Dirt Track Racing Jeremy #20

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Jeremy is Making Progress on His Dirt Track Cars

Little by little, the red late model modified is getting put together. When you have the time, you don't have the money. When you have the money, you don't seem to have the time. Little things always crop up to cause a set back or two, but slow and steady will get the race car ready.

The new decals are in and they are looking pretty sharp. The car is beginning to take shape both inside and out and soon we will have some new pictures for you. Jeremy is still trying to raise funds from sponsors so he can get the best engine put in.

Jeremy can drive. He has proven that by winning numerous races in PA and MD, and he intends to win again. It's just taking a bit longer than he had hoped. Buying a house at his young age was a big responsibility, getting married and having two children to raise can put a damper on funds. That's why if you are going to dirt track race, you need to have a good funding source so you can continue on when your lifestyle changes from single and living in a garage to married and living with your family! That's not a bad thing, but for a dirt track racer with dirt in his blood, things just can't move along fast enough.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Building a Modified Dirt Track Car - Just the Frame


This is a picture of another dirt track car that Jeremy is building at the same time he is building the red car you see on this blog.
Jeremy has another racing friend who has asked Jeremy to help him with his car. The frame you see here is the beginning of a modified car that will house a $25,000 engine. It will be built to be a super late model dirt track racing car.
The car is in the beginning stages but Jeremy is making progress on this one as well. In addition, Jeremy is putting the finishing touches on his old dirt track car that you see in the blogosphere to the right of this blog. He has redone the outside and this is the car that his dad Jim hopes to race some time this year.
If it seems like Jeremy isn't making a whole lot of progress here, keep in mind that he works one and two jobs full time, has a beautiful family that he needs to spend some time with, and at the same time, has three modified dirt track cars he is building or working on. We are hoping that one of them will be ready soon to race, but even if nothing significant happens until next year, the best you can do is take one step at a time and it will still be a great accomplishment.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Getting Ready for Dirt Track Auto Racing is Hard Work

You see the picture of the red modified dirt track car here. Jeremy is putting this car together piece by piece. He is building the engine under the hood, adding parts as he can after a long day at work, changing the colors, getting the decals ready and in general getting his car in prime condition to race.

Getting the dirt track racing car ready is hard work. It requires both time and money. Parts are very expensive and when you are an every day working man, you have to do what you can when you can with what you've got.

My point is, if you have a dream, even if you don't have all of the money that you need, don't give up that dream. Maybe a sponsor or two will come along. Maybe you will win the lottery. Maybe, over time, just by doing one little thing after another, you will be successful because you didn't give up. You took bits of extra money and bits of extra time and each time you added something to your car, you were one more step closer to the finish line.

I encourage all of you who have the dream to start out as a dirt track auto racer to not give up. Get your first car, work on it when you can, put money into when you can and when it is all finished you will be proud that you did not give up. You may even find yourself on the dirt track much faster then you ever thought.

Sunday, June 08, 2008

Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex


Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex is the place where we spent our Saturday night. See the next blog for what happened, but here is an aerial picture of the motorsports complex. I'll have more pics from the dirt track races to come in the future. They race the following classes at Roaring Knob: Super Late Models, Late Models, Modifieds, Street Stocks and V8 Chargers.


I can guarantee you that you will get covered in a fine dust if you sit near the right end of the track and the noise will be deafening at times, but that's all part of the fun of dirt track auto racing!


Come on down with the whole family! Beautiful scenery, great track, fun time.

Jeremy Finally Got to Race!






It's been almost a year since Jeremy has been able to get back on the dirt track. The picture you see here is just one of the modifieds he is building presently.

What you are seeing here is just the original shell / body of the car he bought in NY and brought home. This is the one Jeremy will be racing in the late model category, hopefully some time this year. He is making good progress. Jeremy has raced in just about every class except the late model and the super late model. His specialty in the past was the EMod.

In the meantime, Jeremy and his family are ready for the season. Jeremy's dad, Jim, will most likely be driving at some point. Jeremy's uncle Dale let him drive his car this past weekend. They take turns driving.


We spent our Saturday night at Roaring Knob Racetrack right near Ohiopyle PA. We passed Nemacolin Woodlands on our way to the track. What a beautiful ride that is. All you see are mountains and trees and rivers and lakes along the way.

The dirt track itself is in a beautiful setting. It is clean. There is a concession stand, clean facilities, reserved parking if you want it and a great seating area. Overall the whole track area is very well maintained. I will have pictures of it soon. I had never been to this track before so it was a new experience for me. It was a family event of course. Mom, dad Jeremy, Ava, me (grandma) and Jeremy's mom, dad, uncles and several close friends were there for the big event.

Jeremy was nervous because he hadn't driven for awhile. On the way to the track, there was a problem with the car he was to be racing so they didn't get to the track on time for the draw to see what order the drivers would be in. That meant he was going to have to be the last man on the track. He was.

The first heat race went ok for him. It was pretty obvious he was feeling out the track and getting used to the car. He moved from last place up four cars and it didn't look like he was putting a whole lot of effort into it. He was trying to make sure the car was right. He knew he had another chance to race.

The dust and clay dirt were heavy in the air. It was an absolutely beautiful, clear, warm night. All of the dirt track races were moving along well. No one was badly injured although a few cars suffered some repairable damage.

When it was Jeremy's turn again, he was seeded next to the last at 19 cars. He felt better having had a chance to warm up earlier. The car was in good shape, although the engine was not nearly as good as Jeremy wanted it to be, but at least he was driving. He started out slowly but then began to push his way onto the inside of the track. He went from 19th place to 12th place during the 12 laps. We all felt pretty good about that. Anytime he has ever pulled a good place in line he has done very well and moved up to the top three or four. Many times he won the races in the class he was driving in. This time though was practice for what is to come.

We all had a great night. We left covered in fine particles of clay dust. The car windshield was coated as well as the whole car. The baby was sleeping. It was a long ride home (about an hour and a half) on all of the back roads where the critters like to come out at night.

We are looking forward to more progress on Jeremy's car in the few weeks to come. Watch for more pics and possibly a video of the track and if we can get close enough to see, Jeremy's car.

Kickin Up the Dirt Track Racing At Dog Hollow Raceway With the Super Late Models