by Paul Kuyawa


Attention drivers, car owners and crew chiefs, High Groove Media
Service, has a deal to purchase half of go fast piece for your
sprinter read on to view the offer, rules and regulations.
It’s mid-July and like the temperature outside
things with in the Interstate Racing Association are getting equally
hot. While Australian speed demon Brooke Tatnell leads the series
with three wins the IRA boys have been coming to the front quickly.
Some of the IRA victory lane occupying notables have been Tommy
Sexton with a Wilmot Raceway win, Always fast Mike Reinke bagged the
first ever sprint car race win at the now dirt 141 Speedway.
Without a doubt the coolest win so far in 2010 with
the IRA has to go to third generation gasser, Scott Biertzer.
Imagine trying to reach for something for years getting ever so
close to your goal only to see your dreams smashed all to hell. All
I can say is super job to the entire 4B team. Scott you looked at
home in victory lane. Kenny I know you’re still smiling and my
friend Tommy I’m so happy you guys reached your goal. Now let’s see
the 4B in victory lane. Now that your winners I need to turn the
heat up so I can see you win another. No pressure from me however.
Todd Hepfner drove his number 1 Hepfner Racing
Products racer to a Plymouth win. This one was not too surprising as
“the Wing Man” always runs up front at this writer’s favorite venue.
Scotty Neitzel won the Sue Thiel Memorial at the Dodge County WI.
Speedway. Scotty defended the track that sits three miles from his
home. Point leader, defending champion and all around good guy (am I
describing Super Balog) Billy Balog scored win number 1 in his 17B
missile. Balog has been ultra-fast all year running up front
everywhere he signs in at.
Ok that’s going to have to be enough as this old guy
has dragged out his safety soapbox and with a little help he has
crawled up on said box and is ready to speak. Ahem, drivers, crew
chiefs, car owner’s ladies and gentlemen that can hear me I have a
terrific offer available for you. We will buy, this hurts you all
know how cheap we are, for the first driver, team or car owner that
currently doesn’t have them, one half of knee guard for your sprint
car if you promise to use them. Like all good things there is a
catch. Before High Groove Media Service will pry open the wallet YOU
drivers, crew chiefs, and or car owners need to, in our opinion,
supply a valid reason for not stepping up with a hundred dollars to
avoid a Tony Soprano baseball bat, or steering box beating to the
knees. Point being either one will hurt like hell. This contest is
open to any all sprint car teams even if I we don’t know or like
you. However like I said the only way to get us to pick up the tab
for this is a VALID reason. High Groove Media Service reserves the
right to judge and make the final decision on any answers given us.
God I’m looking forward to this one.
Those of you that don’t know the teenager hangin’
with me at the track now is my daughter, Dana. She has started
writing with her column being called Cravin’ Racing and will also
judge any knee guard answers as she too is part of High Groove Media
Service.
Yes my little publicity stunt stems from two friends
having gotten the Soprano treatment from their unprotected steering
gears. Guys it’s your responsibility to put in some type of
protection, condoms don’t work, to keep from going under the knife
do from an exposed steering gear. Two smart guys that have driven
these cars for years have been under or will be going under the
knife to repair a Soprano type beating to the knee cap area. Don’t
know about you but this has got to hurt like hell. Right Ricky and
Todd.
I do not want embarrass these two so I didn’t use
their last names rather I want to call to the participants attention
that there is a big lax in safety gear. I am also looking into a
torque ball safety sponsor for a similar contest. Man you got to
think, ask Brooke or Terry.
Drivers would you roll out for the main event
without your firesuit, gloves, boots, seatbelts and helmet? You
wouldn’t put your helmet on backwards (although sometimes I swear
some do). We’ll be around looking for flagrant KGA’s that is knee
guard abusers and drivers with no torque ball housing protection,
again no condom here. Maybe I’ll half to publically shame everyone
that’s caught.
In all seriousness guys get these items in your car
and BUY A DAMN HANS DEVICE and you might make it out the track in
the vehicle you came in, not the band-aid wagon.
We will be seeing you at the races until next time screw the concert
canceling Jonas Brothers.
Those of you that know me have found me to be rather, well
thrifty, with money. Ok cheap, slow to pay, deadbeat whatever. So
for me to even think of, I can hardly get myself to say, it pay for
a ticket makes my skin crawl. Dana, my daughter, found out the
NASCAR Nationwide Series was going to be at Road America a mere 100
miles from the compound. After much insistence a couple of puppy
pouts and a week of dropping hints good old Dad gave in and we went
to an early practice session at Road America with the majority of
the ticket money coming from Dana. “Dad she kept telling this
adventure was my Father’s Day present, along with the wild shorts
now seen on me.
Here is the heart of the column while this extra day of practice was
supposed to just that, practice, thanks to the folks at Road America
this turned into an EVENT! We were welcomed and ushered within feet
of the garage area. I couldn’t sneak us in there but we did our
best.
When we went past the huge haulers Dana immediately noticed the
number 20 car Joey Logano normally drives and let a whoop about how
great Joey was and we received a wave from the crewman working on
the right front. Ironically parked within a few feet was the 33
owned by the firesuit fashion queen Delana Harvick. Always one to
try to keep a good thing going my honor student let the pit area
know that Delana wore the firesuit in the family, sticking up for
her favorite Logano.
Not being at Road America since the Penske AMC Javelin days in the
early seventies I had no idea where we going. All I knew is I had to
get us close. Following the “Yellow Brick Road” we headed for turn
one. Around a bend through some campers and following a undisclosed
crew member through a very flimsy fence we found ourselves sitting
in the first corner right on the crash wall inside of turn one. As
the three of us chatted we found our friend to be with Brad
Kesowlowski and Justin Algaier. Turns out Gary was a life long
Penske man coming over from leading the gearbox department on the
Penske Indy Cars to being the man keeping the transmissions happy at
the gear grinding four mile Road America. I asked if the guys were
asked to be easy on the shifting and he smiled large and said, “Yeh
right”. He let us know the first caution of practice day was for a
screwdriver on the track, oops someone left the tools on the car. He
was from Pennsylvania, the conversation turned to sprint cars and
Williams Grove. Of course we quickly let him know we both are into
the sport of sprint cars. Always something in common Sprint Cars!
As practice began are ears soon heard and experienced what this
Nationwide deal was all about. Loud cars, flames belching, drivers
locking up brakes, and the indescribable smell of hot brakes,
clutches and mix of rear end grease and engine oil were in the air.
Did I go to heaven? Almost two hours were spent in this beautiful
spot in turn one at Road America. All good things have to end as a
friendly Barney Fife nicely asked to leave, not before securing that
pesky hole in the fence. Dana took some great pictures before we
asked to go.
We found a new spot, this one legal, at the end of the Briggs and
Stratton Bridge in corner two. Again all the comfort and excitement
of turn one except for the fence. We ended the first practice there
and headed lunch. Except for a detour, we stopped by the motor home
lot. Kesowlowski was first out of the lot and gave a quick wave.
Then the best, it was a quick blur of blue and like an idiot I
yelled Cousin Carl, yep it Carl Edwards himself looking like DW was
somewhere. He looked flashed his million dollar smile complete with
dimples and gave Dana a wave. Another whoop and an I love you Carl
Edwards and she floated off a very happy fan of Carl Edwards.
This may not seem like much, but to us it WAS AN EVENT. What a day,
Thanks Carl! You owe me twenty for the shirt.
Getting out visiting racers at their shop is something I really
enjoy. Recently my daughter Dana and I had the pleasure to visit one
of auto racing’s top shock absorber manufacturers. Located in
Grayslake, IL Brian Goscinski is the man behind SUPER SHOX. You’ve
undoubtedly seen them on race cars they are the bright purple shocks
that champions and race winners have been using since the companies
inception in 1996.
Goscinski owns a machine shop with many racers as friends. Some
wanted Brian to build aluminum shock bodies to replace the steel
ones that were on the market. He also was into modifying the
mono-tube shocks that were used on a midget. It was a learning
process that took care of a lot of problems faced by racers. His
shocks were able to take care of a range of valving (that’s the up
and down in your passenger car) heat dissipation and seal drag. He
has built SUPER SHOX from his own design and specifications. Today,
these shocks are on the leading edge of technology.
Shock absorbers have become the single most tuning tool that any
race team can use. Getting the numbers right is critical. It has
gotten to the point that short track racers need one guy on their
team that does nothing but shocks. It’s the difference between
winning and losing.
Numerous racers that I have spoken with have given Goscinski and his
purple aluminum shocks credit for turning their programs around by
simply bolting SUPER SHOX on their racers on. It wasn’t just instant
success however. “I could have the lightest trickest and shock that
wouldn’t fade or break in a crash but if I can’t get them on peoples
cars the nicest part in the world is useless,”Goscinski said.
Getting a “name driver” to use your pieces is a must. I brought some
of our best over to see two time World of Outlaw champion driver
Sammy Swindell. Sammy was looking to get more out of his shocks and
agreed to give our shocks try. This was in 1999 there have purple
SUPER SHOX on all the cars Sammy driven
since. Sammy won that weekend at Calistoga. He won’t drive a car
without his shock package on the car. For us getting Sammy as a
customer was huge. Following that first night of using SUPER SHOX
Sammy peeled his then shock builder’s decal off his car autographed
it and gave it to me. I keep it right here. It makes a good
conversation piece,” Goscinski said.
Since getting Swindell on board the SUPER SHOX accomplishments have
been staggering. Everyone remotely involved with sprint car racing
knows of Sammy Swindell’s accomplishments. To list all the races
this company has help win would take up the entire column, but here
are some highlights. Jack French and Eric Gordon won five straight
Little 500 races; from 2001 through 2005 they were untouchable. I’ve
been to the Little 500 and hope to go back. Think about 500 laps on
a quarter mile to finish is great to win five in row unbelievable,
think how many times those shocks went up and down. Dave Steele wins
USAC Silver Crown show at Iowa Speedway. Eugene Gregorich wins 9
features and the Marshfield Late Model Championship. Tommy Sexton
Jr. won the Wilmot track championship these feats were accomplished
in 2007. Brett Anderson wins the POWRi Midget Championship in 2008.
Billy Balog is crowned IRA champ in 2008 and 2009. Wayne Modjeski
wins the MSA championship in 2008. Of course Sammy won the Chili
Bowlin a sweep in 2009. Kevin Swindell Australian midget title,Brian
Kristan wins a 410 sprint race with a 360 engine, Tim Kaeding and
Swindell both won qualifying events at the Knoxville Nationals this
all in 2009. Kevin Swindell win the first race of 2010, the Chili
Bowl, Dad Sammy was third after starting last and Mike Hess finished
seventh. This was back to back Chili Bowl’s for SUPER SHOX.
All these wins and more have come in 410 winged and non-winged
sprints, asphalt sprints both winged and non-winged , 360 winged and
non-winged sprints, midgets, Silver Crown as well as late models.
Goscinki and SUPER SHOX have made it to the top of the short track
industry by building a superior product. If you’re looking to turn
your cars handling around you can get a hold of Brian at
www.supershox.com. Or 1-847548-SHOX. God Bless and well see you at
the races.