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Longtime Wall Stadium Announcer and Motorsports Journalist Reflects on Military Service and the Lessons That Have Shaped His Life
Neptune, NJ (October 29, 2026): For generations of racing fans, Earl Krause has been a familiar voice at Wall Stadium Speedway, a fixture at Pocono Raceway, and a respected journalist whose work has helped document the history of motorsports throughout the Northeast.
But long before his days behind a microphone or on the pages of Area Auto Racing News, Krause was serving his country in the United States Navy.
Schultz Engineered Products, which maintains operations in Neptune, New Jersey, is recognizing Krause through its ongoing #SchultzSalutes campaign, an initiative dedicated to honoring military veterans and sharing their stories with the racing community.
Krause served in the Navy from 1969 to 1973, during the Vietnam War era, earning the rank of E-5 as a Commissary Man, a position now known as Culinary Specialist.
Ironically, when he enlisted just one month after graduating from high school, Krause admits he could barely boil water.
Following boot camp, he was assigned to commissary duty and sent to Newport, Rhode Island, for culinary training. From 1970 to 1972, he served at a small radar installation in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, helping feed approximately 150 sailors.
His final assignment in 1973 presented a considerably larger challenge: the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy, deployed to the Mediterranean.
“I went from cooking in a small galley to a huge aircraft carrier,” recalled Krause.
Aboard the carrier, with approximately 6,000 personnel to feed, the galley operated around the clock. Krause and his fellow commissary men were responsible for preparing meals for as many as 2,000 to 3,000 sailors at a time.
While Krause did not see combat, his responsibilities illustrated the critical role of the many service members working behind the scenes to support military operations.
“I learned that no matter the size, it’s all teamwork and efficiency,” Krause explained. “Listening, planning and always being prepared. You leave nothing to chance.”
Those lessons followed him home to New Jersey and into a career that has made him one of the region’s most recognizable motorsports personalities.
Krause first joined the announcing staff at Wall Stadium in 1980 and has since become closely associated with the historic Jersey Shore speedway. He has also spent more than three decades announcing at Pocono Raceway and serves as Assistant to the Editor and a columnist for Area Auto Racing News.
“Those lessons were critical to me in the galley, and they continue to shape how I take on any responsibility, whether it’s at the racetrack, at the paper, or in life,” said Krause.
For Schultz, the recognition carries a particularly meaningful local connection. In addition to its Neptune operations, the Schultz family’s motorsports history includes Bob Schultz’s years competing at Wall Stadium. The company’s ties to the Jersey Shore racing community make honoring one of the speedway’s longtime personalities, especially fitting.
For Krause, however, the significance of his military service goes beyond the practical lessons he learned.
Both his father and father-in-law served in the Navy, and continuing that family tradition was an important part of his decision to enlist.
“I think I enlisted because I wanted to make my Dad proud by continuing the tradition,” Krause shared. “And he was. My Dad was proud of me.”
More than five decades later, Krause remains deeply appreciative of his time in uniform.
“I’m very proud to have served, especially at that time,” he said.
And in one final bit of irony, despite his extensive Navy culinary training, it’s his wife Pam who now handles the cooking at home.
Through #SchultzSalutes, Schultz Engineered Products is proud to recognize Earl Krause for his military service and his enduring contributions to the motorsports community.
