TheROTTEN FORGOTTEN Series bringing back old clunkers for one last ride

Story by Gene Ostrowski

little more than 18 months ago, Joe Jensen of Nescopeck, and his brothers, had a conversation about how sad it was that so many old and used-up circle track race cars were just setting and rotting away.

Collectively, they kicked around the idea of somehow resurrecting those cars and, with a minor investment, getting them back to the track for racers to have some fun without going broke in the process. Shortly after, the “Rotten Forgotten Racing Series” was born.

When putting the weekend card of racing together, racetrack promoters typically try to pack in racers and fans for the best possible show that runs between two and three hours. From the outside, the feat seems pretty straight forward, but there are many obstacles such as running too many divisions that make it challenging. With that in mind, many area racetracks have cut back on the number of divisions on any particular night, while others have tried to combine weekly divisions and adjust the rules accordingly.

Sometimes it works and sometimes it ends with racers leaving the sport and cars sitting in the weeds because they no longer fit into any specific class of competition.

The Jensens had hoped their new racing series could help bring some light back for some of those old cars and racers that just want to get on the track and have a little bit of fun. What they had hoped for has begun to come true. Remember, they are all very familiar with success when it comes to racing.

“We are all too familiar with what it costs to have success in racing. Racing should be a fun release on one’s weekend, not another job that comes with a mortgage,” noted Joe.

Joe is one of six brothers who have a strong family history with going fast, racing and winning. After all, their father, Dan, is a very knowledgeable mechanic and racer, who with very limited funds, crafted and drove many race cars to victory. Another well-known relative is their uncle, Richie Jensen. Back in the late 1980s and into the ‘90s, whether it was on dirt or asphalt throughout the northeast, the man to beat on any given night was Richie Jensen.

With 63 wins and six consecutive championships (seven overall), Richie dominated the Late Model division at Selinsgrove Speedway. With a home-built Asphalt Modified, he was the kingpin of the division when it came to open competition events at Evergreen Raceway, the same track in which he also holds two Late Model titles.

Joe’s brother, Noah, is a former Clinton County Speedway Pro Stock champion and their father, Danny, is very familiar with victory lane himself. Ironically, the majority of the Jensen clan are very experienced drag racers as well, stemming from their uncle, Andy.

Andy Jensen has been winning drag racing events and championships for decades. His lifetime of accomplishments in the sport is a whole other story in itself.

Last winter, Joe contacted Evergreen Raceway promoter Jason Makarewicz during the off-season. His goal was to persuade Jason into allowing his newly born “Rotten Forgotten Series” to compete on select race days during the 2022 season. He was nearly turned away at first, but the two worked out a deal that was beneficial for the track and the racers in the division. The intent was to keep the competition close, the fans engaged and the cost low, which included no track payout for those events.

For decades, the Jensen family has always held a special place in their hearts for Evergreen Raceway, which is just a handful of miles from where they live.

“I’ve always had a soft spot for Evergreen Raceway,” said Joe.

“My Uncle, Murf Conklin,’ is racing’s biggest supporter, and has had a huge effect on the passion my brothers and I have for stockcar racing. Murf probably took us over to Evergreen a hundred times in the late 90s and early 2000s.”

Normally, no track payout means little or no racer support. However, Joe set out to change that. His focus was to put something fun together for the drivers, where they wouldn’t get sidetracked by winnings, points, etc. The series is run more like a racing club, separate from a regular track division. They have their own tech person, own rules, own sponsors and own fun.

“It was a far-fetched idea, but we thought that it was possible,” said Joe Jensen. “We just had to come up with the right set of rules and enforce them, not to mention finding a place to race.”

When the division kicked off last season, there were a handful of cars, many of which were raced by the Jensen and Dawson families. The cars ranged from old asphalt Street Stocks and Pro Stocks to dirt Pro Stocks and Late Models. The series grew during the course of the season and several former racers came out of the woodwork and have begun to refurbish some of the older racecars during the offseason.

Since its inception, a tire rule was established to help equalize the competition and give the racers an affordable path into the joy of short track racing. Depending on the type of racecar, racers would often change tires after one or two nights of competition. That isn’t the case for the Rotten Forgotten racers, many of which raced the entire season on one set of street legal DOT tires.

“Implementing the tire rule is what really helps us enforce the competition,” noted Joe. “Obviously, with the mix of cars that we have in the class, some have much more power than others and that’s where the tires play their part. Having too much power with the street legal tire will limit the traction and the tires will spin, in turn reducing speed.”

“It’s a win-win for everyone.”

Many racers have had their eye on the new class that has found a home at Evergreen Raceway, including Moe Hunsicker of Drums. Moe is a competitor in Evergreen’s Factory Stock division, but he’s been spending time prepping a ride for his 16 year old daughter, Paige, who is planning on joining the action in the series by making her stock car debut in the 72C FireHouse Music Chevy.

Excited about the opportunity to compete in the series, Paige Hunsinger said, “I have been driving since I was five, racing karts with my dad. Now I finally get to race big cars!”

The group had hoped for just a handful of dates for the

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2022 season at Evergreen. With success, the track has invited them back, giving them 14 race dates this season. Even though Evergreen will host the majority of the race dates for the series, Joe did mention that he and his team have been in contact with other tracks within the area to gauge their interest.

“We’re definitely looking into some other tracks as well,” he said.

“If they work with us and we have support from the racers and fans, we’ll be there.”

Some of the series regulars from the towns of Nescopeck and Hobbie alone are Sammy, Danny, Joe, Tommy, Jonny and

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Noah “Chub’’ Jensen and Tommy and “Big Tom” Dawson. The series sponsors and supporters consist of J’s Auto Detailing, Mathews Fuel Service, Nescopeck Custom Machine and Jensen’s Engine Technologies. Any drivers who are interested in the series can and would like any questions answered can contact Joe through The Rotten Forgotten Racing Series group on Facebook.

Evergreen Raceway Rotten Forgotten dates: May 21, May 28, June 11, June 18, June 25, July 2, July 16, July 30, Aug.13, Aug. 20, Sept. 3, Sept. 10, Oct. 1 and Oct. 13-16 (King of the Green Weekend), race date to be determined.

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