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It's all About Attitude!
"The Infield" by Paul Pittman
Stevens Point, WI (Dec 11, 2004): Is it me or does time seem to be slipping by
quicker then ever now? I distinctly remember telling myself that I was going
to get caught up on all of my projects once the racing season was over, so I
would have time to work on some new ideas that I had looming in the back of my
mind. The good news is that some of those projects have started to take shape,
but the bad news is, there are still all these other projects that just do not
seem to get done. OK. I’ll admit that there have been a few days when the
turkey got the better of me and I have just recently renewed my membership in
the procrastination club, but hey, you have to treat yourself once in a while,
right?
So the IRA Awards banquet is now history us and with the PRI show now behind
us as well, I think we can officially call an end to the 2004 season. Looking
back a bit, I found an old notebook and some tapes that jarred some memories
of stories that never really got told.
Brian Coleman was one of the busier car owners all year and while many of his
efforts may be overlooked by most of the media, I for one am grateful to him
and many of the other car owners out there like him. You know the ones that,
no matter what, continue to do whatever it takes to try and race. Most are
racing their own cars but Brian is an owner trying to field a car for others
to race. Consider that the new team started the year out with a driver who was
moving up himself and trying to fill some very big shoes.
Brent was really starting to get comfortable in the car, you could see it.
Making the move from a full late model to a sprint is not just something you
do overnight but it was obvious that there was methanol in his blood. Then the
accident at Dubuque. Brent’s injured hand left him sidelined for the
remainder of the season and contemplating a return to late models. It also
left Brian with\out a driver.
Enter Mike Rich. The Duluth (MN) driver has long been a regular when the IRA
visits the NW area of Wisconsin, but this was a shot at driving for someone
else. Mike piloted the car for the World of Outlaws show at Princeton but when
the IRA pulled into Superior, a family situation forced him to sit the weekend
out and left Brian again looking for a shoe.
An old friend of Brian’s from his stint at Dave Blaney’s driving school
filled in. Johnny Bridges liked the opportunity, but with home in North
Carolina, he was glad just to be able to help out.
Enter Jimmy Kouba. Around the Princeton WoO show, Jerry Richert Jr. got Brian
and Jimmy together and soon thereafter, Jimmy found himself turning the wheel
of the #4. Now Jimmy had heard about the IRA from his brother Joe, but until
his deal with Brian, had not been able to get any time away from his WISSOTA
deal and as such, missed many of the IRA events that he wanted to make. Racing
is all about the family and the Kouba family is all about racing.
Jimmy's experience behind the wheel of a sprint car was a key factor in his
choice to help new car owner Brian Coleman get his operation racing in the
right direction. He needed someone to sit behind the wheel and tell him what
was gong on and Jimmy got the job done and done right. Things were different
now. Brian needed someone to get his operation going in the right direction
and Jimmy needed a ride. After a few shows, the pair learned that the car that
Brian had originally invested in was not the “deal” he was lead to believe
when he bought it, so Jimmy brought his Stevenson Chassis out of mothballs and
the team finished up the season with it. Jimmy was in a familiar car, which
also enabled him to get some of his loyal sponsors some exposure, and Brian
was fielding a car which was steadily improving.
Cresco (IA) saw the team handed another obstacle. The one and only power plant
that Brian owned burned a piston. Brian’s parents, loaded up the motor after
a phone call to Earl Gaerte and by the following Friday morning (did I mention
there was a holiday involved there too), new life was brought to the operation
just in time for the Northern Nationals at Superior. The tight racing surface
at Superior was just what the car liked and finally, the light at the end of
the tunnel might not have been a train after all. The following night, the
team, like most in the pit area, played catch up with the track all night
after figuring for a dry slick track. As it turns out, the setup at the end of
the night was very similar to what they ran the previous night at Superior. Go
figure. All that work just to get back to square one.
As seasons go, it was by no means remarkable but for a guy living his dream of
fielding an outlaw sprint car like his dad did years ago, a dream was coming
true. Brian will tell you that it wasn’t a season that made him any money,
but he will also tell you that with a smile. As teams upgrade their own
programs, look for new enclosed haulers or spend big bucks on a lot of new
equipment for next season, Brian is content and very happy that he was able to
upgrade his own operation. He bought a 2001 Maxim from fellow competitor and
new friend Scott Neitzel.
Brian will be back in 2005. Who will be stomping the throttle is still up in
the air though as Jimmy will be back behind the wheel of his own car once
again. Jimmy described his own experience as very pleasant. So much so, that
his present goal for 2005 includes running the IRA’s 75% participation for
points. So look for the Kouba brothers more often next season, and don’t be
surprised if you look around the pit area and find about three to five cars,
all grouped together, and a crowd of people having fun around them. I’ve
seen it in them all. It’s their nature. These guys are just what the doctor
ordered for the sport.
News and Notes from The Infield
2004 IRA Champion Scott Neitzel was in the running for the 2004 410 “Driver
of the Year” sponsored by the National Speed Sport News. WoO Champion Steve
Kinser ultimately won the 2004 Economaki Champion of Champions Award (big
surprise there) but the fact that Scott actually drew multiple votes mean that
the team’s efforts were noticed by more than the cars he passed on the
track. Neitzel was recognized in the latest issue of Sprint car & Midget
Magazine and also in the upcoming Champions issue of Flat Out Magazine.
Speaking of champions, Joe Roe and the team were present at the 2004 IRA
Awards banquet to honor the class of 2004 and its champion, Scotty Neitzel.
Now, I can tell you that this was not an easy task for Joe. Not making the
points was bad enough but not being able to claim the championship was even
tougher. Joe’s presentation of the Championship Award to Scott was a class
act though, truly demonstrating just how much the entire thing means to him as
well as everyone else. After the ceremony, I caught up with Joe and questioned
him about next season. “We’ll see,” was the only comment I could get
from Joe but the spark was clearly there. Have the flames been re-kindled for
a run at number 10? I guess we’ll all see in a few months but one thing is
certain. Joe is a racer and like the rest of us, it’s in his blood. The
competitor that he is, ask yourself, could you sit idle and watch, knowing
that you had more than a legitimate shot? I mean, he still racked up two wins
in 2004 running part time. If you ask me, I will not be surprised to the #61
pull into the IRA pits more often in 2005.
Former Champion Kim Mock also spoke highly of the new IRA Champion during his
address to the crowd in attendance. To say the past two seasons have not been
pleasant to Kim would be an understatement but the 2nd half of 2004 showed a
rebounding of the Kim Mock of old and his winning a new chassis from Maxim in
the Top 10 Maxim Chassis Give-A-Way renewed his confidence in things overall.
It seems to me that there is going to be a lot of teams gunning for the number
one spot next season. Don’t count the 2002 IRA Champ out either! John Haeni
praised his crew, team and car owner for sticking with him through what he
described as a disappointing season. John indicated that they have identified
issues that plagued them and have already taken steps to correct them, right
down to the color of the car. Now that’s attention to detail! Attitude! It
was nice to see it back at the banquet.
Mike Stefka’s Do-Rag was a hit in a tribute to his owner Bob Dwork and the
Do-Rag Racing team. Mike stole the stage while paying his respects and
appreciation for his car owner’s and teams efforts. Steve Meyer also got
into the mood, recapping a very funny antic dote about one of his and Scott
Neitzel’s first on-track adventures.
Some news from Steve Sinclair as well in this issue: First off, the first
draft of the 2005 schedule will be out by the end of December as promised.
“There are just one or two holes yet that need to be filled, and possibly
very little rework, but we are very close to what looks to be a very promising
schedule for 2005,” stated Sinclair after his return from the PRI show in
Indianapolis. “The IRA received an awful lot of praise from those in the
industry, “ Sinclair continued. “Even with J&L’s loss, we are
looking at a better year financially than ever. Plus, we have a few other
potential sponsors looking at us that we still need to work on yet.”
Sinclair would not go into detail but elaborated that J&L Oil was recently
sold and thus, the long standing relationship between J&L Oil and the IRA
was ended.
Well, I think I am going to wind things up for this edition of The Infield.
Writing about Brian and what he went through this year gave me a few ideas for
some upcoming columns so hopefully, it will all help pass the time while we
all (some longer than others) wait for the next season to start. Until then,
you can send your own ideas to me at arppix@arppix.com. Who knows, maybe that
will spark a memory or two in what is getting to be an older, colder and
somewhat slower noggin of mine.
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