Club History
History of Our Club
“WE SERVE”
The Bark River Lions Club was organized on January 12, 1943, with 24 charter members. Its first officers included President Joseph Gucky and Secretary/Treasurer B.E. Douglas.
The club is a local chapter of Lions Clubs International, a global service organization founded in Chicago in 1917, by its founder, Melvin Jones, focused on community service and humanitarian projects. Like other Lions clubs, its mission centers on community service and charitable work, supporting local causes, fundraising, and offering volunteer support throughout the Bark River area.
The club is incorporated and recognized as a community-oriented, charitable trust serving Bark River and surrounding areas. The club remains the largest club in the Upper Peninsula, with approximately 90 members, participating in service and community engagement as part of District 10 of Lions of Michigan, continuing its legacy of volunteerism and local impact in Bark River and Delta County.
Five members of the club have served as District Governors: Leo Brunelle, Joseph Potvin, Bruce LaBelle, Thomas Lanaville and Scott Kwarciany. There are also 24 members that have been named Melvin Jones Fellows, honoring their dedicated service to the club, the community and Lions International.
Melvin Jones Fellows:
BRIAN ADAMS
GARY ADERMAN *
RICHARD AULT
RANDY BEAUCHAMP *
RAYNE CHARBONEAU *
ROGER CHARBONNEAU *
DON CRAWFORD *
MATT HANSON *
JOHN KRAUSE
SCOTT KWARCIANY *
BRUCE LABELLE
KENNETH LANAVILLE *
THOMAS LANAVILLE *
GARY LANTAGNE *
CHARLES LUNDMARK *
DENNIS MOTTO *
TIM MURRAY *
TOM MURRAY *
PHILIP NORMAN
SCOTT PALMGREN *
JOSEPH POKLADOWSKI *
JOSEPH POTVIN
WAYNE STENBERG *
DAVE VANDERMISSEN *
* still active members
Bark River Off-Road Race History
The raceway traces its roots to the mid-1970s when off-road racing was gaining popularity in the Midwest. Two local off-road racers, Ken Lanaville and Dave Vandermissen Sr., both members of the Bark River Lions Club, proposed hosting an event similar to the Crandon Off-Road Brush Run after seeing its economic benefit to that community.
In 1976, the first race—originally called the “U.P. Off-Road 100”—was held on a roughly 5-mile course, comprised of 20 laps that wound through woods, fields, and rough terrain. This early course tested drivers and equipment, though it was hard for spectators to follow. Based on feedback, organizers shortened and reconfigured the course into a more spectator-friendly 1.5-mile short course track, which remains the fundamental layout today.
Over the next decades, the Bark River Lions Club gradually acquired the surrounding land and expanded the facility to include improved spectator areas, grandstands, vendor zones, camping, and hospitality buildings. The club operates the raceway as a nonprofit, with proceeds supporting local community projects and charities.
Bark River Int’l Raceway quickly became a staple of American short-course off-road racing, known for its challenging natural terrain with jumps, elevation changes, and technical sections. It has hosted rounds of premier series such as the AMSOIL Championship Off-Road Tour (formerly part of TORC – The Off-Road Championship), drawing elite Pro-2, Pro-4 trucks, side-by-side classes, and sportsman entries from across North America. The event is now part of the “Champ Off Road” series. The track even gained wider fame by appearing over the years on national networks like ESPN, ABC Sports, Speed Channel and is now Live Streamed.
Like many events worldwide, the raceway’s marquee annual event—the Island Resort & Casino Off-Road Rumble in the U.P.—was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed in following years.
The track celebrates its history each season in Bark River as one of North America’s longest-running off-road venues,with races that routinely draw thousands of fans and racers to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Nearly 50 years of continuous off-road racing tradition, starting with a 100-mile course and evolving into a premier short-course facility.
A community-driven operation by the Lions Club, emphasizing family experience, volunteer spirit, and local economic impact. A fixture on national off-road racing calendars, celebrated by both grassroots racers and professionals.
Bark River Lions Club
PO Box 123
Bark River, MI 49807
Monthly Meetings:
2nd Thursday & 3rd Monday at 7 PM
Highland Golf Course