MERRIL, Mich. — Zach Hiser has been named the Great Lakes Super Sprints general manager for the upcoming season.
The voice of the Great Lakes Super Sprints since 2020, Hiser has long had an impact on the Great Lakes Super Sprints organization and will continue to do so in the upcoming season.
In addition to bringing consistent branding to the Great Lakes Super Sprints, the teams, drivers and marketing partners behind the microphone, Hiser will help lighten the load on GLSS founder and owner, Barry Marlow. A known responder to natural disasters with recovery and fuel services, Marlow’s attention and dedication can and has been pulled away from GLSS at a moment’s notice – a key factor in the promotion of Hiser to this new role.
“Setting up GLSS to run smoothly without me has been a big priority,” said Marlow. “It’s always been a stresser for me in the event I’m called away, but adding Zach will now add consistency all season for our teams and staff whether I’m around or not.”
A former race car driver, Hiser understands the commitment it takes to race at a competitive level around the Great Lakes Region. In 2014, Hiser traded in the steering wheel for a microphone, assuming the announcing duties at Butler Motor Speedway, Michigan’s only weekly Sprint Car Track, until the conclusion of the 2017 season.
From there, Hiser worked with the Michigan Traditional Sprints (now Great Lakes Traditional Sprints), I-96 Speedway, and the now defunct American Ethanol Late Model and Modified Tours. In 2020 the partnership with the Great Lakes Super Sprints was born.
Since then, Hiser has also worked with other top-tier organizations across the country, including Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, Champion Racing Association and the ASA STARS National Tour, giving him a broader understanding of how things should and should not be done to be successful, an element he looks forward to bringing to the Great Lakes Super Sprints.
“What Barry [Marlow] has built over these past nine seasons is nothing short of an elite regional touring series,” Hiser said. “However, like any good organization, there’s always room for improvement, and areas that the series can grow. I’m looking forward to bringing in the positive habits I’ve learned from other groups while removing and preventing the very few negative things that can work into an operation.”
As for Hiser’s other motorsports ventures, he plans to continue being involved in multiple areas of the sport, including as the director of the Michigan-based Horsepower Happenings media company. Plus, he’ll continue to provide announcing services for other regional programs as time allows around his commitment to GLSS.
“I think it’s important to continue to be exposed to many different forms of our sport,” Hiser said. “When I’m not working on projects with the Great Lakes Super Sprints, you’ll catch me at events with the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, or simply visiting other tracks around the region.”
In 2025, GLSS will venture into the 10th season of racing with Marlow at the helm. Since 2016, the Great Lakes Super Sprints have provided Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Canada a premier 360 Sprint Car program with household names from around the region. Teams and tracks can expect more of the familiar staff faces they’ve come to know over the years.
“I’m excited about the 2025 season, said Marlow. “It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since I formed GLSS. Joe Valenta and Travis Parks were the first two staff members GLSS had in 2016. Since then, Anthony Boyd joined the series full-time in 2017 and has been integral behind the scenes! In 2022 Brooke Pulice came on board to boost our social media presence, and Gale Nungesser joined the team as another great asset with industry experience. Aaron and Lanie Kistner joined the team in 2023 and will also have an expanded role in 2025.”