Clifford John Gorka Jr. Passes Away at 76 in St. Paul Hospital
Clifford John Gorka Jr., a 76-year-old longtime engine rebuilder and dirt track racing enthusiast, passed away on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, bakken-young.com reported. Born on June 28, 1950, to Clifford and Dolores Raitor Gorka, he spent his early years in St. Paul before his family moved to Cedar Lake, Wisconsin, when he was approximately 13 years old, where he attended Osceola schools.
Racing Career and Professional Background
Influenced by his father, Gorka developed a lifelong passion for working on cars and dirt track racing. He competed at numerous local dirt tracks alongside friends, including Donald Nelson. Following Nelson’s car number 99, Gorka chose car number 98, while his son Chris later raced with number 96. Beyond driving, he built a career rebuilding engines and setting up vehicles, working for many years at B.F. Nelson Folding Cartons in St. Paul and later at Tri-Star Engines in Baldwin.
Family and Survivors
Gorka married Karen Soden in 1970, with whom he shared a son, Randy, who is married to Amy and has children Kyle and Ryan, alongside a daughter, Amanda. In 1977, he married Rachel Smith, and the couple had two sons, Christopher—married to Jeanna, with children Ellie and Alex—and Daniel, while he is survived by his wife Rachel, his children, his grandchildren, his sister Michelle with nephew Jared, and his sister-in-law Patti Gorka with niece Danielle. He is also survived by half-brother George (Skip) Kruger and half-sister Holly. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Nick, and his sister Sharon.
Scheduled Memorial Services in New Richmond
A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 11:00 AM at Bakken-Young Funeral & Cremation Services, located at 728 S. Knowles Ave. in New Richmond, Wisconsin. Visitation will begin at 10:00 AM at the same location, with interment following in New Richmond Cemetery. The family expressed gratitude to the intensive care unit staff at Regions Hospital for their compassionate care.
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