Dirt Empire Magazine - Issue 03 2021 by dirtempiremagazine

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Issue 03 - 2021

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CONTENTS Issue 03 - 2021

Photo: Josh James

Ashley Zimmerman goes a couple of laps with Tyler Erb, getting into the nitty gritty and digging up some gems.

5 Fore Word – Adam Cornell 6 From the Editor – Justin Zoch 8 Guest Mic Drop – Vahok Hill 10 News and Notes 12 Lighter Side of Dirt 14 Action Capture 16 My Top Five 18 Short Track Stars – Frank Coates 20 Skull Candy 22 Light Side of Dirt 24 In Memorium 26 Ask The Driver 30 Brooks Strength 34 Review in Pictures 44 Guest Mic Drop – Bristol Edition 46 Tyler Erb 52 Short Track Stars – Jake Timm 54 Moving Pics 56 Night of Carnage Photo Spread 58 Shifting Gears – Kevin Rudeen 60 Action Capture 62 Photographer Focus – Mike Musslin 66 Racetrack Spotlight – 34 Raceway 68 Talking Tech 72 Artistic License 74 Yesterday’s Dirt 76 The Dirt Chronicles 78 New & Featured Products 80 Advertiser’s Index 82 After Word

FEATURES 30 A LONG ROAD TO A SHOCKING VICTORY

Brooks Strength seemingly came out of nowhere to steal $20,000 at Humboldt’s King of America Modified Nationals but we dig into his long road to get there and his valuable friendship with late model racer Cade Dillard. 34 REVIEW IN PICTURES – BRISTOL

There was a lot to love about a month of racing on the dirt at The Last Great Collosseum in Bristol, Tennessee, and Dirt Empire Magazine had photographers on the grounds firing away at nearly every event that was held. We’ve curated our favorite shots to show what a wild ride it was on the banks. 43 NASCAR – BRISTOL SPOTLIGHT

Our correspondent gives his impression of NASCAR on dirt at Bristol Motor Speedway. 46 TERBO ISN’T GOING TO CHANGE FOR YOU

Tyler Erb had a hectic 2020 campaign and is off to a similar start in 2021 as tempers flared early in Florida. He breaks it all down in plain words for us and is happy to let everyone know his winning ways and his attitude are here to stay. TO SUBSCRIBE, GO TO DIRTEMPIREMAGAZINE.COM/SUBSCRIBE

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POLE POSITION R A C E C A R

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COVER PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS: BROOKS STRENGTH: TYLER RINKIN DAVID GRAVEL: QUENTIN YOUNG

FOR SUBMISSION INQUIRIES, PLEASE CONTACT SENIOR EDITOR JUSTIN ZOCH: ZOCH24@HOTMAIL.COM

Issue 03 • Volume 01 2021 Advertising Info:

email: dirtempiremagazine@gmail.com phone: 315.921.1415 OWNER/PUBLISHER Adam Cornell EDITOR Justin Zoch SUBSCRIPTION COORDINATOR Abigail Cornell WORDS Ashley Allinson, Ashley Zimmerman, Bert Lehman, Bill Blumer Jr., Bob Mays, Brett Swanson, Chad Meyer, Chris Romano, Cyndi Stiffler, Danny Burton, David Sink, Doug Seeger, Elizabeth Madley, Eric Arnold, Gary Costa, Greg Soukup, Jessica Jenkins, Joanne Cram, Joe Duvall, Kelley Carlton, Kevin Oldham, Larry Weeks, Lee Ackerman, Melissa Coker, Mike Spieker, Odell Suttle, Scott Erickson, TJ Buffenbarger, Todd Heintzelman, Vahok Hill PICTURES Adam Mollenkopf, Andy Newsome, Bill Miller, Bill Taylor, Bob Mays, Bob Yurko, Brad Plant, Brandon Anderson, Brendon Bauman, Brian Bouder, Bruce Palla, Buck Monson, Buzz Fisher, Carey Fox, Chad Wells, Chris McDill, Chris Pederson, Conrad Nelson, Dan DeMarco, Danny Howk, David Campbell, David Giles, David Hill, David Pratt, Dennis Krieger, Don Laidlaw, Donna Rosenstengel, Doug Burgess, Doug Vandeventer, Glen Starek, Gordy O’Field, Greg Stanek, Greg Teel, Heath Lawson, Jacy Norgaard, Jason Orth, Jason Spencer, Jason Wells, Jeff Bylsma, Jim Collum Jr., Jim DenHamer, Jim Zimmerline, Jimmy Jones, Joe Orth, Joe Secka, John Dadalt, John Lee, John Rothermel, Jon Holliday, Joseph Swann, Ken Kelly, Lee Greenawalt, Leif Tillotson, Mark Funderburk, Mark Sublett, Matt Butcosk, Michael Diers, Michael Moats, Mike Campbell, Mike Damic, Mike Feltenberger, Mike Howard, Mike Musslin, Mike Ruefer, Millie Tanner, Patrick Miller, Paul Arch, Paul Gould, Quentin Young, Rich LaBrier, Richard Barnes, Rick Neff, Rick Sherer, Robert Wing, Rocky Ragusa, Ron Gilson, Ryan Northcote, Scott Swenson, Seth Stone, Steve Walters, Tara Chavez, Terry Page, Tim Aylwin, Tim Hunt, Todd Boyd, Tom Macht, Tony Hammett, Travis Branch, Troy Junkins, Tyler Carr, Tyler Rinkin, Zach Yost, Zakary Kriener

Dirt Empire Magazine is published 8 times annually. Copyright © 2021 Dirt Empire Magazine. Dirt Empire is a registered trademark of Adam Cornell and cannot be used without prior written authorization. Any unauthorized use of the Dirt Empire Magazine Logo or related icons is strictly prohibited. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. Dirt Empire Magazine and its writers and editors are not responsible for typos or clerical errors in advertisements or articles. Postmaster: Send all address changes to: Dirt Empire Magazine, 218 Flower Ave E, Studio C, Watertown, NY 13601 Subscription rate is $36 US annually. Canadian subscribers add $24 annually. International subscribers add $72 annually.

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

Right Foot Performance Products

TRIAL BY FIRE TRIAL BY DIRT I’VE ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED by people who truly know their craft. Their experience gives them confidence that the decisions they make will result in success for whatever it is they are endeavoring to accomplish. What I find even more fascinating is watching an individual who really knows their craft deal with failure. They may be angry that things didn’t go right, but even in failure, a true master can gain a lesson. They have the experience to know when something is a lost cause or when it’s worth salvaging. They put together an action plan, and attack. They also know when to shrug and crack open a beer and say “forget it” in so many words. I think one of the things that separates a master craftsman from all the fakes is that they have realistic expectations for their own abilities and find joy and elation in their successes – even as the outside world looks on and questions whether success has actually been achieved or not. They also know all the rules of their trade and can contemplate how and when to break those rules. I’m not talking about cheating. I’ve always felt cheating was showing disrespect to your competitor and yourself. I’m talking

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about the “we’ve always done it this way so we’re always going to do it this way” kind of rules of the trade. I see this type of thinking in dirt track racing quite often. As everyone is trying to find that one small advantage, the true masters are looking at things and asking, “why are we doing it this way?” From that question innovation can spring. If that innovation is good enough, it becomes the standard. Then the next generation gets to as the same question and look for the next innovation. When it comes to magazines and magazine publishing there have always been the standards. It’s done this way because we’ve always done it this way. We now have digital formats, websites, apps, and so on. How does that affect what we do? Early on, when we were contemplating producing Dirt Empire Magazine, one of my friends asked, “Why would anyone want a magazine when you can get videos online?” That question led me to realize we could harness technology, add QR codes to the magazine and give readers the opportunity to jump right to a video, as if it were right in our pages. Maybe someone else is doing this, but I haven’t seen it anywhere else. We’ll know we’re on to something if we suddenly see other magazines pick up this trend. In a world of next day delivery expectations, thanks to Amazon, will the public understand that upon ordering the first magazine it can take 6 to 8 weeks to process and deliver? Is that simply unsustainable? Have people lost their patience for a good thing? I can’t help but wonder if there are better ways to do everything, and I’m curious to find a better way. Has anyone tried a two-tiered system of delivery speeds? Regular and first class at a premium price? Maybe we’ll introduce that. If you don’t mind waiting you save, if you want it immediately, well, is it worth two more dollars to you? Let the consumer decide! Maybe we’ll try such a thing. It may be a logistical nightmare, but it may not be too terribly difficult. If you don’t ask “why” you

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By Adam Cornell can never get to “why not.” What about tying magazine issues to a month in the calendar? One of the things we’ve discovered is big races and events don’t naturally tie-in with production schedules. If you go to press this week, you miss the photos and stories from the big event this weekend. And if you push that story off to the next issue, well, it’s so far in the rearview mirror by the time the next issue comes out, that it hardly seems relevant. So maybe we unlink our issues from the monthly calendar and merely number them, 01-08 every year, and then we can let the racing schedule help dictate the production schedule. “Well, it’s never been done that way!” Maybe it’s time to try it. The only way to find out if it will work is to try it. That is both scary and exciting. What have we got to lose? Well, maybe we fail. Maybe everybody points and laughs. What then? Who cares? Seriously, who cares what people think? We tried something new and different. Should I feel bad about that? I’m going to go with this: we will work hard to make the coolest dirt track racing magazine ever. We’re going to try new and different things with this publication. I’m going to experiment and more than likely, fail a few times. But the upside is, we may create something the likes of which has never existed before. I kind of like that opportunity. It’s trial by fire…and by dirt.

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

from the EDITOR

By Justin Zoch THE SPORT OF AUTO RACING, particularly the dirt track faction, has done one thing better than almost any other sport over the years – provide up close access to the competitors. I would wager to bet that if you fell in love with racing as a child, it was in the pits postrace where you really felt that emotional pull that continues to get you to the track as an adult. I just heard baseball promoter extraordinaire Mike Veeck (owner of our local Triple AAA affiliate Saint Paul Saints) on a local radio show talking about how baseball needs to have more fan interaction or it risks losing a generation. I thought, well, for all of auto racing’s problems, we’ve got that figured out as there are so many ways for fans to interact with drivers these days through pre-race autograph sessions, souvenir row, pre-event parties and even things like making more pit passes available to the general public. If you want to meet your hero and get a shirt or an autograph, it really just takes a tiny modicum of effort. Racing is the better for it. Then, I was reading USAC and soon to be SRX racer Kody Swanson’s Ask the Driver section in this magazine later that night and it kind of stopped me in my tracks since I had been thinking about how good dirt track racing is at fan/ driver interaction. A reader submitted the question “If you could improve the world of open wheel racing in one aspect, what would it be?” and Kody’s answer, which you can read at length on page 28, really made me think.

COMPETITIVE ACCESS “I think back to being a kid… if you missed the winner’s interview, it wasn’t because you were in your car on the way home, it was because you were lined up to get to the pits, and then you got to see the drivers get out in their driving suit, hot, sweaty, the cars are hot, and it completed the experience. You were there to see a competitor and you see got to see him in a competitive atmosphere. It was totally different to me as a kid getting an autograph from a driver in his suit, sweaty, talking to his crew about the race, about the track then it is at 3:30 in the afternoon from a driver in his street clothes. It’s just a different experience, a different interaction. I would love to capture that.” Yes! Swanson nailed it. Autograph sessions and pit parties are great but that is all kind of sanctioned, professional interactions. I do remember as a kid with McDonald’s money burning a hole in my wallet seeking racers for t-shirts and trying to be one of the first people down to their trailer (particularly when the NCRA Northern Tour came through and there were guys like Tommie Estes Jr., Larry Neighbors, Aaron Berryhill and Gary Wright that had shirts no one else would have – no websites back then). That whole scene that Kody laid out is exactly what I loved about racing – the interaction, either joyous or tense, with the crew, the sweat (that long walk into the trailer to grab a drink, wipe their brow and collect themselves before interacting) and the energy of a postrace pit area. Swanson also talks about the team aspect of it and there is no greater endorphin rush than when a powerful race car shuts off in a crowded pit area and a driver climbs from the car to greet the crew. It’s a tiny, intangible moment that happens up and down pit road every night

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

but it is when all of the things we love about racing collide – emotion, noise, teamwork and even vulnerability – in a few magic moments. While social media and afternoon access are great for promoting stars, it’s the little moments that Swanson recalls that shows off the true competitive nature and guts of our sport. I still remember as a child, after the races, racetrack announcers would frequently say something like “take your kids down to the pits and have them sit in those cars but be careful because they are still hot”. Damn, you knew right when you heard that warning that you were at some kind of crazy circus!

RUSH Racing Series

guest

MIC DROP

By Vahok Hill

A CALL FOR SUPERIOR MECHANICAL KNOWLEDGE (AND TO STOP CHEATING) Racing is difficult enough without the people who feel obligated to cheat. There is this romantic notion that if the rule book doesn’t say you can’t do it, that makes it OK to fill in the blanks. Cheating is a vicious cycle of romanticism, lying, feeling superior to the tech people and your competition and ultimately yourself. If you are cheating and someone beats you, they must be cheating, too. Talk about the ultimate in a condescending thought process. I don’t care if it is tires, engines, weight or fuel capacity; cheating is wrong and if you get caught you should pay a heavy penalty. Tires are a particular hot spot for me. Yeah, I get that people want to win and, if they don’t get caught, it is all good. Tires have a special impact in that some of the chemicals used to soften tires are very toxic. Some are proven to cause specific types of cancer and when a team treats tires with dangerous chemicals, they are not only placing their team at risk but other competitors and the fans in the stands. I feel that this type of willful antisocial behavior should be rewarded with lifetime bans. Not to mention that these same chemicals have been proven to be damaging to the tire from a physical perspective. So now we have a treated tire outgassing toxic fumes placing the crews, drivers and fans at risk and they may also compromise the tires from a physical perspective. It goes way past just trying to trick the tech guys, who are usually volunteers

and not professional tech people. It shows a huge amount of disrespect to your fellow competitors. If you cheat, who are you really beating? If racing is a test of mechanical and driving skill, you are taking the mechanical beyond the technical means of the acknowledged boundaries of the series you are racing, you are cheating. I am specifically talking about engine, tires, specified materials, i.e., are you using materials that are specifically not allowed - that would be tubing that is too thin or exotic materials that are called out as, not allowed? If so, you are cheating.

CHEATING SHOWS A HUGE AMOUNT OF DISRESPECT TO YOUR FELLOW COMPETITORS. I am not saying that all cars have to be vanilla. There are always areas where you can expand the norm but there are limits. The rule book is there for a reason. The World of Outlaws had a very slim rule book in the early years. As racers pushed the envelope, rules became more defined. The goal was to develop a set of rules that would allow for innovation but not outright development of cars that would outpace the current economic development of the cars to be economically limiting. In the early years, there were cars with a good

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

deal of titanium and aluminum where previously steel was utilized. Much effort and money has been spent on reducing weight by ounces for a negligible or imaginary gain in time. Does it really work? On paper, maybe, but in the mudcoated world of dirt racing, not so much. So, the car is defined from a mechanical perspective, the engine and fuel are defined from a mechanical and chemical perspective. Stay within the limits of the rules and adjust the car within the given allowable parameters. I would hazard to say that most racers do not even know what the top three adjustments on their car really are, that is which adjustments have an impact on lap times and which adjustments really have a minimal impact on lap times. Many racers do not use a stop watch to gage performance. Stop cheating and learn what you can do to make your car faster within the rules. Vahok has spent 30 plus years writing technical articles exploring the ins and outs of mechanical processes as applied to race cars. He has traveled the world looking at mechanical and machining processes. He has been actively involved in racing for 40 plus years in off road racing, kart racing a variety of short track racing from cars to motorcycles to sprint cars. He was involved with the introduction of computers to race cars when that form of data acquisition was still something that was not the accepted norm. He lives and breathes all things mechanical. Check out Vahok’s Tech column in this issue on page 68.

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

Close Racing Supply

news

NOTES

DRIVER’S PERMIT NOT REQUIRED It’s a fine time to be a 14 year old racer on the American dirt track circuit. For the past few decades, very young teenagers have done their fair share of winning in America but as more sanctioning bodies add age limits, 13 and 14 year olds have become less common on speedways. This year, two 14-year-olds to watch will be Ryan Timms and Ben Easler. Oklahoma City’s Timms has already raced to two ASCS Regional victories this year in Missouri and Easler is set for his first full campaign with the RUSH Sportsman Modified Touring Series. Best of luck to both and here’s to breakout seasons.

Ryan Timms celebrating an ASCS victory. Photo: Ken Simon

Photo: Paul Arch

BLOWIN’ IN THE WIND Think the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars were fast at Bristol? The high speeds literally ripped the stickers and wraps from race cars. Logan Schuchart’s crew member Brendon Collum had to replace his wrap early in the event while one of Parker PriceMilller’s number decals landed in the dirt on the grandstand side of the back stretch wall. Proof positive the winged warriors were full tilt.

Photo: Paul Arch

Ben Easler in his 02 prepares to take the RUSH Sportsman Modified Touring Series by storm in 2021. Photo: Gary Thayer

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

Photo: Paul Arch

Photo: Eric Arnold

ELDORA SPEEDWAY 2021 Last year, Eldora Speedway, like most racetracks in America, went above and beyond to try to keep the doors open for racers without being allowed to have fans in the stands due to the global pandemic. They pushed their historic events back a year and even ran the Stream instead of the Dream in an attempt to satisfy appetites without tarnishing historic events (similar to Knoxville’s One And Only). This year, however, the events are back in a big way. Check out Eldora’s rundown for their big money shows in 2021 with their three largest events being held over three massive four-day weekends crowning two champions. June 9-10 ........................ 27th Dirt Late Model Dream June 11-12 ...................... 26th Dirt Late Model Dream July 15-16 ....................... 38th Kings Royal July 17-18 ....................... 37th Kings Royal September 8-9................. 51st World 100 September 10-11............. 50th World 100 September 24-25............. 39th 4-Crown Nationals

QUARTER CENTURY OF CALLS When the Knoxville Raceway kicked off its season in mid-April, there was a very familiar voice celebrating a very special anniversary in the announcer’s booth. Tony Bokhoven, from nearby Pella, Iowa, started his 25th season of announcing at the Sprint Car Capitol of the World and has officially become the voice of the raceway for an entire generation of racing fans. Bokhoven has parlayed his success there into various television appearances and also announces events like the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals and Short Track Nationals but his voice never sounds clearer or more perfect than it does when firing fans up with a rousing “Lets Goooo Racing!”. EIBACH PARTNERS WITH SRX Things are really starting to come together for the SRX Series and they took another big step forward by officially announcing Eibach Springs as the Official Spring Supplier of the SRX Superstar Racing Experience. According to the release, “Our direct involvement with top level motorsports series is just as impressive as the SRX roster… It was imperative for Ray Evernham, Tony Stewart and his team to work with a manufacturer who could deliver the closest manufacturing tolerances and consistent performance to level the playing field. For the 2021 season, all SRX vehicles will be equipped with Eibach’s XT Barrel race springs.

Photos provided by Eibach

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

the lighter side of

DIRT

Photo: David Giles

ASIDE FROM SPONSORSHIPS, racers use their cars to convey everything from politics to jokes and to express their personalities. Here are some of our favorites from the last couple of months.

What a sweet story for a spoiler. A group of friends racing at East Bay Speedway during Late Model Speedweeks in 2020 were at Applebee’s in Apollo Beach and Rick Eckert ordered a Shirley Temple for owner Larry Baer’s grandson DeShawn Gingrich, who is a minor. Allen Murry, who owns M&M Construction and sponsors Brent Marks and Rick Eckert, jumped on it and paid Larry Baer $5,000 to put Shirley Temple on the rear spoiler!

Jake Leitzman wasn’t afraid to shoot from the hip at Bristol.

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

Photo: Paul Arch

Photo: David Giles

PA sprint racer AJ Flick with some roll bar reminders.

Photo: Todd Boyd

Joe Duvall with a very honest sponsor decal.

Jackson Gill’s jack. Photo: Paul Arch

Mod racer Dave Wietholder found an ingenious way to promote his State Wide Solar sponsorship. Loudest solar powered car ever! Photo: Paul Arch DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

action

CAPTURE

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

Lance Moss. Or should we say at an All Star show at Volunteer Speedway. Photo: Randall Perry Lance Moss

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021

my top

FIVE By Bob Mays

WE TASKED NATIONAL SPRINT CAR HALL OF FAME AUTHOR AND HISTORIAN BOB MAYS WITH GOING THROUGH HIS CONSIDERABLE COLLECTION OF AUTO RACING LITERATURE AND DETERMINING HIS ULTIMATE TOP FIVE RACING BOOKS. AFTER COMBING HIS SHELVES, MAYS OFFERED UP HIS FANTASTIC FIVE THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHT THE HISTORY OF THE SPORT.

“THE AMERICAN DIRT TRACK RACER” AUTHOR: JOE SCALZO PUBLISHER: MOTORBOOKS ILLUSTRATED FIRST PRINTING: 2001 Joe Scalzo is pretty liberal with adjectives and doesn’t put his subjects on pedestals and the results are stories that run the gamut of the human experience and a joy to read. The book starts with Tony Bettenhausen and the year 1951 and ends with Jan Opperman and the year 1971. It’s obvious these two decades are Scalzo’s favorites. He digs in to not only the drivers and owners, but the mechanics, promoters and hangers-on of all persuasions. Joe loves nicknames and once one is introduced, the guy’s given name is rarely mentioned again. So be warned, if you start in the middle of the book, you may never figure out who many of the characters really are. Also, be forewarned, this is the one R rated tome on this list; Scalzo uses direct quotes, never substituting less offensive language. “FABULOUS FIFTIES” AUTHOR: DICK WALLEN PUBLISHER: DICK WALLEN PRODUCTIONS FIRST PRINTING: 1993 Wallen is listed as the author but really he is the editor of this voluminous tome covering champ car racing in the 1950s. Since most of the circuit was dirt then, it qualifies as a dirt track book even though much space is devoted to each year’s Indy 500. It is allinclusive with detailed reports on each race and stats enough for any geek of that persuasion. Most of the book is penned by Bob Schilling, with Wallen, Larry Nuber, George Peters, Carol Sims, Dave Argabright, Eddie Sachs and Jim Chini also making contributions. Phil Harms provided the stats. Wallen conducts the orchestra and creates an opus of epic proportions.

Photo: Rick Sherer

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“THE DUSTY HEROES” AUTHOR: JOHN SAWYER PUBLISHER: CARL HUNGNESS PUBLISHING FIRST PRINTING: 1977 Sawyer was a staple of Open Wheel Magazine for nearly all of its two decade run and “The Dusty Heroes” is his best known work. He suffered from adjective over-load in his writings for Open Wheel and this has a similar affliction but that is about the only criticism I have with his work. His description of the dirt track life comes from the heart; he ate, slept drank and worked with these guys and that familiarity comes through. The chapter on the recently deceased James McElreath is the highlight.

“KINGS OF THE HILLS” AUTHOR: BUZZ ROSE PUBLISHER: ROSE RACING PUBLICATIONS FIRST PRINTING: 2006 Just about any of Buzz’s books could go in this slot, but I chose this one because there seemed to be a plethora of colorful characters in the AAA and USAC Midwestern division in the 1950s. Troy Ruttman, Duane Carter, Pat O’Connor, Bob Sweikert, Mike Nazaruk and Ed Elisian were men of much said color. Rose thoroughly researched the era where the high banks of Winchester, Salem and Dayton were as big

“DIRT TRACK LEGENDS VOL. II” AUTHOR: LEE O’BRIEN PUBLISHER: LEE O’BRIEN FIRST PRINTING: 1986 O’Brien, who passed away in 2020, grew up within sight of the Iowa State Fair and attended most of the races run there from the late-1940s to its demise in 2016. His first book “Dirt Track Legends, Volume I” covered events from 1907 to 1949 and was nice little early history of the track but did nothing to prepare us for Volume II. It is a major detailed history of the men and events of the Iowa State Fair track from 1950 through 1985. Bobby Grim, Pete Folse and Doug Wolfgang are the major players but no one is overlooked in this history from the heart.

Best of the rest: :One Tough Circuit” by Bill Hill, “Full Tilt!” by John Mahoney, “Langhorne! No Man’s Land” by L. Spencer Riggs, “Life’s Tough On The Circuit” by Bob Trostle w/Larry Weeks and “Old School 1971-1977” by Mike Arthur.

short track

STARS

Photo: Blake Harris

Hodges, South Carolina

FRANK COATES by Odell Suttle

FRANK COATES, of Hodges, South Carolina, may not be known by fans and competitors throughout the country but he has been a force at speedways in the Palmetto State for over four decades. At any dirt track in the state of South Carolina, when his red and white 21 Ford rolls through the gate everyone knows he will be in the hunt for the win. PRIDE OF SOUTH CAROLINA Now 66 years old, Coates has no intentions of getting out of the racing business. Over his career, he has won 175 races across his home state and eight track championships. “I have won races all over the state of South Carolina.” Coates has concentrated most of his efforts on the Laurens County Speedway, where he has won 100 Late Model features and six championships. Both of these are all-time track records. TESTIMONIALS Laurens promoter Danny Hurley said Coates is an asset to the track. Coates

won several races and the Laurens championship in 2020. “We all like him,” Hurley said. “Frank has been all over the state and he is a likeable fellow.” Jimmy Taylor, like Coates, has raced and won across the state and he said it is special when he beats Coates in a race. “Frank is fun to race with,” Taylor said. “The fun comes in when you are able to pass him and drive away from him.” LOYAL TO LAURENS Coates has success everywhere he races, including two championships at Batesburg Speedway, but is particularly loyal to Laurens County. “I like Laurens. It is closer to my home. They pay a good purse; better than most tracks.” The Laurens Speedway is a three eights mile red dirt track that caters to local fans and racers. They hold the cost of the cars down. There is a good car count in every class of cars every Saturday.

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MAYBE SOME DAY? Coates was asked what is left to add to his resume and he shared that the biggest disappointment of his career was not winning a big race at Cherokee Speedway near Gaffney, South Carolina. FAMILIAR FORD LIVERY Coates has raced Fords his entire career and has always owned his own race cars. Rhett Thackston does the engine work for the cars. His red and white Fords with the number 21 and gold stripe bear a striking resemblance to the cars built by the famed Wood Brothers of NASACAR that were driven by David Pearson, among others. “We liked Pearson. They were the Wood Brothers and we were the Coates Brothers,” Coates said. SO FAR, SO GOOD Through his 40-year career, Coates has never been injured in a race car and has never turned one over. He said he

Photo: Blake Harris

does not take wild chances on the track but races at a pace that will have him in contention at the finish. AUTOGRAPH HOUNDS Always good with his fans, there was one autograph hunter that shocked Coates. “I won the race and stopped the car and was about to get out. A girl stuck her leg in the car and I had to sign her leg before she would move. I guess she had on shorts or something. Anyway, I signed her leg and she moved her leg and I got out of the car. That is the strangest autograph I have ever done.” BEST IT EVER GOT His single biggest year was the 2008 season when he won the Shrine Race and 13 other races. His most cherished trophy was the one he got for winning that Shrine Race. This year, Laurens County Speedway will host the 40th Shrine Race on September 14, 2021.

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Brinn Inc.

SKULL CANDY

the lighter side of

DIRT

IS THIS THING ON? The late Bob Shryock’s helmet was unique in that it is wired for communication to and from the crew during the race. In 1977, Late Models at Alta, Iowa, and Fairmont, Minnesota, were allowed radio communication. This helmet was for sure used by Bob at the 1983 NDRA Super National 100 at I-70 Speedway at Odessa, Missouri. Photo: Chad Meyer

TWO-WHEEL TRIBUTE It’s not uncommon for dirt racers to pay tribute to their heroes with helmet schemes and throwbacks but Sheldon Haudenschild saluted a different kind of dirt track master with this replica of Ricky Carmichael’s famous motocross helmet.

LUCKY LINDY Late model racer Tony Jackson Jr. pays tribute to Charles Lindbergh and his favorite city with this sweet scheme. “I’m just a Cardinals fan and live close to St. Louis. It has all the states on it we have raced and won races in.” Photo: Todd Boyd

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Salon at Studio B

DOG-GONE DIRT ADORABLE the lighter side of

Racing is a family sport, and Mr. and Mrs. Puppers are family. Here are just a couple of our furry friends out and about giving friendly tail wags, sloppy hello kisses and in general just being adorable. Life at the track is just a little bit better when Fido is on the pit crew.

Photo: Matt Butcosk

Photo: Zach Yost

In the pits, in the trailer, in a blanket watching the races. Man’s best friend doesn’t discriminate, they kind of like the ladies as well.

Photo: Dave Hill

Bristol and Vincent help Alyssa McCarl man the family merch trailer. That’s a pair of good-looking puppies!

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Our furry friends don’t just keep us company, they keep us sane on the road - and they love it as much as we do.

Gina Shebester with Buddy and Micro (on lap). Photo: Ashley Allinson

Photo: Mike Campbell

Photo: David Giles

Our own Ashley Zimmerman and 2018 Knoxville Queen Jamie Mueller (Kriegel) hang with Bailey.

Tootsie pits for OK mod racer Rob Bland. Chillin’ in the trailer. That’s our kind of puppers!

Photo: Ashley Allinson

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in memorium

BOBBY UNSER IN EARLY MAY, the man who’s name was almost always preceded by “Three-time Indy winner”, Bobby Unser passed away at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Unser, along with his brother Al and nephew Al Jr., left an indelible mark on the motorsports landscape. A Pike’s Peak legend, a Bonneville Salt Flats record holder, NASCAR and Formula one starter, Unser was also a great dirt track racer and has two USAC titles and wins in every major USAC division. Following his racing career, Bobby became beloved as a witty observer and personality on Indy Car broadcasts.

Photo: Bob Scott

THE SON OF a dozen-time Indy 500 starter, Steve Stapp was smitten with racing throughout his entire 80 years. The native Californian soon transplanted to the Midwest where he ran on the open wheel circuits before retiring from behind the wheel after his children were born. Thus one of the greatest car owners ever was created. Stapp employed talent the ilk of Mario Andretti, Johnny Rutherford, Pancho Carter, Larry Dickson, Eric Gordon, Joe Saldana and Russ Gamester. An owner of a trucking company, Stapp was a lifelong race enthusiast and massive personality that gained entrance to the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1999. Stapp passed away on April 23 after 57 years of marriage to his beloved Rosemary.

STEVE STAPP

Photo: Bob Mays Collection

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“JUMPIN” JACK JOHNSON

Photo: Bob Yurko

Photo: Adam Cornell

ONE OF THE greatest modified racers of all time passed away in early April. Jack Johnson, known as Jumpin Jack, began racing modifieds in 1966 and was a force on the track until his retirement in 2009. Johnson was most formidable at Fonda Speedway, where he won 11 titles and a record 149 races. He was also a six-time Mr. DIRT champion and a four-time Super DIRT Series titlist. He recorded 426 career victories. His father, Rollie, and his son, Ronnie, were also accomplished racers and Johnson was the proprietor of Jumpin’ Jack’s Pro Speed Shop.

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Dominator Race Products

ask the

DRIVER Photo: Josh James

DRIVER: KODY SWANSON By Ashley Zimmerman

Dirt Empire is taking questions provided by YOU and will seek out your favorite drivers to get you the answers to your long awaited questions! All you have to do to submit your question is just Like Dirt Empire on any social media and include #DEasks with your question. Then watch for the next issue to see if your question is featured!

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE managed to squeeze some time on to newly announced SRX series driver Kody Swanson’s schedule to ask questions on everything dirt and even a little bit about life on pavement. The five-time USAC Silver Crown Champion gets detailed about his favorite places, some of his struggles, and his love for fan engagement. Dirt Empire (DE): What first attracted you to dirt track racing and did you think at the time it would become your career? Kody Swanson (KS): I started dirt track racing when I was a kid; I was around twelve years old. What really attracted us to it, coming from a fully pavement racing family, was that there were a couple of dirt tracks close to us and they raced on

Photo: Matt Butcosk

Friday nights. We could still make the races since my dad was still racing on Saturdays. Micro sprints met all of the family requirements - they had a five point harness, they were safer than a go-kart with a full roll cage, and they sat you up, so they didn’t teach you any bad habits like we felt maybe quarter midgets might. I really fell in love with it then because it was the style of racing that as a driver you’re never out of it, the track is always changing. It gives you a chance to search and use the track to be fast. I loved running the same place weekly, since the track was never the same. One weekend it could be heavy, or have a big curb, or be slick with nothing to lean on. You had to figure it out to be fast, and I felt it exposed me to so many different situations as a driver that you can learn a lot in a short amount of time. I never thought I was going to get a chance to race, I thought it would just be a hobby or something. As I grew up, I had some successes, and I was really fortunate and thankful to have made a career out of it. DE: Who has influenced your racing career the most? KS: That’s a tough one because I think, fortunately, with a long career, that a

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lot of people have influenced it. For sure, though, my dad, mom, my wife, my family; I grew up watching my dad race and he was such a huge part of getting us started. My brother and I would have never had the chance to get started it if wasn’t for him. We weren’t able to start with some big team; he showed us how to put the work in. I had to learn how to try and get sponsorships and make a go. It was really a small family operation and put us in big venues and big races to run well and to be seen in racing. Fortunately, it was a time where car owners were still looking to hire drivers, so it got us to the next opportunity to get hired by somebody, to where I could move on to a new region or series and really develop a racing career. I’ve been able to drive with many iconic teams throughout my career and that really helped to propel me to new levels. DE: If you had to rank them - nonwing, wing, midget, 410, 360, and even asphalt, what would be your order of preference? KS: Hmm, Silver Crown cars are the best. I like non wing sprint cars, winged sprint cars 360 or 410. Then it would probably be dirt midgets last for me. I just haven’t

Photo: Paul Arch Photo: Josh James

run them a lot. Back in 2011, I had a bad crash and won about $100. It was a perfect storm situation where the cage crushed, and I thought if I was going to do this racing thing for very long, I needed to just stay away from them. So, I have. DE: You get the opportunity to race with a lot of different series, asphalt, dirt, what would you say your top three racetracks to race at are and why? KS: My smart mouth answer to this is always the next one on the schedule. You have to enjoy where you’re going, if you want to be successful, you have to commit yourself to being there, right? That’s usually the first thing I come back with. But, I really like the Indiana State Fairgrounds, it’s kind of a hot button topic at the moment but I love that place for so many reasons. It fits me really well, it had high speed, it had technicality, it had precision all being required but I love the atmosphere and the tradition that it held, knowing that it connects us to some of the legends of our sport; it was my own chance to be connected to the greats like Foyt, Unser, Andretti, and all of them. I loved racing there. It’s hard for me to pick three; I love the ones that have that kind of history and character to them. Pavement wise, I love Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis for the same reasons. We talk about me being a pavement guy

some and loving dirt and many of the pavement tracks I love race a lot like dirt tracks. Lucas Oil Raceway has progressive banking with so many grooves that it changes every time you’re there. I love Salem Speedway. It is rough, has holes, and so much character that you have to search around the racetrack just like you would a dirt track. I’m going to include a fourth one, I really enjoy Waynesfield Raceway Park in Ohio partly because I got to race with Kent Wolters there and we became friends. It’s such a racy little bullring that you get a little bit of everything when you’re there. You can race against the cushion and run the car really hard or get technical and hit the bottom, it’s just a really racy track. It’s probably my favorite place to run a nonwing sprint car, so I feel like I should really include that one. DE: What is an event you look forward to racing at every season? KS: I love the Hoosier 100 but that one’s going away. The Little 500 is such a big event for my region and side of the sport that I love going to that one. Those two are probably my biggest two each year. DE: What kind of racetracks best fit your driving style? KS: As far as racing dirt, I fell in love with Silver Crown cars on dirt. I love places that precision is really important. I really

Photo: Mike Campbell

enjoy tracks that you’re required to be precise and technical to be fast. They seem to suite my style the best, high speed, technical, with finesse type of place. Those are usually the ones I find success at. DE: What is a track that you struggle with the most and why? KS: Eldora Speedway has been one that I’ve struggled at and it’s not because I’ve not ran well. I just haven’t felt good about the way I’ve run there. It’s a tough place, it either fits your comfort zone or it doesn’t. For me, for dirt tracks that are high banked, you build so much trust going into the corners with the speed there. There’s such a load difference. Eldora was a place that I had a hard time feeling comfortable running the car as hard as I needed to run around the top of the track. I’ve turned the corner and really gained a lot. In 2014, 2015, and 2016 I felt like I really got the hang of it, I didn’t win a race but I ran second twice and set fast time and was gaining on it. One of the things about dirt tracks is they change, and it seems like in the time since, maybe the shape or banking is a little bit different,

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and I’ve kind of struggled there lately. It’s been a place that I certainly want to improve at, and hopefully I can get my head wrapped around it on the right night and find some success there. DE: What do you look forward to the most in the off season? KS: I’m from Central California but I live in the Midwest for racing but we get to go home to California. Every Christmas we spend about two weeks there - my wife and I and now our two boys. Both of our families and all of our extended family is in California. I look forward to having two weeks to just get home and see everyone to catch up. I hate that the sport we love and where we geographically are keeps us separated. But, I look forward to making it home every Christmas. Racing wise, I enjoy the off season because it gives you a chance to maybe not change pace but you get to change focus, where you can try to make yourself or your cars better, it gives you a chance where you can separate yourself from the week to week grind. DE: What is your favorite place to eat on the road and why? KS: I guess I don’t really have one right now. There was a period of time where I got a little superstitious and needed to eat at Wendy’s on race day. I had to have a Baconator. Most of the time, I’m just looking for a good cheeseburger. DE: What is the biggest lesson you learned from the 2020 race season? KS: That nothing is guaranteed. I don’t know how many times I had a tentative schedule but I just stopped making them. One of the things I think I’ve always tried to keep in perspective is enjoy the racing we’re doing. You never know which victory or race will be your last. Last year really put that in perspective. Make sure you cherish the special moments you have, the big ones and the small ones, and the joy in-between. Nothing is guaranteed.

Photo: Carey Akin

A throwback to the 2009 Hoosier 100, Kody’s favorite race.

DE: What would you consider the most rewarding part of being a race car driver? KS: I think racing is such a unique sport - you put so much into it and maybe it never pencils out on paper but there is such an emotional aspect to it. People who know me, know I’m an emotional guy anyway, I’ve been known to tear up in an interview or two along the way. But, one of the most rewarding parts of driving is seeing the impact the win has on the people around you. Fortunately, I’ve had a career where car owners have been willing to put me in the seat because they want you to help them win. To be in victory lane and get out of the car and see the joy on the car owner’s, crew member’s, and family’s faces knowing we won something together is what makes it all worth it. Knowing we get to celebrate that together, to the people who put the car together and put so much effort into it, knowing that I played a small part in that is huge. Racing is a lot like a relay race, as a driver I feel like I’m the last runner in the relay. Everyone has done their part, done the best job they could, and they hand the baton to me at the end and it’s my job to run the last leg. If you get the win, you can all celebrate together; the emotional aspect of that and seeing your team in victory lane, taking those pictures together and seeing the pure joy is so rewarding for me. DE: What is one of your most memorable fan interactions? KS: One I remember in particular that sticks out is when we were at Lucas Oil Raceway. I was off somewhere doing something after the race, but, I got back to our pit and my mom said “There were these two guys in bright orange shirts waiting for you to see you and say hello, they had never met you before.” As soon as I finished up with the fans that were there, I went looking for them. I found them, and said, “Hey I don’t know if you’re

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the guys are not, but my mom said two guys in bright orange shirts were trying to say hello.” The immediate connection and response they had that I had took the time to go looking for them and didn’t just shrug it off was really cool. We still stay in touch, they always say hello, and I always tease them about being the guy in orange shirts. By putting some effort out, we can really make a difference, even with long-time race fans. That’s something I try to do, I try to say hello to everyone, I try to stay as late as I can afterward to talk, or tell racing stories, even if I’ve got to hunt you down in the pits! I really appreciate race fans that put effort in to be at the track and enjoy the same cars and racing that I do. DE: If you could improve the world of open wheel racing in one aspect, what would it be? KS: I think back to being a kid, when my dad was racing, and something I loved that the headlining division went last. The reason I loved it was because the headline division ran their race, if you missed the winner’s interview, it wasn’t because you were in your car on the way home, it was because you were lined up to get to the pits, and then you got to see the drivers get out in their driving suit, hot, sweaty, the cars are hot, and it completed the experience. You were there to see a competitor and you see got to see him in a competitive atmosphere. It was totally different to me as a kid getting an autograph from a driver in his suit, sweaty, talking to his crew about the race, about the track then it is at 3:30 in the afternoon from a driver in his street clothes. It’s just a different experience, a different interaction. I would love to capture that. If you had a bad night or whatever, you remember the ones that had a tough night and put a grin on, versus the guys who scoffed and walked away. You build a relationship, you saw their emotion, and could root for them. I know today we have so much more access with social media; it is so hard to replicate that initial reaction. It’s hard for me as a driver, as soon as you get out there’s a camera in your face, but it’s different when you can be one on one, you can really share your emotion with them that way. We’re so busy; sometimes by the time it’s over, we’re onto the next race and loaded up. I try to stick around, but sometimes the fans don’t come down because they think you’re already gone. I wish we could fix that, so people can experience that.

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Jones Racing Products

Photo: Tyler Rinkin

a main FEATURE

MODIFIED

BROOKS STRENGTH A LONG ROAD TO A SHOCKING VICTORY

By Doug Kennedy

DESPITE HIS MEMORABLE moniker, Brooks Strength is far from famous, even in diehard dirt track circles. That may be changing for the 34 year old. In late March at the King of America X at Humboldt Speedway, Strength not only scored his first USMTS win but the $20,000 that came with it. The flag-to-flag win in the 60-lapper was very satisfying as he had failed to qualify three weeks earlier for either main event of the Texas Spring Nationals that were held at RPM Speedway in Crandall, Texas. He is a solid contender for this year’s Grant Junghans Rookie of the Year title. A fellow driver who has helped move Strength’s career along is WoO Late Model driver Cade Dillard, who is also Brooks’ car builder and very close friend. Dirt Empire: You come from a racing family and worked your way through

karts and four-cylinders, correct? BS: Racing has always been a part of my family. My dad raced and my grandpa raced. When I was 12 years old, my dad’s friend loaned us a go-kart and I started racing it. With my dad’s background in racing and setting up cars it was no time before I began winning… I raced modifieds for few years back in 20032007 and decided to move up to a late model. Now all of this was local racing around the state of Mississippi. I raced Late Models for a few years and drove for a few different people and one day just decided it was way too much work and decided to sell out. DE: So, you walked away. What drew you back? BS: I went a year or two without racing and got with another guy and put a Street Stock team together. We raced nine races that year and won eight of them.

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The next year (2015) I was approached by Mr. Pat Sauls to drive for him and compete in the Mississippi Street Stock Series, and I did. This is where I met Cade Dillard. He started doing my shocks. I knew of him but never talked to him. Ever since that year, I think we’ve talked everyday. We had a great year, won a lot of races, and ended up winning the points that year. After that hard year of points racing, I decided to take another break. I got another kart in 2016 and raced a few times and actually won a race in Daytona, which was big for me. In 2018 I went to the track and talked to a long time buddy, John Keith. I asked to hot lap his car and he let me. To this day I don’t know if that was a mistake or not because I was hooked again. Today that business is called Statement Racecars owned by him and his son, Ben. Through 2019 we set out to prove a point and that we did. We won a lot of races that year and came up just one spot short of the biggest race of the year and got wrecked coming to the checkered running 2nd. After going to the Dome in St Louis watching the mods and as expensive as street stock racing is today I had a

Photo: Tyler Rinkin

wild hair to go back to modified racing. I posted my street stock for sale and told Cade as soon as it sells I want to build a mod. It sold within two weeks and I gave him a deposit. So here we are today. DE: Is your current racing program, family owned or do you drive for someone else? BS: My car is currently family owned, but we have some great sponsors. My dad said after this year he’s out, so my plans for next year are still unknown. DE: What is your racing schedule for 2021? Are you doing USMTS fulltime? BS: It’s funny how this all started last year when everything rained out and I asked Cade was anyone racing mods and as a joke he sent me to a USMTS race in Wisconsin. I thought “$#@!, Wisconsin?” But, after the shock set in, I said you know what, I have the equipment to win so why not give it a shot. I left for Wisconsin. I ended up running fourth in that race, so I continued following them through the year as much as I could. After talking to my wife and family through the winter, I decided to give it a shot and run for points

and Rookie of the Year. DE: How do you feel about USMTS Mods? BS: Ever since I started racing Mods I looked up to just making a USMTS race. With the small budget we had, I knew I didn’t have the equipment to compete and wasn’t sure if I had the skill but it’s always been a big dream of mine. The competition in this series is unreal. All the crew and drivers are all down to earth people just having a good time. You don’t have that tension or stress feel that you get going to a Lucas Oil or WoO show. Even though a lot of these guys run this series to make a living, it just feels different. DE: Let’s get to the good stuff. Tell me about winning $20,000. BS: Man, I don’t even know where to start. I don’t think I slept the night before. Cade and I talked on the phone for hours brainstorming on what minor adjustment we needed to get just that little bit more. So, when I pulled that three out I was like man I get another shot at it tonight and its one of those Crown Jewels you dream of making much

THE FAMILY BUSINESS “We have a family owned roofing and siding business my dad started in 1979. In 2004, I got into the business installing and did that until 2015. One day, I told my dad I was done installing and wanted to be in the office. He made me work for that position and didn’t just give it to me right out of high school and I thank him for that all the time because it made me understand the business that much more. We are a small local company but stay very busy.”

Photo: Buck Monson

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Photo: Tyler Rinkin

less be sitting in the second row to start. Saturday was a long day and my crew chief and I went back and forth on how to groove the tire because we felt like that was one place we missed on Friday night. We came to an agreement and before that race I told him “That’s a $20,000 tire so be careful with it. When we rolled on the track for warm up laps I throttled up and thought man this thing is good. When the green dropped the pole sitter pushed in turn one and I took the lead… It felt like forever and when I saw those halfway flags. I just continued racing and I just got into groove where almost I had tunnel vision and all I could see was my marks to hit and being smooth on the throttle. When I saw the five to go I’m not sure I took a breath until the checkered. When I came out of turn four and saw the checkered flying I just started crying. I couldn’t believe it honestly. I pulled down to get my picture taken and they told me to stay in the car for a minute and it was like my entire racing career had flashbacks, all the ups and downs, all the aggravation, all the challenges, everything I’ve worked for finally paid off. DE: It was obviously emotional when you got out of the car. BS: When I got out the car, it was like I was in a daze. I’d been preparing for

what to say when I finally got that win but it all went blank. Josh (my crew chief) was on Facetime call with Cade and he handed me the phone and I was balling. I just lost it. I cried like a baby and I couldn’t wait to get home to my wife, kids, mom, dad, friends, other family and

Photo: Tyler Rinkin

444 – WHAT’S IN A # “It was always hard to pick out a number so my favorite driver as a kid was Mike Boland and his number was 222 so that was my first number in karts. Years later, my dad surprised me with a race ready modified and the number on it was 444. My mom joked ‘hey, it’s a grown up 222. Leave it!” So, we did.”

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supporters. We finally did it. One of the coolest parts of winning King of America was the amount of people who congratulated me. I had people who I haven’t heard from message or Facebook me. I had drivers who I don’t hang out a lot with on the series stop at my pit just to shake my hand and say good job. I had people I buy parts from me or call or text me. I had people who have watched me on the track since day one call out the blue. I just felt so good that they knew what this accomplishment meant to me, my team, and my family. DE: Is there anybody you really like to race against? BS: Really everyone on the series is fun to race against. They all push it to the limit and race you just on the verge of too hard. Mistakes happen when you are pushing your car to the very limit but not that often with these guys. January of last year when I had the mod ordered I was watching Rodney Sanders dominate on TV and I told my dad “That’s the guy I want to outrun”. So, for him to finish second at KOA made it that much more awesome. Nothing personal against Rodney, I just consider him one of the best in a mod, so for guys who like competition like myself, he’s a good target.

THE DILLARD DIFFERENCE Late Model driver Cade Dillard of Robeline, Louisiana, has been and continues to be a strong point in the development of Brooks Strength’s racing career. “He is one of the main reasons I’m successful in my career. From the day we first talked we became friends and he grew to become one of my best friends,” said Strength. “We always joke with one another saying we tell each other every single thing about our cars. We know every secret about each others’ cars. For him to have that trust in me is awesome. And for him to believe in me means more than he will ever know. He is one of the most awesome, humble guys I’ve ever met. In the year in a half since Dillard started building the MB by CDR car, he is now working on car number 18. “It never ends with my business,” said Dillard. “I build the cars for Brooks. We have been friends for a number of years. He was one of the first guys to get a car from me. We talk everyday and he has really become a very close friend of mine. Actually, he’s been very good for my business because he helps a lot with

my customers as well. He has been sort of a guinea pig for me. I’m not running the mods as much so he helps me in that area of keeping me up with modified program. As a racer, he’s very dedicated. He spends as much time in the shop as anyone. He definitely wants to win and does whatever it takes to do that.” Dillard is now in his third year of racing with the WoO Late Models. During that time, he has won three times.

Photo: Josh James

Photo: Buck Monson

Photo: Josh James

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THE LAST GREAT COLOSSEUM Photo: Josh James

review in PICTURES LATE MODELS MODIFIEDS SPRINTS CLAY WAS LAID over the asphalt and suddenly Bristol Motor Speedway took the spotlight for the month of April as the primary destination for dirt track racing. The Last Great Colosseum played host to Late Models, Modifieds, Sprints and Stock cars. Despite a rough start with some startling wrecks, the events were deemed such a success that they’re doing it again in 2022! Here’s our review in pictures.

SB can only mean one man in a late model. Photo: Randall Perry

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NASCAR stars were everywhere. Kyle Larson, above in the 6 and at right in the winter hat with the bemasked Kyle Busch, helped Bristol become a must-see event. Photo: Michael Moats

Josh Richards, in the 14, carved up the competition to win the Friday night WoO feature.

Photo: Paul Arch

Photo: Michael Moats

Photo: Paul Arch DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

BEHOLD!

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...ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?! Photo: Josh James

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Photo: Paul Arch

Former NASCAR racer David Stremme got to UMP Modified victory lane.

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The UMP Mods hunt for racing room at the Bristol Bash in early April.

Photo: Paul Arch

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T&D Machine Products

Photo: Michael Moats

Oh to feel like Jonathan Davenport at this moment - win $50,000 and beat Kyle Larson at the world’s craziest dirt track. Words cannot express the elation. That’s why we’re showing a picture instead.

The Sprint Cars at full tilt show the full twitchy nature of running a WoO Sprinter at Bristol.

Photo: Paul Arch

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Sheldon and Jac Haudenschild soaking it in. The father/son duo both made each feature on the banks but Sheldon’s 11th place run in the opener was their best finish.

Photo: Paul Arch

Jac Haudenschild in his vintage Jack Elden livery.

Photo: Paul Arch

Is this the battle for the future? David Gravel (2) racing Logan Schuchart (1s).

Photo: Paul Arch

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DIRTcar big block modified winner Stewart Friesen hammers the right front into the high banks at Bristol.

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Photo: Quentin Young Photo: Paul Arch

Connecticut’s David Gravel (2) swept the weekend and here he creeps up behind Texan Sam Haferterpe Jr.

NASCAR also ran on the dirt surface at Bristol. Unfortunately NASCAR decided to disallow much of the dirt track racing industry media. We therefore commissioned an artist to give us his interpretation of the winner, Joey Logano, in his number 22. Ten-year-old Alex was the only artist we could afford, but he really nailed it. Clearly that’s Joey Logano winning and all of the others are rightly labeled as losers. Well done, young man. We might just commission Alex for more NASCAR coverage as the year progresses.

Wehrs Machine & Racing Products

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guest

MIC DROP

Photo: Michael Moats

BRISTOL EDITION

By Cyndi Stiffler

THE HIGH SIDE AND LOW GROOVE OF BRISTOL DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE sent several photographers, writers and representatives to Bristol throughout their month of dirt track racing to document a truly unique and special dirt track experience at the Last Great Colosseum. Ohio’s Cyndi Stiffler has a long history of car ownership in the modified ranks and also a keen eye for how to run a successful event and an understanding of the challenges of presenting a huge show on a temporary racetrack. She took careful notes and gave us her opinion on all things Bristol.

THE GOOD The venue, the idea, the total nostalgia for a local dirt track racer to race not only at a Cup Speedway, but Bristol, a high banked short track. This was a dream come true for nearly 1,000 drivers throughout the showcase. The sheer speed was awesome and unbelievable to watch. The late models bested speeds of 125mph, and even the Hornet division hit 95mph. Those speeds come up a bit short as the sprint cars still hold the speed record there of 145mph. Young 12-year-old Trey Mills putting on

Photo: Michael Boggs

Trey Mills, age 12(!), won a crate late model qualifier at Bristol.

BONUS VIDEO

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a show and winning one the 602 Crate Late model qualifiers. As a mother of a once very young race car driver, I am not sure I could have watched my child do this. Congratulations to him and his family. Kyle Busch flying in from Atlanta to run tail of the Late model LCQ and finishing second. It was one of the best races of the event. Another one was Steve Arpin, starting tail in the open Modifieds, after going home to North Carolina and completely clipping his car and coming back the next day to finish second and make the show. Arpin then started tail of the feature and finished ninth He and his teammate Kyle Strickler put on a show and seemed to run in a completely different time zone then the rest of the field.

POINT YOUR SMART CAMERA PHONE AT THE QR CODE ABOVE TO CHECK OUT THE VIDEO!

Carnage was not entirely uncommon but catastrophe, fortunately, was not invited to Bristol. Photo: Michael Moats Speaking of Strickler, he had already secured the font row of the Saturday open modified feature but his obligation to the Lucas Oil Late Models, where he was sitting first in points took him to Brownstown, Indiana, and he looked to be a Bristol no show until heavy rains cancelled that event. He hopped a plane and made it back to Bristol just in time to bolt in his car and never look back as he won the open Modifieds unchallenged. The division with the best racing of the Dirt Nationals was the stock car event. It had the most side by side racing throughout the 8 divisions represented. The show of that race was the Murty father and son duo. They finished one and two in the feature with 16-year-old Dallon besting his father for the honors. Of course, in the Late models, no one was surprised to see Davenport come from 10th to take the 50K prize money, although the crowd seemed to favor Kyle Larson, who finished second both Friday and Saturday night. THE BAD There was discontent among drivers over sanctions and rules. The sportmods, for instance, included drivers from various sanctions that submitted their set of rules and if the rules were somewhat close they were permitted to run in that division with a few common guidelines. This carried over even into the modified feature when Kyle Heckman was the uncontested winner then disqualified, and then declared the winner again. It goes without saying

that perhaps some of these divisions should be sanctioned with their own tech personal to oversee in the future. The famous Bristol ‘Durtles’ were a nightmare! They caused continuous crashes and hundreds of thousands of dollars of carnage. I do not know what the answer is there, as they needed a distinct edge defining the track and the infield as well a means of protecting the cup scoring system, but these seemed to be nothing short of a nightmare. The transition between divisions was a huge loss of time. Because Bristol pits in the infield and only has roughly 80 pit spots, all 823 teams had to pit outside the track. After each event you had to file the division out one at a time and bring the new one in one at time. Plus, if there were any wrecks (which there were of course), those cars had to be all hooked out as well. The amount of time this took throughout the show was not conducive to a great fan experience. That being said, I think it is the nature of the beast, I am not sure there is a solution to improve that. The continuous track prep during the events was needed but also time consuming. While I note this to be an issue, I also know in my experience of dealing with tracks that put dirt over asphalt that it produces a completely different set of issue than normal dirt tracks. They did the best they could to give the best surface possible, but there is room for improvement as they build this show in the future.

THE UGLY I am not going to sugar coat this at all, the ugly was the way the driver was nickeland-dimed to death to participate in this event. Let me break it down for you – $200 pit pass good for the week $150 entrance fee per driver $150 pit spot fee per driver $50 transponder fee (must use track’s transponder, even if yours is the same system as theirs) $30 per person, per day to go to the infield. So, if you had three people on your pit crew and you were qualifying or racing that day, each person is an extra $30 on top of their pit pass for the event each day. I can understand the need to regulate, but perhaps a limit on the pit crew allowed in the infield would have been a kinder option for the guys putting on the show. There was basically a fee for anything the driver needed to do it seemed. There was another whole break down for those wanting to practice as well during those sessions. THE FINAL WORD All in all, it was an amazing experience. One wonders if perhaps this is the kind of race that should be at the end of the year instead of the beginning as some race teams spent their yearly race budget to be there and even others will not race the rest of the season as they scrapped engines and much of their equipment there, but even then, the majority said it was worth it - it was “Bristol Baby!”

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

a main FEATURE

LATE MODEL

“As far as how I race and carry myself

and things like that, I don’t feel like I’m

going to change anything.”

-Tyler Erb

Photo: Michael Boggs

WHETHER YOU LEARNED of Tyler “Terbo” Erb in August of 2020, or you’ve followed his blazing trail to victory lane from the very beginning, a few things are certain; you’ve decided whether you like him or not and you’ll always remember the name. There’s more to Erb than a few headlines accompanied by penalties. Dirt Empire Magazine was lucky enough to snag Erb for a “Terbo” charged Q&A gathering all of the details shadowed by the incident at Cedar Lake Speedway last year with Bob Pierce that launched

a hundred headlines. Don’t worry, we cover that and anything else you could possibly ponder, and Erb is nothing less than candid. DIRT EMPIRE (DE): Let’s start with the very basics and get everyone on the same page. For those, whom many only know you from the headlines of 2020, summarize who Tyler Erb is as a driver for them? TYLER ERB (TE): Tyler as a driver is very aggressive, ruthless, and normally not

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

going to be an old man’s type of driver. He’s not going to be someone that a legend from way back when will like, if they’re about the “respect” as they would say, I think that’s some of their angles. But - if you like hard nose, just a real person, someone that’s not fake. You know, if the microphone is in front of me, or if I’m talking to my family, or somebody on the street, I’m the same person all of the time. I’m just honest and I don’t sugar coat things; that’s not the way I was raised. Sometimes that’s a

TERBO ISN’T GOING TO CHANGE FOR YOU BY ASHLEY ZIMMERMAN

little bit too rough for people or too brute, but it’s just the truth. It’s hard for me to talk to or be around people that aren’t the same way as me; I’m kind of an older generation in a younger man’s body. DE: A major headline in 2020 involved repercussions from the race at Cedar Lake. How has the suspension by the World of Outlaws changed the trajectory and planning for your 2021 race season? TE: We never go to Volusia, so we didn’t

miss much there. We’ve missed some races; obviously, there’s a $40,000-towin that we can’t go to so that kind of sucks. But, you know, we race 80-100 times a year no matter what, there’s always a race somewhere. It just opened us up to be able to go to some different race tracks. DE: It’s kind of ironic, the World of Outlaws was founded on the theory that all of these dirt track drivers were traveling around the United

States picking and choosing what races they ran based on the purse, and now after a suspension, that’s ultimately what you’re doing, running a real outlaw schedule. TE: Yeah, I mean, we’re going to run Lucas Oil Late Model no matter what. I’ve always felt like I’ve kind of ran wherever I wanted to run. You know, I’ll pop up and race in South Carolina or Mississippi or somewhere that I really enjoy, that makes sense, because we’ll have to go there for a Lucas Oil race at some point.

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

Photo: Josh James

A jubilant victory lane in Tampa early 2021. It’s nothing new, but yet, it is. It’s really just what it is, we’re going to continue to race. My car owners and everybody are all on board and want to race. DE: If you had to look back over your 2020 race season as a whole, what would be some of the positives and what would be some of the negatives that you’re building on? TE: Our positives would be that we won four races, I think that’s the fourth year in a row we’ve won Lucas Oil races, that’s pretty cool. A lot of people can’t say they’ve done that. And you know, we’re already off to a good start again. We worked on our car; we had issues with some of the components, but we spent a lot of time working on it to make it better. Now that I feel like everything is at a hundred percent, we’re going to do better. Now that all of the pieces are there, we just have to make the right decisions more than anything. Negatives, I just wish we would not have had COVID, for sure, I think everyone in the world is with me on that one. Other than that, you know, not really. Obviously, some things could have gone another way, but I will never change anything that I’ve done in the past. It makes you who you are, so I have to live with it. DE: Considering the amount of time you have to dedicate to sponsors, prepping the car, and travel, you

have an extremely busy schedule to manage. TE: Yeah, absolutely. The main thing is the financial side, the work is not hard if you like it and enjoy it. You have to be committed, you know, we don’t do a lot of other activities like a lot of people do. We don’t get to go boating on the weekends. I’m in the shop every day, my girlfriend, she works on the t-shirts and tries to keep the apparel side going. Then my guys work literally 24/7; we might screw off here and there but you have to let people have a little bit of time to themselves, cause Sundays, we’re

Photo: Dan DeMarco

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

traveling home, Friday and Saturday are race days, Thursdays can be race days, and the other days you’ve just got to be working and cleaning, getting things ready to go. DE: What are some of your favorite and least favorite things about the racing lifestyle? How has being gone from home as often as you are affected or played into your mental toughness in competition? TE: I enjoy going out to eat and all the different places. Getting to meet people and see different parts of the world, those are my favorite things. The thing I don’t like is that my dog stays at home, that’s really the only thing I don’t like. But, otherwise, I really enjoy going out to eat and meeting different people. You end up having buddies you can meet up with in Florida, people in Missouri, people in Pennsylvania. There are a lot of people I would never get to meet if I didn’t get to race and do the things I do. As far as the mental side, if you are a hundred percent focused on racing, I feel like you’ll never lose that edge. If you’ve got other things going on like businesses or kids, that’s where you might have a lapse, but luckily I’m not in that position right now. The staying focused part isn’t a problem for me, more than anything I get bored. I want to go race more than we can, there’s only so many races that you can physically do, you know they don’t race Mondays and Tuesdays a lot of the time or I would definitely make an effort to run them, too.

Photo: Mike Musslin

DE: How have the repercussions of the August 2020 racing “incident”, we’ll dub it, changed or affected your outlook on your competitive edge in racing? TE: It hasn’t at all. I feel like I’m going to drive the same no matter what or who’s around. It’s just a part of racing. I feel like if you’re not competitive, you’re not going to be very good, so I’m super, super competitive. You just have to live with the penalties of that. But, as far as how I race and carry myself and things like that, I don’t feel like I’m going to change anything. DE: Do you feel the “incident” last August has caused people to get a misrepresented idea of who Tyler Erb is? TE: This is the thing; people that hate you will always hate you, no matter what you do. There’s a small percent of them that will still come up and say hi, but the people that hate you will always hate you. The people that like you will always like you. All it did was make those who are vocal about [hating me] feel like they got to pick their side and tell everyone. I feel like everyone pretty much knew who I was before that. I would act the same way in Walmart; it’s just the way I’ve always been. DE: Looking deeper into the 2021 season, are there any races that you are particularly looking forward to,

Photo: Carey Akin

A young Terbo made a name for himself around Houston in his stock car.

Photo: Carey Akin DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

Photo: Michael Boggs

that you’re feeling confident going into? TE: I think Knoxville, we didn’t get to race Knoxville last year, and I feel like it’s one of my best tracks. I really like Knoxville. I just didn’t get to go last year. I feel like if I can win a Crown Jewel, that would definitely be the one I’m very confident going into. All the Illinois tracks are my favorites; we didn’t get to go to Fairbury [Illinois] last year either. Any track that’s racy and has a little bit of a cushion, that’s always my speed. DE: What is your #1 goal for the 2021 race season? What will it mean to you if it’s achieved? TE: I want to win 20 races and the Lucas Oil points championship. I mean they don’t have to be Lucas Oil races, but I feel like if you win 20 races, you have to be on your A game. Right now, very early in the year, we’re kind of on track. I’ve won four out of 16, so I’m one for four in races. I’m trying to continue that trend. If you win races, you win points and things like that. I feel like our consistency is pretty good, and it’s better to win and be consistent than to run eighth every night and be consistent. So, if you can sprinkle more wins in anything, you’ll succeed. DE: You’ve raced hobby stocks, modifieds, and late models; what is it about late models that have made you stick with driving them? TE: I think they are just the most

challenging. It’s hard to be consistent every single night. It’s really good feeling when you do, do well every night. But it’s a low, low feeling when you suck. You know, there’s no one that really dominates night in and night out. Brandon Sheppard’s a perfect example of this. He’s been so good for the last four years and [through March] he hasn’t won a race yet. That’s just crazy to think, but it’s the truth of late models. It’s so hard to be consistent and be good, I think that’s what makes me want to go do it every weekend because it’s not a for sure win, but I don’t feel like I don’t have a chance. It’s just so up and down that you get obsessed with trying to be steadily fast and competitive. It’s really, really hard to do that. DE: What makes you unique as a driver and different in your driving style? TE: I think a lot of it is I drove stock cars. That’s what I grew up racing, some people drove just late models, and some of them started in modifieds. Driving a stock car, you really have to manhandle them, because they don’t just go around a racetrack, they’re not really made to go in a circle. I think it’s taught me a lot on how to be aggressive; when it’s muddy to get up on the wheel, it also hurts me when it’s slick. That’s something that I really had to learn to try to master, to be easy on the gas pedal, on the steering wheel more than the gas pedal. That’s probably something that’s different. You

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

know, I didn’t jump in a late model when I was 15. I raced two years in a stock car before I even got in one. It’s created good and bad habits. DE: What is your favorite part of the United States you like to run in? What about those racetracks meshes with your driving style? TE: I like Mississippi, I like the way the race tracks are. They are just very technical, there are a lot of transitions in the racetracks and I really enjoy those. You never know it could be a cushion one night, or it can be really slick, or rubber. It’s kind of like, if you don’t have the best car, you can just drive harder to win. Obviously, Florida, Brunswick, East Bay, I really like those places. Then Illinois, as well, all of the Summer Nationals tracks - those are places where when I drive harder, it just pans out. DE: Are there any races from your past that you feel might have gotten away or left you with some unfinished business? TE: Fairbury is one I’ve always qualified good at, and just never been able to really finish the race there, crazy stuff just happened. I definitely want to go to Fairbury and get a win. There are a lot of Lucas Oil tracks that we’ve been to this is now my third year going to them - so I feel like I’ve got good notes and kind of figured out how to drive some of them racetracks the way they need to

be driven. I don’t have any in particular really, just all the places that I’ve sucked at in the past. DE: What are some of your favorite career highlights and why? TE: Obviously, every place I’ve won. East Bay is really special; I just enjoy going down there. It’s a big deal, a lot of people have won there, and this year we won and there were 80 cars there. We won two times and that was really cool. Winning Arizona was cool; you know I just like all of the places. I’ve won a race in Australia. I feel like I don’t ever get to race at a home track, so everywhere I win it’s pretty cool to just come into a place that I don’t race at and be able to win. The coolest thing I’ve done without winning is I ran third at the World 100 in 2018. That was a big deal, it was me, and an 18 year old kid as a crew guy, going to the biggest race of the year and run third and kind of contend for a win. That’s super special to me that I was able to do that without any technology help, it was just us on our own. That was probably the coolest moment that I didn’t win a race that I really remember.

DE: While you’re still very early on in your racing career, have you ever thought about what you might want to do when you’re no longer driving a race car? TE: I want to race and make a little bit of money and kind of set myself up and build a house, a shop, and just really get to a point in my life where I can do whatever I want to do. If I want to go

race, I can race. You know, invest money into something that’s going to make me a little bit of money but is hands off. But, for the foreseeable future, I feel like I get better every year and I’m still learning. I feel like we’re on the upward trajectory, and as long as that continues, I don’t see any reason to try and do anything else.

Photo: Michael Moats

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021 51 Leindecker Racing Engines

Photo: Buck Monson

short track

STARS Winona, Minnesota

JAKE TIMM - LIVING THE THUNDER by Bert Lehman

I WAS KIND OF BORN and bred into it.” That’s a fair assessment for any third-generation racer. His grandpa, Bob Timm Sr., and his dad, Bob Timm, raced before him. “It’s been a huge part of our family; all three generations have grown up racing and being around it,” Jake Timm said. Just before he became a teenager, his parents purchased a tri-oval speedway in Fountain City, Wisconsin, in 2008. They converted the track to a regular oval and have been operating it as Mississippi Thunder Speedway ever since. “I spent a lot of days over there,” Jake Timm recalled. “I had dirt bikes and fourwheelers and I always went over there and ran around in the pits and the woods over there. I grew up mowing the grass for a summer job. It was kind of a home away from home. I spent a lot of time over there over the years. It was always my job to water Thursday nights, so they got moisture into the track,” Timm said. Chances are Timm’s racing career would have eventually found its way to cars, but a broken bone as a youngster helped cement that path. “When I was about

four years old, my grandpa got me a little dirt bike. As soon as I could comprehend it, I was into it,” Timm said. “I raced dirt bikes for probably three years. I actually crashed my dirt bike and broke my thumb and dad decided it was time to get me on four wheels and we did kart racing,” Timm, 23, got behind the wheel of a B-Mod when he was 13 years old and won races right away. After only one year racing a B-mod, Timm got behind the wheel of a modified. “That was probably the biggest step in my career. When I made the switch to an A-mod, it took a while for me to get the hang of it. I think it took me six or seven years to get my first win. Once the first one comes, it seems like the next ones come a lot easier.” Timm spent some time traveling with the USMTS Tour and, after establishing himself as a top mod racer, he achieved another goal of his in 2019 when he added a dirt late model to his racing stable. “I never really believed it was going to happen or that it would be a possibility, just because it’s such a high rank and

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

Photo: Buck Monson

such a big investment,” Timm said. The influx of high-paying late model shows in the area helped convince Timm to get a late model. “I know my dad always kind of wanted to get me in one. It just kind of worked out,” Timm said. “There was a car for sale at (Jimmy) Mars’ shop and during the 2019 season, we went and got it. I ended up winning the first race out in it, so that was pretty cool.” The late model race Timm won was a Dirt Kings Late Model Tour race at his family’s Mississippi Thunder Speedway. “That was an awesome night,” Timm said. “I didn’t expect to win that race. My goal was to just make it (to the feature) going into it, so it was pretty amazing. It was just pure excitement and disbelief and joy. Dad and the whole family, and pit crew and everybody all kind of felt the same, in disbelief and super-happy.” Despite making it look easy by winning his first night in a late model, that wasn’t Timm’s impression. “I got lucky and I drew the pole, so I got to start out front on a track that I know. That’s probably the only place in the country I can go

Photo: Scott Swenson Photo: Buck Monson

and have more experience than some of the top guys in late models. It just kind of worked out for us that night. It’s definitely not easy. It’s the hardest level of competition I would say.” Timm may say there was some luck involved in his first late model victory, but he backed it up with two more feature wins early in the 2020 season. “One thing about the late models, it seems like from track to track you have to know what adjustments to make and how to drive them. It has a bigger effect on how you do in a late model. In a modified, you can go from track to track and not change a whole lot; just kind of drive it how you would at a lot of different speedways. With a late model, you have to be on top of everything. You miss the set-up by just a little bit and you’re going to be off the pace.” Even with the success in the late model, Timm isn’t ready to give up racing a modified. “From a driving standpoint, it can throw you off a little bit,” Timm said about doing double duty. “The way the cars drive differently, it can throw you off for a few laps before you get back in the rhythm. The biggest thing is staying on top of everything throughout

the night with two cars. I have to thank my pit guys and everybody for making that possible. They bust their butts when we have two cars and there’s really no down time in our pit stall. I have to thank them for making that possible.” Whether it’s racing a modified or a late model or both, Timm said his biggest supporter is his dad, Bob Timm. “We race out of his shop. He’s out here (at the shop). He can’t sit on the couch and watch TV, so when he gets bored, he’s out here working on this thing every night. I don’t think he’s missed a race this year. Over my whole career, he probably hasn’t missed more than a handful of races. He’s a pretty amazing guy. I wouldn’t be doing this without him, that’s for sure.”

GROWING UP RACING “I grew up mowing the grass for a summer job. It was kind of a home away from home… It was always my job to water Thursday nights so they got moisture into the track.” – On his family’s Mississippi Thunder Speedway. For more info on the speedway, visit their website: www.mississippithunder.com

Photo: Buck Monson DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

moving

PICS

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE continues to strive to make the magazine reading experience as alive and exciting as a night at the races. Utilize your smart phone or tablet with the QR codes below to jump right to the videos. Who would have thought you could watch a video in a magazine? We’re kind of awesome like that, but couldn’t do it without the hardwork of the videographers. Be sure to like and subscribe to each channel. WHO IS DIRT DOBBER VIDEO? Located in the friendly confines of the Capitol of the Sunshine State,Tallahassee Florida, John Horne is the owner and operator DirtDobber Video, a professional video and promotion service geared towards the Motorsports Industry. Covering the entire southeastern United States, John works as a independently contracted Camera Operator for various national internet-based media companies who provide live streaming services to hundreds of thousands of race fans. Facebook: @DirtDobberVideo • YouTube: Dirt Dobber Video SOUNDS OF THE DIRT-SOUTHERN ALL STARS @ PATRIOTS PARK RACEWAY-4/3/21

POINT YOUR SMART CAMERA PHONE AT THE QR CODE ABOVE TO CHECK OUT THE VIDEO!

SPEEDWAY CAR CAMS For nearly ten years, Michael Elliot has been placing cameras into the cars for amazing POV shots of what the drivers experience. He was on-site at Bristol in March to record some amazing videos, including the Best of In-Car Wrecks, Spins and More... BRISTOL DIRT NATIONALS - BEST OF IN-CAR CAMERAS WRECKS, SPINS, AND MORE FROM 3-2021

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DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

EPIC PHOTOS: KEN MURRAY

THE LUCAS OIL LATE MODELS ventured to the sticky surface of Indiana’s Brownstown Speedway for an early spring show. After a week filled with lots of moisture, the surface was gummed up and fast but also treacherous. After three wild wrecks through the heat races, the decision was mutually made to cancel the show and try again later. Luckily, none of the drivers sustained severe injuries in any of the night’s carnage.

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

PRO TIP: Appropriate online responses to these photos: Inappropriate online response to these photos: DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

shifting

GEARS

Photo: Travis Branch

KEVIN RUDEEN - A LIFETIME INVESTMENT By Joanne Cram

THE CAR IS EMINENTLY FAMILIAR – the Rudeen Racing 26. The man behind the car might not be as familiar. Kevin Rudeen was raised near Spokane in eastern Washington. His dad, Kent, raced snowmobiles and Kevin started his race career in snowmobiles, go karts, and motorcycles by the time he was ten until he put his racing years behind him to attend college and start working. His passion became his family, kids, and work. “Somewhere in those years I went to a World of Outlaws show in Manzanita. I thought to myself, ‘If I ever get a chance, I want to do that’”… which sparked the flame of sprint car racing. He bought a J&J sprint car off of Skagit Speedway regular Jim Burrows in the early 1990s and built the car with a friend. They loaded up and drove six hours to Skagit Speedway to make their Rudeen Racing debut. “The first race we went to, we didn’t even bring a spare tire or wheel. We showed up on an open trailer. We had no set up knowledge, we didn’t even

know what a torsion bar was! I didn’t drive well, never won a feature. I did qualify second quick at Dirt Cup one year though!” The final episode in his race career that finalized his decision to step away from driving was a bad accident at Skagit Speedway where he severely broke his arm. Rudeen sat out a year recovering from the accident and concluded that in order for him to stay involved in sprint car racing, he needed to prioritize raising his family and building his business so he could become an owner. His past drivers include Shane Stewart, Jimmy Carter, Willie Croft, PJ Chesson, Jac Haudenschild, Jason Statler and Bud and Tim Kaeding, among others. He currently employs California’s Cory Eliason. Being the owner of a competitive 410 team is challenging and yet rewarding at the same time. Due to the nature of his business, Kevin only gets to see his car about 15 times a season; a typical season sees the team run 70 shows. The team is housed in Indianapolis for a more central location than Spokane

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

Photo: Paul Arch

offers, and recently Rudeen started a midget team. Owning several race teams, Rudeen says the plusses outweigh the minuses. “The highs are worth the passion you have for the sport, despite the downfalls you have now and then.” Tragically, life throws us wrenches that shift our direction in an irreversible way. Kevin is the father of two boys, Rayce and Remy (27). Rayce would be 31 years old this year but the family lost him to an accidental drug overdose in 2016. Out of this personal tragedy, Kevin Rudeen and his family have chosen to create a foundation to not only honor Rayce’s life but to offer hope and help to others who are afflicted by addiction. The Rayce Rudeen Foundation is a foundation that puts 100% of the money it raises directly into the hands of programs who immediately impact those struggling with addiction. “Rayce was the kindest, most soft hearted person I knew. We named him Rayce because I thought it would be a cool name if he ever got interviewed for

Photo: Jeff Bylsma

winning the Indy 500.” One of Kevin’s favorite stories about his son was when he was racing his first ever motorcycle race. He was running third and the first and second place bikes tangled and crashed. Rayce stopped his bike to go help both of the other kids and ended up finishing his race in fifth place. He loved music, he was kind, and he was very smart. Kevin reflects not knowing what caused Rayce’s draw to opioids but the family did everything in their power to help him overcome the addiction. “We thought he had beat it, but he ended up taking a laced dose and unintentionally overdosed. I had just been to dinner with him the night before he died.” Although Rayce wasn’t as passionate about racing as his dad is, Kevin believes the racing community is the way he can get the word out about Rayce’s story and how widespread the addiction problem is in our country. “The foundation is a work in progress, and an interesting journey. Losing a son is something no parent should have to go through, but many do. I wanted to react in a positive way and started the foundation to do just that”. The foundation helps families in need and works in conjunction with existing organizations to build on The Race Rudeen Foundation. Some of the things that the foundation is passionate about is getting Narcan in the high schools. The foundation is able to help purchase the life-saving drug and train nurses on how to use it and then get help for the child. The foundation’s main ambassador and cohort is John Hagar, who has been instrumental in developing and moving forward with the foundation’s goals. In addition to the foundation’s other

fund raising opportunities, the All Stars host the Rayce Rudeen Foundation Race. Last year, it was in Plymouth, Wisconsin. When starting the foundation race planning, Kevin asked Tony Stewart for advice on how to promote the race. The idea to rotate the race each year to a different All Star track was put in motion. The first foundation race was at 34 Speedway in Burlington, Iowa. In 2021, the Foundation is sponsoring four All Star shows in Indiana and culimates in a $26,000-to-win event at Kokomo Speedway. When asked about the direction of the sport of sprint car racing, Rudeen is very optimistic. “I believe sprint car racing is the best racing on the planet. Once people see it, we gain fans. Organizing bodies can do better to draw people in. It’s great to see the people in professional racing coming back to their roots in dirt track racing to support our sport; drivers like Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Christopher Bell, and Kyle Larson to name a few. I think we are in a good position to grow the sport. Bring any NASCAR fan to a dirt track, and they’ll decide it’s better racing hands down. Sprint car racing is tough and gritty and strong and we will keep getting better.” Moving forward after the loss of a child is never easy, but Kevin says he is as happy as ever been. He is married to his wife, Monica, and is enjoying being dad to seven year old Amelia. Remy is 27 now. “I am very proud of Remy. We race high performance cars in Spokane. They’re not sprint cars but in high performance racing Remy has found his own niche and it is really fun to watch.”

RAYCE RUDEEN FOUNDATION The Rayce Rudeen Foundation is passionate about prevention, treatment and recovery. We want to share our story so other families do not have to go through the pain that we did. Over the past four years, we as a non-profit organization, have been able to give out several grants to our community to attain our mission. The foundation works on focusing on three elements of beating this disease that can destroy so many families. 1) Prevention/Education: Currently one of our projects is being part of a collaboration with a local school district that has reached out to several services to create ways to educate parents/guardians and students. This collaboration allows us to make positive changes in the community. 2) Treatment: This is not our expertise but we do support various programs where we are able to provide grants to centers that help individuals regain a healthy lifestyle. 3) Recovery: We believe this is one of the most overlooked parts of beating the disease. We know from personal experience! Our goal is to continue to educate how critical this element is. We will continue to find ways to educate families and friends of how important it is to support their loved one after a treatment program. Mission: The Rayce Rudeen Foundation works with organizations and programs that encourage a healthy and productive life, free from addiction. Vision: We strive to address gaps in the system of care for those who are struggling with drug misuse. We implement a diverse approach in working with various organizations to make a sustainable impact in our communities by focusing on prevention, treatment and recovery. https://raycerudeen.org/

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

action

CAPTURE

Photo Tom Macht

Kyle Heckman (27x) goes wheels up inside of the 174 of Ethan Dotson in early April action at Bakersfield Speedway in California.

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

photographer

FOCUS

MIKE MUSSLIN

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

GET TO KNOW MIKE MUSSLIN Hometown: Sedalia, Missouri Age: 57 Year Started Shooting: 2000 First Publication to Print My Work: Dirt Late Model Magazine Favorite Track to Shoot: Lucas Oil Speedway Favorite Division to Shoot: Late Models Remaining Bucket List Races: Winter Nationals at East Bay, World 100

Favorite Thing About Racing Photography: The challenge of telling a story through the lens. Outside of Race Cars What Do You Like to Photograph: The last the five years I have been shooting Lucas Oil Pro Pull League. I also enjoy shooting portraits. Camera Equipment: Sony A9II Sony A7RIV Sony 200-600mm Sony 135mm Sony 85mm Sony 24mm

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

photographer

FOCUS 64

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

MIKE MUSSLIN

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

Photo: Dennis Krieger

race track

SPOTLIGHT

By Ashley Zimmerman

34 RACEWAY THE STATE OF IOWA has blessed race fans for decades with some of the fastest racing surfaces, biggest purses and most passionate promoters. Nestled outside of Burlington, Iowa, 34 Raceway fails to fall short in satisfying race fans by checking all of those boxes. Behind the scenes, the team of Brad Stevens and Jessi Mynatt work diligently year round balancing day jobs and the goals of 34 Raceway to make the dreams of drivers and race fans come true right before their eyes. With race season in full swing, we stole some of Mynatt’s minimal free time to get the low down on southeast Iowa’s grassroots gem, as well as details about her second role in motorsports – the Sprint Invaders Association. Checking the box of passionate racetrack promoter, Jessi Mynatt pours every available ounce into 34 Raceway and the role it plays in the future of dirt track racing.

Dirt Empire: Let’s take a minute to start from the very beginning. What was your background in racing prior to purchasing 34? Jessi Mynatt: I grew up going to the races at 34 Raceway with my family and my uncle Rex wrenched on Gary Russell’s late model. My brother did mini-tractor pulling when he was young and then started Figure 8 racing in high school and as a family we were all involved in some way. After Brent Slocum passed away in 2005, Brad and I founded the Slocum 50 and subsequently the Brent

Slocum Foundation and promoted that for nine years prior to Brad’s purchase of 34 Raceway.

DE: Iowa is blessed with many unique dirt track facilities. 34 Raceway is unique, not only in its racing, but also in that it is a private, non-fair board owned and operated racetrack. What other traits about 34 Raceway make it stand out among other grassroots race tracks and makes it a must see experience for race fans? JM: For grassroots tracks, we truly are “The Premier Place to Race”. Nestled on 40 acres along scenic Highway 34, we have permanent restroom facilities, aluminum grandstands that seat nearly 4,000 people, permanent concessions and offer FREE camping week in and week out to our guests. Brad and myself purchased 34 Raceway in our 30s - I was 34 and Brad was 38. Most track owners are in their 40s-50s+ in age, making us some of the youngest owners of a privately owned racetrack in the US. DE: What is your favorite event you host every year at 34 Raceway? JM: High 5 for Kids Night in August. In conjunction with the Brent Slocum Foundation, we give out over 100 bikes, 400+ bags of school supplies and other prizes to kids throughout the area. DE: What are some of the events in 2021 on the 34 Raceway schedule that you are looking forward to? JM: Of course, our major specials but

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

also the Truck War on 34 presented by Randall’s Performance [Gladstone, IL] in September. With the new track modifications to accommodate dual lane pulling, it should be a tremendous event! DE: What are some off season improvements that fans and race teams will notice at 34 Raceway in 2021? JM: 6,000 yards of new dirt added last fall and 300 yards added this spring to the racing surface, all overhead electrical from the infield has been removed, more paint, our brand new advertising wall and a baby changing table added in the men’s room. DE: I know every track owner has a list of things that they would love to see their track accomplish or upgrade. What are your bucket list goals for 34 Raceway as far as events or track upgrades? JM: Owning a race track is a constant cycle of reinvestment in to the facility. We would love to continue to host new multi-day events that bring people to 34 Raceway and Southeast Iowa. We want to add Whelen on track safety lighting next. We want to continue upgrades in the way of Suite 34 and personal suite upgrades / replacements. We would like to install a permanent restroom and concessions in the pits with a wash bay for cars staying at our facility.

DE: What would you consider the biggest reward associated with being a track promoter? JM: Having a platform to do good things in our community and give back. DE: If you could make one change or lasting impact in the world of dirt track racing, what would it be? JM: Opening doors and providing opportunities to kids who want to be involved in racing. From working in the concession to being an on track official, from a promoter to a driver, opening doors to keep kids involved is something we are going to strive for.

DE: If by chance by this point in our interview fans aren’t convinced they need to make 34 Raceway a stop on their racing schedule this summer; in four sentences or less, sell an upcoming event at 34 to a new or beginning race fan? JM: I do this every week in radio commercials. [she smiles] “Join us this Saturday night at 34 Raceway in West Burlington for side by side, dirt in your drink, chest rumbling racing action. We’re southeast Iowa’s premier place to race and will sell you the whole seat but you will only need the edge for our events. Come alone or bring a friend to check out our top notch facilities, competitive racing, excellent food, and cold drinks.” DE: Grassroots racing is the foundation of the future of dirt track super stars and major events. It is essential that as fans we do our

part to keep the future of our sport thriving and that starts by supporting the foundation – grassroots racing. How can race fans best support their local racetrack? JM: Come out, buy a ticket and eat and drink at your local track. The drivers don’t pay their own purses so it’s important to have the fans in the stands each and every week to help cheer on those drivers and eat a locally-sourced tenderloin from a small, non-chain owned grocer. DE: Name one thing as a promoter you wished race fans understood more easily? JM: We are human! We make mistakes but we do learn from them and try to improve every night we are open. Oh, and we do see what you’re saying about us on social media, too. We would rather you just say it to our faces but that’s the world we live in now.

DE: Being as involved in the racing community as you are, what would you consider a highlight of being involved with dirt track racing? JM: The passion and drive for drivers from all classes and levels to win whether they’re racing for a trophy or racing for $10,000.

Photo: Dennis Krieger

Brad Stevens, Seth Bergman and Jessi Mynatt celebrating bergman’s Fall Hall victory in 2018.

DE: The Midwest is lucky enough to be host to some of the best winged Sprint Car racing associations, one of them being the Sprint Invaders Association, of which you are a member of the Board of Directors. What drew you to becoming involved with the Sprint Invaders? JM: I have always enjoyed the series and knew they needed a little extra help reviving the series brand so I jumped on board.

Photo: Mike Ruefer DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

chassis

TECH Photos & Text by Vahok Hill

JOINING TUBES WITHIN THE REALM of chassis fabrication, maintenance and or making new parts for your race car, you will be required to join a plethora of tubes together. It may be round tubes to round tubes, round tubes to flat stock and round tubes to square tubes. For the purpose of this discussion, the majority of these tubes will be steel in a number of different alloys - 1010, or at the other end of the scale, 4130 tube stock. There are many different ways to prepare a tube or a section of steel to be joined to another tube in preparation for the welding process. The level of preparation to the weld joint is often more or equally important as the method utilized to join the tubes from a strength or durability perspective. The quality of the weld will be greatly dependent on the quality of the tube joint and the preparation of the metal prior to any welding process. Even the best welder cannot make up for poorly fitting tubes joints. You could just cut the tube, place it in the approximate position required and weld away with little or no regard for any precision of any fit between the tubes. As with most things, there is a right way and a wrong way to accomplish any given task. Notching a tube will give you the most area to weld and spread the loads over the greatest area of the tubes

or possibly more than two tubes to be joined. This will give you the strongest joint possible and that is what we are trying to obtain. The fit of the tubes is a critical component of the construction process. A poor fitting tube joint leads to poor weld joints and joints that are much lower in strength than joints that were properly welded with well-fitting tubes. There is more to welding a race car together than just having the manual dexterity to work the welder. The whole package includes developing the capability and capacity to make all of the correct fits. The fitting of the tubes is a major contributor to a strong weld joint. The process of preparing the tubes for welding the cutting of the fit is called notching or fish-mouthing or coping. The matter is not the nomenclature but the process for developing a quality fit is paramount to building a strong joint. Notching tubes can be done in a number of different ways. Some methods are easier than others. The amount of time spent and the quality yielded are not dependent on each other as it was in days gone by. The quality of the notching has a good deal to do with the tooling used to make the notch. You do not have to have any power tools to notch tubes. You could perform the task with simple hand tools like a file or a handheld grinder or a nibbler, but the results are not always as good as they might be as with a more automated method. For the most part, the tool makers and marketers have made this task way too simple and the costs for the specific tooling required far too economical to

ever use simple hand tools to accomplish this task. There is no good reason to not have tube joints on our race cars that are well executed. For a very reasonable cost, you can purchase the tooling / tools required that will enable you to notch tubes in a first-class fashion. You may have many of the required tools in your shop right now. The local home improvement centers usually have the majority of the tools you need to notch tubing. The majority of tubes you will be notching for your race car will range in size from ¾ of an inch to 2 inches in diameter. If you spend a little time at the local Home Depot or Lowe’s in the tool section, you will find hole saws that can be used in the notching process; short of having a milling machine and an assortment of the correct sized end mills to notch tubes, a hole saw mounted in your drill press is a great way to get a first-class notch of the correct radius in a tube. Be forewarned that all hole saws are not compatible with metal, check to see that the hole saws you may be purchasing will work on metal. There are many fine brands of hole saws on the market that work on metal and given even minimal care they will last longer than the normal race car. Best of all, hole saws come in the same sizes as the tubes normally used in the construction of race cars. Using a 1 ½ inch hole saw on a 1 ½ inch tube will yield a notch with the perfect radius to mate up to the 1 ½ tube you are joining. This same hole saw will also work on a smaller tubing to give you the correct radius to mate up a variety of tubes together, that is a ¾ tube that may be joined to a 2-inch tube will

A selection of tubes that will be welded together to form a structural part of a race car, in this case a set of nerf bars. You can see that the tubes do not fit together in a way that would yield a strong weldment. The coping or fish mouthing of the tubes will allow a strong elegant weldment.

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The cutting of the tube in preparation for welding. In this case the machine was set to a slow speed and plenty of cutting fluid was used to keep the part and the tool cool. Slow and steady wins this race. There is no need to hurry this process.

require a 2-inch radius rather than a ¾ radius. If you are fortunate enough to have a milling machine in your shop, you own the ultimate in tube notchers. Using an end mill of the correct size makes a perfect notch. The cost of some of the larger sized end mills can be quite expensive which makes the hole saw option look even better. The mill is also a great way to hold hole saws. If you do not want to purchase specific cutters for large diameter tubes, they are expensive, very expensive and may require special holders at an even greater cost. I have even used my lathe to notch tubing, by placing an end mill in the head stock and fabricating a special holding fixture to mount the tube in the tool holder. While this is an extreme situation, it works. For the average Saturday night racer, the equipment required to properly notch tubes is fairly short. You may have most of the prerequisites in your shop tool inventory right now. At the very least from a safety and quality perspective I would recommend that you use a drill press if you are going to use hole saws to do the notching. If you do not have a drill press, you can purchase one at the same home improvement warehouse where you get the hole saws; the orange one or the blue one both sell drill presses. I would be remiss if I did not mention Harbor Freight as a potential source for a drill press. I have seen some nice

floor mounted drill presses on sale for under $400 dollars at all three of these stores. Be forewarned; if you plan on doing a good bit of fabrication, buy the best quality machine you can afford. This is a tool you need to have for other purposes not just tube notching, general shop usage comes to mind. So, purchase quality machines with a brand name you recognize. The drill press needs to be or should be bolted to the floor, especially if you are going to be working with large lengths of tubing. Bolting the drill press down will give you greater stability not

to mention that it will be safer if you are not having to worry about your drill press falling over while you are notching a tube or for that matter any other drilling work you may be doing. This makes the operation much more stable and safer. Using a hand-held drill is not a viable option due to the possibility of the hole saw grabbing the work and causing some serious damage to your drill or the tooling. Worst case scenario, bolting the drill press to the floor will seem like an even better idea if you find yourself sitting in the emergency room with a serious injury. In all seriousness, there is a risk of personal injury if the work piece and the equipment is not securely held in place. I have seen hand drills used for this process and sometimes it works OK. The problem is that the possibility of the cutter grabbing and causing the cutter to lock into the tube and then the drill spins out of the hands of the operator, this becomes an issue due to the operator must now deal with a spinning drill motor. The message here is to avoid using a hand drill for this operation. A stationary drill press bolted to the floor is really the minimum for good safe drilling operations of this scale. If you are going to be doing a good bit of fabricating it may make sense to purchase a dedicated machine for notching tubing. There are multiple tool vendors that make equipment that is specifically designed to notch tubing. These machines do a great job of notching tubing. They may be a bit of overkill if you are only going to notch several tubes but if you are planning on doing a good bit of fabrication, they do

A direct comparison of the fish mouthed tube against the square cut tube. The fish mouthed tube fits and will offer the welder a better opportunity to get a strong good-looking weld.

A little planning and some good work processes will yield a stronger part for our race car. DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

a great job and the time required to set up and complete the notching process is quite fast, accurate and cost effective. As an added bonus these machines make obtaining the proper index position for the tube a very simple operation. When joining a tube to a section flat stock or to a square tube, it a simple matter of matching the surface to be welded to the flat surface. This will require a weld surface on the tube that is parallel to the surface on the flat stock on square tube. This only requires a simple hack saw and some de-burring, it is just that simple. Or you could use a hand-held grinder with a medium grit flap wheel. Remember, with any static structure, which in our application is a race car, the associated cage and suspension the cage is tying together, if we can spread the loads over a greater area the structure will hold up to greater loads prior to reaching any point where it would or may yield. Those loads would be the stresses that are a normal in our sport. Just welding the tubes together may not be enough. Notching the tubes takes the tube and spreads the load over a larger area. Notching the tube gives us the ability to make the welded joint stronger. It is just that simple.

TOOLS

• The drill press should be set to the speed that the hole saw manufacturer recommends. Other tools you will need: • The correct sized hole saw for the desired radius required, hole saws can be purchased in sets or individually. (purchasing the sets is a good way to go because they usually come with the mandrel) • A mandrel for the hole saw, the mandrel is the interface to the drill. The mandrel is the tool used to attach the hole saw to the drill motor. • A good vice for your drill press. The vice should be secured to the table of the drill press. Several clamps may to hold your vise to the drill press table. The preferred method is to bolt the vice to the table. This keeps clamps from interfering with the tube depending on the size and shape of the tube. • A selection of hand files to help de-burr the tube after it is notched. • Some course emery paper to dress the tube after it is de-burred prior to welding.

A collection of well used Hole Saws. With minimal care and proper lubrication, a quality hole saw will last for many uses.

Sets, like this from Milwaukee, range in price from $39 - $139 at most hardware stores. 70

A hole saw mandrel. The same mandrel will work for many different sized hole saws, minimizing the number of tools you will be required to purchase.

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

Pitt Stop Motorsports

artistic LICENSE

ANNIKA KOSER AGE: 21 HOMETOWN: Thompsontown, Pennsylvania HOME ON DIRT: Port Royal Speedway, Williams Grove Speedway Dirt Empire (DE): When/why did you start painting? Annika Koser (AK): When I came home from university three years ago I searched for something to bring comfort and purpose and art was there when I needed it most. I could have never guessed that other people would love my creations, too. DE: Did your love of racing or painting come first? AK: Racing! I’ve loved art forever but never liked paint until I forced myself to practice and gain control in it. I love the challenge of it and how much patience it requires.

Museum and having a piece permanently displayed there are at the top of the list. DE: How many works do you produce a year? AK: On average about 15 bigger pieces plus a few smaller ones in between. DE: Are they available for sale? AK: All of my paintings are commissioned so my available work is in the form of prints. DE: How do you choose a subject? AK: When I’m looking for reference photos I look for something bold that stops you in your tracks and keeps you for an extra moment. Strong horizontal lines and contrasting colors are so important.

DE: How would you describe your style? AK: Photorealistic, Bold DE: Art influences/heroes? AK: David Johnson DE: Do you only paint racing themes? AK: Yes! It’s a perfect way to combine the two things I love most. DE: What are your future plans for your artwork/career? AK: I’d love to donate a portion of all prints to different charities once I find a bit more stability. As far as goals, a live painting at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and

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DE: Most meaningful painting to you personally? AK: My first photorealistic painting ever is the most meaningful, hands down. Greg Hodnett was my favorite driver and I did this painting following his passing. I ended up giving it to Sherry Hodnett and that moment is something I will never forget. www.annikakoserart.com

Artist Annika Koser Photo: annikakoserart.com

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

yesterday’s

Photo: Christopher Ziemnowicz - Wikimedia Commons

DIRT By: Dan DeMarco

TRULY MODIFIED GREMLINS Pennsylvania-based photographer Dan Demarco recently passed along that he had a treasure trove of 1970s modifieds from his home state that he grew up watching from his Reading, Pennsylvania, home. He offered to share and we immediately sent him to his files – this is what he pulled out. THE 1970S WAS a unique period for the modifieds. It was the beginning of the transition from the coupe and coach bodies of the 1930s to the Mustang, Gremlin, Pinto, Corvair, Camaro, Chevette, Vega and Pacer bodies of the 1960s and 1970s and before the emergence of the prefab bodies of today. I loved all of the body types of the era many of the premier builders of the day preferred the Gremlin above all the rest. The Kenny Weld, Grant King and Whip Mulligan built cars were all dressed with Gremlin bodies and many of the Tobias, Brightbill/Kreitz, Butler and Burnett built chassis were dressed with Gremlin bodies, too. The photos were taken at Reading and Nazareth half mile speedways.

The Norcia Brothers 81 driven hard by Billy Pauch.

Gary Ballough in the Maranelli M1 74

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Kevin Collins drives the 12.

Bobby Bottcher in the Higbie Brothers 97.

Bobby Gerhart in the Weikert 29 in Reading, Pennsylvania.

Harry Beherent in the 3 at Nazareth.

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dirt

CHRONICLES

WINGED LEGENDS TOPLESS

By: Bob Mays

The 1a meant that Bobby Allen was in town. The future Hall-of-Famer and 1990 Knoxville Nationals winner was a consistent force on the outlaw trail in 1978. (Leroy Byers Photo)

Doug Wolfgang won the 1978 Knoxville Nationals aboard the Speedway Motors 4x. It was his second consecutive Nationals win and one of five total. (Leroy Byers photo)

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Rick Ferkel led the 1978 WoO standings most of the season but couldn’t stave off the advances of Steve Kinser. His biggest victories were the 1973 Pacific Coast Nationals at Ascot and the 1974 Western World at Manzanita. (Leroy Byers photo)

Steve Kinser had his coming out party in 1978. He’d been knocking around with other teams for several years but when Karl Kinser tabbed him for the seat of his plain-Jane-looking #11, it changed sprint car racing forever. (Leroy Byers photo) DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

new & featured PRODUCTS

DUAL SUSPENSION LOAD/LENGTH STICK 7” Our suspension load stick is now available with dual function displaying load and distance with touch screen technology. It has the same control as our manual Ultra Force machines with live load and distance read-out and the ability to zero both. Compressed center to center is 13-1/2” and extended is 19”. WEHRS | Part# WEH-WM414D This Item can only ship GROUND Retail Price: $1,250 www.wehrsmachine.com 608-486-4343

ROLLING THUNDER BOOK RELEASED Rolling Thunder, 50 Years of USAC Silver Crown Racing 1971-2020, the most comprehensive reference ever produced on the USAC Silver Crown Series, is available now at www.sprintcarhof.com and at Fastrack Publishing with a release date set for early May 2021. The combined work of four veteran motorsports journalists - Bob Mays, Richie Murray, Patrick Sullivan and John Mahoney, Rolling Thunder covers the tumultuous history of the USAC Silver Crown Series from its inception in 1971 through the 2020 season. From the days of Al Unser, Mario Andretti and A. J. Foyt, through the glory days of Jack Hewitt, to the reign of Kody Swanson, the big cars have continued to capture the imagination of fans both young and old. Key moments, stories and memories amassed over the past 50 years are captured here in word and stunning images. The 350-plus page hardcover book includes detailed season summaries and complete recaps for every race in addition to more than 350 pictures as seen through the lenses by several of auto racing’s finest photographers. Furthermore, the histories of the USAC Silver Crown division’s racing counterparts are covered in the pages with a look back on the National Championship Racing Association (NCRA) and Premier Racing Association (PRA). If paying by credit card, call the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame toll free at 1-800-874-4488 or online at https://www.sprintcarstuff.com/ product/1356/pre-order-rolling-thunder-50-years-of-usac-silver-crownseries-1971-2020. You can also order Rolling Thunder now by check or cash through Fastrack Publishing for the price of $49.95, plus $9 shipping and handling. Nebraska residents should also include $3.50 for NE sales tax.

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

Send your check or money order to: Fastrack Publishing 5220 North 10th St. Lincoln NE 68521

DON’T COMPROMISE ON YOUR SAFETY GET A STROUD SAFETY KAM-LOCK HARNESS There is no fooling around when it comes to your safety during a race. Get a quality harness that is SFI-approved and made by a manufacturer that stands behind its products. Stroud Safety’s Kam-Lock Harnesses are a great example. The five-point harnesses are SFI 16.1-approved, made in the USA, and feature two inch shoulder belts, a three inch lap and anti-submarine belts, and a quick-release cam lock latch. The two-inch shoulder belts are ideal for use with a HANS or other head-and-neck restraint device, and can be more comfortable for smaller-statured drivers. SFI-rated harnesses must be recertified every two years to be accepted for use by most sanctioning bodies. Stroud Safety will recertify your Kam-Lock harness for a very modest fee. Recertification includes hardware inspection, replacement of all straps with new ones, and sewing on new SFI certification tags. Stroud Safety Kam-Lock Harnesses are available with individual shoulder straps, V-type shoulder straps, or wraparound ‘dragster’ style shoulder straps. You can have any color you like as long as it’s black. Use the QR Code to check out Kam-Lock Harnesses at Summit Racing. Summit Racing Equipment www.summitracing.com 1-800-230-3030

POINT YOUR SMART CAMERA PHONE AT THE QR CODE ABOVE TO CHECK OUT THE PRODUCT!

EIBACH 6” MICRO SPRINT & MIDGET ERS RACE SPRINGS Our new 6” x 1.88” ID Race Springs are designed for shorter shock packages commonly found on Micro / Mini Sprints and Midget race cars. The 6” spring length allows space for an ERS Tender or Helper Spring, creating a true dual rate setup. The combination of the lighter Tender Spring rate plus carefully chosen 6” ERS main spring rates, provide more traction over the racing surface and control out of the turn. Each 6” x 1.88” is made by Eibach in the USA and now available in 155, 165, 175, 185, 195, 205lb/in. rates Also available is our full line of 1.88” ID Tenders, Helpers, Spacers and Spring Bags eibach.com/us/

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

support these

FOLKS

pit

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ADVERTISERS INDEX PAGE Allstar Performance................................................ 2 ARGO Spindles......................................................55 Brinn Inc................................................................19 Close Racing Supply............................................... 9 Dominator Race Products....................................25 Eibach....................................................................84 Highline Clothing...................................................80 HoseHeads............................................................80 JJ Motorsports.......................................................82 Jones Racing Products.........................................29 Leindecker Racing Engines..................................51 Pitt Stop Motorsports........................................... 71 Right Foot Performance Products.......................... 4 RUSH Racing Series............................................... 7 Salon at Studio B..................................................21 Summit Racing Equipment..................................83 T&D Machine Products.........................................39 Wehrs Machine & Racing Products.....................43 White Knuckle Clothing Inc..................................81 SUPPORT OUR CONTRIBUTORS Dirt Empire is proud to have assembled a crack staff of freelance photographers and writers who blend their passion for the sport with their talent and artistry to make these pages pop. If you see an image that you’d like to own or need a great image for your shop, drop them a line and support them.

PHOTOGRAPHERS FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE Ashley Allinson - imerald@gmail.com Blake Harris – h3photography.smugmug.com Bob Mays - catsracin@yahoo.com Bob Yurko - bobyurkophotography.smugmug.com Buck Monson – buckmonson@gmail.com Carey Akin – cmakin@att.net Conrad Nelson - conradlnelson@hotmail.com Dan DeMarco - deacon39@me.com David Giles – davidgilesphoto@gmail.com Dave Hill - dshill@mchsi.com Dennis Krieger – dkracepics@q.com Gary Thayer – gary.n.thayer@gmail.com Jeff Bylsma - www.spot-photos.com Josh James – joshjamesphotos@gmail.com Ken Murray – bmurrayphotos41@yahoo.com

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

Ken Simon – ksimon41@aol.com Matt Butcosk – mbutcosk@gmail.com Michael Boggs - michaelboggsphotography@gmail.com Michael Moats - www.mrmracing.net Mike Campbell - www.campbellphoto.com Mike Musslin – dirtnut777@gmail.com Mike Ruefer – mikerueferphotos@gmail.com Paul Arch - peanumber10@comcast.net Quentin Young - quentinyoungphoto.com Randall Perry – rpmphotos43@gmail.com Todd Boyd - www.photosbyboyd.com Tom Macht – tmacht@bak.rr.com Travis Branch – travisbranch21@gmail.com Tyler Rinken – rinkty01@luther.org Zach Yost - zyost11@yahoo.com

HoseHeads Highline Clothing

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

White Knuckle Clothing Inc.

Photo: Conrad Nelson

after WORD

By Adam Cornell WE’VE BEEN HEARING about the new Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) spearheaded by Tony Stewart and Ray Evernham. Normally I’d take minor note of such a thing and discard it. I only have so many brain-cycles a day to spend on things. Asphalt racing doesn’t garner too many of those brain-cycles. But I stopped short with SRX and paid attention. The thing that piqued my curiosity was the dirt tracks sprinkled into the inaugural season. Nestled in amongst the six races are two back-to-back dirt track races using the SRX car. Knoxville Raceway in Iowa on June 19th then at Eldora Speedway in Ohio a week later. What are these guys up to? I checked out the Ray Evernhamdesigned car and it sounds interesting. I can’t help but note the similarity to the Ferrari F40 from the late 1980s. A passing resemblance to shape is about all it has in common with that Pininfarina styling, however. The SRX is powered by a front-mount Ilmor 396 engine based on the LS V8 that has

some heritage with the ARCA stock cars. Word is that it will put out 530 ft-lb of torque with over 700 hp. The car is built to run on asphalt and dirt, oval and road courses and be good but not great, in the words of Tony Stewart. The idea is to highlight the drivers not the car. It’s a very interesting concept. Not too terribly unlike the now defunct IROC series from years past. Will it work? Who knows. But it is very interesting that NASCAR decided dirt should be on its schedule the same year Tony Stewart is pitching SRX with two dirt track races in the lineup. It certainly explains quite a bit about NASCAR’s motivations and their maneuvering. Where will dirt track racing fans fall on the SRX question? Will they like the uniformity and the cross-over nature of the series? Perhaps. Unfortunately, knowing the fandom of dirt track racing, more than likely they will ignore it en masse. Fans of sprints are rarely also major fans of late models and vice versa. Will they welcome a new

brand of car on the track even with the clout of a Stewart and an Evernham behind it? I have my doubts. But I also have my curiosities. I wouldn’t mind being in the stands at Knoxville or Eldora to watch these SRX cars slide around the track with perhaps some big names in racing behind the wheels. Curiosity killed the cat, but it also launched the iPhone. Can dirt track racing be done better? We may know quite a bit more about SRX’s plight on the dirt track by the end of June.

Photo: Conrad Nelson

DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE • ISSUE 03 - 2021

JJ Motorsports

Summit Racing Equipment

Dirt Empire Magazine - Issue 03 2021

Articles inside

After Word

New & Featured Products

The Dirt Chronicles

Talking Tech

Racetrack Spotlight – 34 Raceway

Photographer Focus – Mike Musslin

Action Capture

Moving Pics

Shifting Gears – Kevin Rudeen

Brooks Strength

Short Track Stars – Jake Timm

Tyler Erb

Ask The Driver

Short Track Stars – Frank Coates

Light Side of Dirt

In Memorium

From the Editor – Justin Zoch

My Top Five

News and Notes

Guest Mic Drop – Vahok Hill

Skull Candy