Last Race of the Season at Roaring Knob

The last race of the season took place at Roaring Knob dirt track on Saturday September 12th. It was a beautiful, crisp, cold fall-like night. There were a few sprinkles off and on, but that didn't dampen the spirit.

Jeremy drove his late model and after the warm ups was placed in the top 10. He was driving well and more aggressively than in his last race. A yellow flag was evident several times throughout the race but Jeremy was holding his own. Then on the last lap, another yellow flag. The race started back up for the last lap for the late models and Jeremy got a flat tire 3/4 of the way through the last lap. He went from 9th to last place in the heat. That was a tough break.

His dad, Jim Zufall drove in the charger division and finished 10/13. His uncle Dale drove his first lap and had oil pressure problems and had to drop out. Dirt track auto racing is truly a family affair.

Overall, Jeremy was grateful that he was able to get out at least a few times this past summer. He is working on lining up sponsors for next year and he may or may not be driving the same car. This was the first time he had ever driven a late model car. He likes driving and is looking forward to next year when he can get on the track sooner in the season and move up in the ranks against his competition.

Zufall Finishes 10th At Roaring Knob Aug 15 2009

Dirt Track Auto Race Late Models at Roaring Knob August 15, 2009. Zufall places 10th. 7 laps to go in this video. Crank up your speakers. The video isn't the greatest and will be better next time with an actual video camera. I just wanted you to get a feel for the sights and sounds on the dirt track. If you can make it out, Jeremy is #20 and his car is bright blue, with a black hood and orange numbers. His car is in 10th place on this video. They started with a field of 22, had four wrecks, and 13 late models made it across the finish line.




The sunny day was hot with beautiful clear blue skies. As evening approached and the hot laps were finished, it was the start of a perfect evening and night for racing on Sat Aug 15th 2009 at Roaring Knob. If you've never been to Roaring Knob to watch a dirt track auto race, you need to take your family. It's only $10 per person to get in and children under 10 are free. It's a great evening of family entertainment and you will get your money's worth.

The track was packed down with mud and clay with near perfect conditions. Two weekends before, the dust was so thick you could barely see the track. Today was special. It was autograph day at the track. The kids (and of course moms, dads, grandmas and grandpas) all hit the dirt track with their flags, hats, t-shirts and anything they wanted signed. They were given free programs by the track. The event was run so well. The drivers lined up on the track by their dirt track cars and handed out goodies, autographed post cards, and took pictures with their fans.

Jeremy was on the track for the second time this season. His goal was to finish in the top 10 and he did. He needed some adjustments on his car and tires, but in spite of a few technical difficulties, he managed to do well. In addition, he was thankfully able to avoid four accidents.

Here's the happy dirt track auto racing family and Jeremy's car. See you at the track!

Please Help Our Daddy Buy Some New Dirt Track Auto Racing Tires! (and fix his fender)

Dirt track auto racing is fun for the whole family, but many dirt track racers are everyday guys who work hard for a living. You have to start at the bottom and work your way up. It takes money to build a winning dirt track car unless you are just going to race for fun.

Daughters, Alexia and Ava are Jeremy's biggest dirt track auto racing fans. They want their daddy to do well. Someone out there can make that dream come true and get some great advertising in return.

Jeremy, Ava and his dad Jim at Roaring Knob on Sat. Aug 1st enjoying a break in between heats.

A note from Alexia and Ava in grandmas words :)

Our daddy needs sponsors. He is a good driver with an excellent track record and a car that doesn't have any pretty stickers on it. If you like dirt track auto racing, would you please consider sponsoring our dad's modified late model dirt track car? Thank you. Alexia and Ava

Ava beside daddy's great big tires.

How can you resist these two sweet faces?

See you on the dirt track!

The Low Down on Roaring Knob Dirt Track Auto Race Sat Aug 1st

Yes, it's official. We actually had a beautiful weather day without rain. Hot, sunny, muggy, and DRY!

We made our long journey to Roaring Knob. Jeremy had no problems getting checked in. We had a great space right at the end of the track where we could see the racers close up.

There were a record number of dirt track racers on this particular Saturday because they had a special event with the super late models (incredibly exciting and so much more so than boring Nascar). The payout was about $3,000 for the winner. Even though that's not a lot of money compared to Nascar, these super late model drivers can make a killing.

It was an exciting night. This was the second time this summer Jeremy was able to get on the track. He did his hot lap rounds like everyone else. The next race for him was the heat race. He started last and ended up making the finals, moving up a few cars.

In the finals, he started at 23/27 cars and finished at 16/27 cars. Not bad for his first time completing a dirt track race in a new, virtually untested modified late model. He kept up with the pack all the way and because there were so many cars on the track, they seemed to all stick together.

He did make a few dollars for finishing 16th, but he was just happy that he was able to finish the race and see what more he needs to make his car better so he can move up a few places next time. His take is that he needs new shocks (about $2,000) and a few other items for about $4000 to get his car up to speed with the winners on the track. Jeremy has proven in the past that he has what it takes, but you also need a good dirt track car to be a winner.

Here's a picture of his modified late model and as you can see, it's bare. If you are interested in promoting your small business to a bunch of loyal dirt track auto racing fans, then why not consider sponsoring Jeremy? He has the talent, the drive, and the interest. He has dirt track racing in his and his family's blood and now, he has a new family that can't wait to see him accomplish his goals.

If you are interested or just have questions, please email him at dirttrackcarrace@aol.com and put sponsorship in the subject line.

Oh yes, another interesting side note. . . there was a driver who, while racing in the super late models, kept clashing with and bumping another driver. They were playing a very dangerous game because they had their own little "tiff" going on. As a result, they were both disqualified.

The one driver left peacefully but the other driver put the field crews and the other drivers in a lot of danger. He took off wildly around the track, revving up his engine and weaving in and out of the other drivers. He refused to leave the track. The stand off ended with him being blocked in by several tow trucks. Even then, as he left the track, he caused even more problems. Word is that his car was badly damaged in the pits by a few angry people. It's a shame. I've never seen anything like this happen. The police became involved and he won't be racing at Roaring Knob anytime soon. Other than making for a little excitement, most drivers follow the rules and even though they are competitive, they don't cause this kind of trouble.

I'm telling you. . . you need to go see a dirt track auto race. Bring a blanket, some glasses, and wear old clothes because the dirt will get you!

FINALLY! Jeremy Gets On the Dirt Track

Dirt Track Auto Racing at Roaring Knob

I could hardly believe it myself. Saturday, July 25th, Roaring Knob near Ohiopyle, the race was on, then off, then on again. The drive is long at about an hour and a half. The sky was more and more threatening as the day wore on. We started out at 4PM EST with high hopes and many many prayers. Just one lap on that dirt track Lord. Please. . . just one lap. We just want Jeremy to be able to test his new late model modified.

The closer we got, the darker it got. Then it started. Drip, drip, drip, pour. Oh well, the good Lord must have been answering someone else's prayer for rain. . . but still, we pressed on. It was coming down pretty hard at that point. Jeremy was in front of us and he never hit the brake lights so we became just as optimistic as he was.

We pulled into Roaring Knob. There was quite a crowd already and many anxious dirt track auto racers just waiting to see what was going to happen. The rain started to slow. Then the sky brightened and the sun barely peaked through the clouds, but it wasn't raining. 30 minutes later, the track was open and the engines were warming up. Thank you God. Just let him get on that track!

Jeremy's turn came and he was one of about 8 cars in his heat. This wasn't the race. It was just the warm up. They were allowed to do a hot lap. That meant that they went around the dirt track several times slowly and then the last lap was a fast practice lap. It was great. He was finally able to test his car and all went well. We were so excited.

The sky was getting darker. It was about 9PM and Jeremy was just coming out for his actual heat race. They were off. Jeremy was next to the last and getting ready to move up when one of the late models spun out. The yellow flag went out. The drivers continued to drive slowly around the track. They got the green. Jeremy was flying and right in front of him, three cars spun out and into each other and blocked most of the track. Thankfully, Jeremy was able to get around them without wrecking into them. Again, the yellow flag was out.

That was close, but Jeremy's car was in tact. Then it happened. Yes, the rain. It started pouring and it rained and rained until 9:30 when it looked like there was no hope. The race was over. People were packing up and leaving in droves. Lightning. Yes, it was over.

But once again, it was a successful night on the dirt track in Pennsylvania. Jeremy got the feel of his car, sized up his competitors, and brought his late model home in one piece. We were all very tired and very thankful that the Lord gave us this brief window of opportunity with no rain and that Jeremy was able to get a feel for what is in store for the next time.

Dirt Track Auto Racing Dreams

Dirt Track Auto Racing - A Work in Progress

The season has begun. Jeremy's dirt track auto racing dreams have not come true just yet. Jeremy's car is almost finished, and that is progress, but it's still up in the air as to whether he will even get it out of the garage this year. He said he built it to test it as a late model because he has never driven a late model before on the dirt track. He did race Emods and did quite well in that very interesting class of modifieds, but this is a different class altogether.

So why isn't he on the track? New job. Young family. Too much grass to cut. Too much landscaping to get started with a new house. No time. RAIN!!!! AND MORE RAIN!!!! He tinkers with it on his few days off, but his hopes for even having a chance to race this year are slipping by. It's still up in the air. No one has given up just yet.

When I asked him what he'll do if he doesn't get to race this year he said he will sell the car and start building another one for next year. Our hopes are that he will still be able to get on the track and give it a try.

It is extremely frustrating when dirt track auto racing is in your blood, not to be able to race. It's frustrating to be in a down economy where sponsors are hard to find. Does giving it up ever cross his mind? Yes. There's a brand new camaro he has his eyes on. . . he could sell it all to buy it, but something inside is holding him back. Guess we will wait and see.

More pics are to come of the stages he was building this car in. It looks great finished too, but it's still sitting in his garage. Another several hundred dollars and a few nice, rain free weekends is all it will take to get it on the dirt track. So close, yet so far.

Finally, Pictures of Jeremy's New Dirt Track Late Model Under Construction

Jeremys late model dirt track car under construction in May.


It's great to have a job in this day and age, but it wreaks havoc on trying to build a new dirt track auto racing car.

In between his work schedule, Jeremy has been working hard to build his new late model. With little time and even less money, it is slowly but surely coming together with the hopes that it will get on the track this summer.

Here is a picture of what it looks like while under construction. He's almost done. I'll show you a picture with the skin on it soon but here is what we have for now.

The Red Late Model Has Been Sold! New Dirt Track Late Model Pics Coming Soon!

After several months of negotiations, the red and white late model has been sold. The garage was empty for about two weeks, but is now filled with a new secret weapon. Jeremy and his dad are building a new late model. The insides are ready to go and they are busy building the body every spare weekend minute they get.

We will have pictures of the process coming soon. With Jeremy's new working schedule, it's hard to find extra time to work on his new late model dirt track car, but he is hoping to be able to race this summer so he will give it a great effort.

This is what happens in dirt track auto racing. You get dissatisfied with one late model and then find another, better one, to work on so you can go out and win races.

Watch for pictures soon.

Dirt Track Soap Opera Continues

It's officially gone. Jeremy sold his beautiful red and white modified dirt track racing car. It's out of the garage and the garage is just waiting for it's new arrival.

Jeremy wants to get on the track this summer so in order to do so, and because of his new job, he didn't have the time to keep building this car. He is actively looking for another dirt track modified to fill the empty space so I will keep you informed. We need to get him back on the track asap.

Hey Jeremy, Any Dirt Track Updates?

Jeremy, where have you been? We haven't seen an update on this blog for awhile. Are you still racing?

Hello dirt track auto racing fans. I apologize for being so out of touch. I have been trying to raise money and get sponsors, but lately even the sponsors who said yes seem to be backing out using the economy as an excuse. The bad economy is one reason sponsors are not as willing to spend any money this year.

I am entertaining buyers for the red and white modified you see here because I want to race this year. I started a new job and have been out of town quite a bit here and there so that puts a great damper on having time to keep building this modified. I want to race badly so I am in the process of finding a car that is ready to go that I can get back on the track with. All of this stuff takes time and although I am disappointed that I couldn't come up with enough paying sponsors this year to get my car done on time, there is always next year.

Dirt track auto racing has it's ups and downs. It is expensive and when the cost of fuel went up, the drivers on the track went down somewhat. There are still the diehards and those who win enough money to keep up their hobby or profession. For the little guy though, even little guys who win, in this economy it is a lot tougher to keep the car on the track.

That's what's been up with me. When I get my new car I'll get some pictures up and let you know what's going on, but for now, I'll be on the road again next week and meeting with prospective buyers each weekend. Go for the sport. You will have so much fun if you find an old beater and fix it up for the track. Go get some dirt in your eye!

Eat, Sleep, Race - Dirt Track Auto Racing Stuff

For all of you dirt track auto racing fans we've found a website that has some fun products for those who eat, sleep, and race. Wear your sport proudly on your back or head and promote the sport of dirt track racing wherever you go. The link is permanently on the right hand side of the blog, but here it is again for your convenience. These are dirt track racing products.

https://www.eatsleeprace.com/shoppingcart/products.php?PARTNER=dirttrackcarrace

They will be adding new products and so will we hopefully in the first part of next year. We need to raise money to get Jeremy back on track so we are going to be trying different ways to do that. We are researching to find unique dirt track items to sell and, at the same time, we want to have these organizations benefit by donating part of the proceeds to St. Jude's Hospital and to the Cystic Fibrosis Organizations. Jeremy and his family are heavily involved in Cystic Fibrosis due to one of their 11 year old family members dying from that terrible disease.

Hey Dirt Track Racing Fans! Please Become a Fan of Jeremy's

It's been a long trek this past summer for this dirt track auto racer. Disappointment after disappointment, but Jeremy is working hard to get sponsors for next year and finally has a few potential sponsors seriously considering backing him.

Here is a pic of the car as he begins to modify it on the outside, getting ready for the race. In the next pic you can see how he has added white. I'm sure by the time he is done with it, it will change even more.

The red and white car on these pages is the car he intends to drive this spring and summer. That's who he is getting sponsors for. In this economy, that is no easy task. One thing you can help him do to get back on the dirt track asap is become a Jeremy Zufall racing fan. Here is the link to his website. http://www.starvingracers.com/racer-rocket20 It is so easy to sign up and just by being a fan for free, it will be a big help.

Ssswwwwweeeeeeeeetttttttt!

So if you visited this website, take a quick look and sign up as a fan at starving racers. We know Jeremy and we all have faith in his abilities as an excellent dirt track auto racer, (even before that he won trophies for his excellent dirt bike racing skills, his all star football skills in high school, and many other sports related events.) He is just an all round athlete.

His heart's desire is to get back on the dirt track. . . Just one quick visit and one quick vote. Visit the above link and thanks so much!

The Dangers of Irresponsible Dirt Track Auto Racing

Dirt track auto racing is usually a fun, safe, sport that provides enjoyment for the whole family. There are times though, when some of the races get heated and things get out of control as what happened on Oct 8, 2008 at the Challenger Raceway.

Because of an on-going investigation, I won't name names, but one of Jeremy's family members was injured as a result of a driver gone wild. Jeremy was observing and was to drive the feature when a little bump turned into a major nightmare for the referee who was lining up the cars for the next event. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time as one of the drivers who got angry because he got bumped decided to go out of his spin and drive directly into the oncoming dirt track racers. His intentional revengeful move badly injured the referee who was an innocent bystander, and injured Jeremy's uncle and demolished the front of his modified car they had worked so hard on to build. You can read more about the details of the story by clicking the link.
http://www.fortmilltimes.com/124/story/323019.html

It's a sad day when someone becomes so competitive that they lose sight of what the race is all about. Dirt track auto racing is supposed to be fun for the whole family, and it is. It is a very safe sport and in spite of the fact that there can be some hot heads in the field, as long as you as a future driver realize that, you will have a heads up that something like this just might happen. Jeremy and his family have never seen anything like this in all the years they have been racing. Let's hope it doesn't happen again.

Dirt Track Auto Racing - What's New and How Does Dirt Track Racing Compare to the Melbourne Cup?

Jeremy is soooo busy working and taking care of his new family that he has become very part time in his efforts to work on his car. He is, however, making progress. If he has the time, he doesn't have the money. If he has the money, he doesn't have the time. This is a typical catch 22 for the dirt track auto racers who do this sport for the love of the sport and not for the love of the money (although it would be nice to be able to finish the car and earn some money).

He still has two modified cars in his garage. He is trying to work on both. One belongs to a friend of his who is having Jeremy help him build his new late model. The engine has arrived, and unlike Jeremy, his friend had the money to buy an engine costing around $25,000. This should make for a powerful late model. Jeremy will be putting in a regular engine just so he can get on the race track again.

In addition to working on these two cars, Jeremy recently helped his dad finish his modified and get back on the race track. Jeremy's dad is a great driver. In his last race he came from last to 10th in a field of 20 cars. He was last because he didn't get to the race track on time. That's what happens to you if you don't register on time. You get put to the back and it is so much harder to get into a top position. However, to his credit and after not having driven for quite awhile, Jim (Jeremy's dad) did very well.

Dirt track auto racing isn't unlike horse racing. Horse racing is true "horsepower", but you only have one horse. Speaking of horse racing, I came across this site talking about the Melbourne Cup in Australia. Now I am not much of a gambler, if any, but I did attend my very first horse race this past year with a friend of mine in the states. It was quite exciting. There was no roaring of engines, but there was a roaring of the crowd. The specators were really into cheering on their own jockeys.

I had to learn quickly what horse racing and horse betting was about. It did take me all day to catch on, but once I got the hang of it, it didn't seem to be rocket science. There were some surprises, however, as even though I did use the statistics to the best of my ability, there were races where the horses who were deemed to be actual losers, actually came from behind!

There do seem to be some parallels between the Melbourne Cup and dirt track racing. They both use "horsepower". They are both taking high risks to race. They are both exciting to watch and in the end, there is surely a winner who comes from behind. It's just a thought about the exciting things in life. You can check out more about the Melbourne Cup by clicking on this link.

I am getting more pictures together of Jeremy's progress. You can see the guts of the car in the pic on this page. The next blog will show what the outside of the car looks like now so you can compare the pic with the red car to the pic he has now. He really is working on it :) The black framed car still looks the same. The engine is sitting in the garage waiting to be installed but that won't happen until Jeremy's friend comes around to help. I'll keep you posted.

Can Dirt Track Auto Racing be Translated Into A Different Language?

Let's spread the word about dirt track auto racing all over the world! Growing up in America, I was required to take a foreign language in high school. I did. I chose French. I'm a bit older now and because I have not been required to speak French, I became part of the old adage, if you use it you don't lose it. Unfortunately, I only know a few words now and I think I would have been better off trying to keep up with it. I worked pretty hard to earn those Bs and Cs.

I was thinking in terms of a foreign language translation and dirt track auto racing. Perhaps there are people in other countries who would appreciate being able to look at this site and understand it. In light of that, I came across a great site to translate this site. Translate here. This company will translate dirt track auto racing into numerous languages applicable to many countries surrounding India. The company promises to get back to their customers within one hour most of the time and will even give you a free quote.

In today's global environment, IAFL Translation and Interpretation Services is a great find and a wonderful service for the people worldwide who would like to read about dirt track auto racing in their own language. If you are interested in reading this blog or any other document in a variety of Indian languages then you will want to contact them for a reasonable quote.

Dirt Track Racers Need to Be Strong to Race

It's really the truth. In order to be the best at dirt track auto racing, you need to be in great shape. Some of the dirt track races require endurance because they are longer races. Working on building your dirt track car requires muscles to help you put in place the parts that you need.

If you click on the banner, you will be taken to a great product that is guaranteed to help you grow stronger the right way. Be prepared to out race your competition when you are both mentally and physically fit. Click the banner. Read the information. Find out more.

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.

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.

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.

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.