Joy Employee Fun Night - Great Family Fun Tri-City Speedway Franklin PA August 8, 2010

Dirt Track Auto Racing is fun for the whole family!   Enjoy some of the pics from a great, family fun day at the Tri-City Speedway racetrack. Thank you Joy Mining!

Jeremy's Girls, Alexia and Ava jumping for joy before the Joy sponsored, Tri-City Speedway dirt track auto racing event.

It was a beautiful, hot sunny late afternoon on Sunday August 8th at the Tri-City Speedway as fans filled up the bleachers to watch their favorite dirt track auto racers.  It was Joy Family Fun night and Jeremy Zufall's Late Model FASTRAK car, wrapped in Joy Mining's theme, was on display before the races for anyone who wanted a close up view of a race car.  Jeremy and family handed out T-Shirts and Frisbees, compliments of Joy Mining. 

(You can click on the pics to make them larger.)

Jeremy's Late Model Fastrak

Jeremy "clowing around" before the hot laps. 
Mr. Clown gave the big and little kids rides on his motorcycle throughout the evening.

Jeremy's loyal pit crew. Uncle Dale, Dad Jim, Cousin Ashley.

Jeremy's three beautiful girls, Sara, Ava, Alexia

A few more of Jeremy's family who came to watch him.  Daughter Alexia, Mom Tammy, wife Sara, daughter Ava, Grandma Donna, Aunt Tina, Uncle Dale

Joy Mining Machinery is one of Jeremy's sponsors.  Jason Hagg who is Supervisor of Graphic Production for Joy had Jeremy's late model wrapped in a coal theme.  These are Jason's two handsome boys.

More Joy Racing Fans!

This is a picture of the Tri-City Speedway before the events started.  The fans were just coming in to watch some great dirt track auto races.

Right Side View of Tri City Dirt Track

Tri City's dirt track is a well maintained, wide oval track which allows a little bit more room for passing than some of the other smaller dirt tracks. 

Left Side View of Tri City Dirt Track

The night was well organized and  was great fun for the kids too. Racing on the track was the Joy sponsored car driven by Jeremy Zufall, the Engles Trucking Services DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds, 4 Your Car Connection FASTRAK Late Models, Welding Technologies/Shaw Industries E Mods, E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks, and Horn's Collision Repair Center Mini Stocks. 

Jeremy's Mom Video Taping Jeremy's Heat Race While
Pit Crew Member Uncle Dale Looks On

For the kids they had a two big yellow school bus race and kids bike races that were sponsored by McDonald's Kids Night at the track. The Lowry Auto Wrecking Demo Derby concluded the night on the dirt track.

Too much excitement for Jeremy's daughter Alexia.  
The nights can be long for the kids with events ending even around
midnight depending on how the night goes.

This was Jeremy's first time on the Tri-City speedway track.  He was able to get a feel for the track during the hot laps and then in the heat races.  The hot laps allow the drivers to test out their cars to see how they will run on the dirt track.  When a driver has never driven on a particular track, s/he will need to make appropriate adjustments to their cars to make them run efficiently on the track.  This has to be done for each individual dirt track because the tracks have different conditions every time. 

As you will see in the short video clip below, Jeremy in #20, started near the back of the pack and in the feature event, finished 14th out of 18 drivers. 

For him, this day wasn't so much about knowing he even had a chance to win the race as getting used to a new track and finishing the best he could without any major problems.  Here is a short video of Jeremy's heat race.  (Sorry for the poor quality.  We'll get a better one on here soon.)  This is just to give you some idea of the sights and sounds of a Fastrak late model race.  Jeremy's car is #20.  He started fourth from the last in the heat race and finished third from the last by a nose.  He also had a flat tire during the last lap of the heat race which obviously slowed him down.

Video of Jeremy's heat race.  Jeremy's car is #20.  Turn up your speaker volume to get some idea of the sights and sounds on the dirt track.

My commentary:  Based on his past performances in a variety of dirt track auto racing classes where getting first place was a routine event, I fully expect some day to write a blog post telling everyone that Jeremy finished first in the feature for his Fastrak late model. 

It can get discouraging week after week for the drivers and the families when there are problems with the cars, poor dirt track conditions because of the weather, and unforseen events that happen during the race.  The key though is to remember why you are even in the race to begin with.  It can't be for money all the time so it must be for love of the sport.

When you don't meet your goals, tough it out and don't give up.  There can only be one first place winner.  Each driver has to set his/her own goals and everytime that goal is met, set a new and higher standard until that goal is reached and so on. 

It was evident that this night at the dirt track at Tri-City was just as much about family fun as well as making good money for some of the top winners.  There were family members rooting on their favorite driver.  The kids were getting treats and participating in their own races.  Everyone likes the excitement of the event and everyone knows there can only be one winner. 

Everyone who is serious does try their best.  Some drivers have the advantage over others because they have more money or more driving skill because they have been competing in their class for a longer time.  When money is tight, those drivers do as much as they can with what they have.  They try to win and when they don't do as well as expected, they are disappointed.  They don't quit though because they love the sport.  Their families are still there supporting them no matter what the outcome. 

The goal for just about every driver is to see that first place spot some day, but that takes practice, time, money, a fine tuned car, great tires, and the perseverence to continue on, even when all you see for awhile is the dirt flying in your eyes for many races before you reach your ultimate goal.

With this being said, if you have the desire to get on the track and you do come in last, pick yourself back up and try again.  Just as there is only one first place winner, someone has to come in last. Everyone realizes that you have to start at the bottom to get to the top.  So find yourself a dirt track car, modify it and get on the track and have some fun.  That's what dirt track auto racing is all about.