA concluded its 2022 season on 23/24 September. A 2023 calendar has not been revealed, though Freshour has been hopeful of sanctioning multiple regional divisions across the United States in the future.

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