Our team at WCEC’s Season Opener 2022
Our Team
Started in 2012, Wisconsin Car Enthusiast Club was founded on the belief that car enthusiasts from all walks of life could come together to join in a common passion; cars. Our goal was simple, to create incredible events with kickass people and teach new enthusiasts how to build their cars without the historical prejudice of gatekept information from the days of forums. Over time, what initially began as a small group of car enthusiasts for locals in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, quickly grew into the largest online Facebook groups ever dubbed; Wisconsin Car Enthusiast Club.
Alex Martinez
Flounder
@alex.martini__
I founded WCEC because I believed that car enthusiasts should be able to ask questions without ridicule and build without prejudice. The ability to truly be oneself without an "elite" few ruining the experience of what it means to be a car enthusiast. After all, I was one of those young teens that was "pushed" out of the local car scene because I didn't "know cars" initially. That feeling of isolation sucks, and I didn't want anyone to experience that again. When we started WCEC all I wanted was a place to learn, share, and grow my passion. There was never an intention of it growing to over 60,000 members or hosting the largest automotive events in Wisconsin second to IOLA. But it did, and I'm glad. Here at WCEC, the only thing I can ever ask of our audience is to support our events and not be an asshole. The rest is up to you.
Growing up at the local dirt track in Plymouth, WI the automotive world has always been a massive passion project of mine. From dirt track circle cars to road racing at Road America, I've always appreciated cars and more importantly, the connections that I've made with the people behind the wheel. For me, the cars have always been (pun intended) a vehicle for nurturing the genuine connections between automotive enthusiasts from all walks of life. I've been with the club since 2015, and currently serve as the clubs Vice President along side of Alex.
Growing up, I’ve always had a passion for cars. My dad always took us to the drag strip when I was a kid, and I held the flashlight while he built custom semis with my uncle.
I joined WCEC in 2015 and my first show was Appleton Takeover. In 2017 I started volunteering with the team and helping behind the merch tent. I became the merchandise manager for WCEC and RVRR in January of 2021 and became an official admin at Season Opener in April 2021.
I love being a part of the team because we’re a family. When we’re working, we mean business, but we still have fun no matter the weather or other circumstances.
Lars Vogler@lars.koala
I joined WCEC in 2016 after making friends with Alex over a few rowdy games of League of Legends. While roasting our team mates we quickly became friends and realized we'd have a ton of fun together, so after meeting up a few times to help Alex film content for his rapidly growing Youtube channel, "Automotive Millennial," it only made sense to also help out with WCEC where possible.
Over the years I have done every job at events from selling merch to parking cars, but have now settled into a leadership role focusing primarily on event staffing layouts and addressing any issues that come up during the events. That means you can usually find me running (or scootering) around every square inch of our venues, saying hi to everyone but never having a chance to really breathe.
Outside of WCEC I genuinely LOVE driving my car, a 2020 BMW M2 Competition, in any capacity I can. Between 1000 mile road trips, track days, shows, and rallies, my passion for driving cars is intense and I will never own a car that I can't beat on every single day.
I’ve had a passion for cars began at a young age with Hot Wheels cars, and later with video games like Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2. After purchasing her Dodge Dart in 2014, She began to seek others who shared similar interests, which ultimately lead her to WCEC. She became an Administrator in 2015 and continues to be a valued and essential part of the team.
Steven SchemM@gh0st_rc
The automotive industry has always been a passion of mine ever since I was a kid, whether I was reading about them in magazines or drawing and designing my own. Cars are the main reason why I chose a career in mechanical engineering; everything that went into the development of a car from a concept on paper to a production model on the showroom floor fascinated me. I then discovered the aftermarket side of cars and that opened up a whole new world to me. In 2015, I bought my first car that I felt was worth modifying. The parts started coming in and they haven’t stopped since. In 2018, I started getting more involved in the car show scene, attending many shows in the Midwest and others across the country each year. Along they way, I met a group of like-minded individuals who all share a passion for cars. This group was WCEC. Over the years, I became increasingly more involved with their events and now I volunteer and support every one.
Ben Schnell@schnell.lly
My passion for cars started in high school. One of my good friends and I would watch 1320video all the time during our study hall, and that helped begin my passion for drag racing and performance.
I joined the WCEC team in 2019 after being a lurker since 2014. I volunteer at shows, handle anything related to the websites, and help wherever else I can.