How Did The Young, New, And Old Drivers Stack Up?
November 2, 2007
Delmar, DE…..Today drivers maul over which way to go as they come to the decision as to which way they want to grow or develop in racing; to the crate classes, or to an NASCAR series, micros, sprints and even the Modified Lites class after coming out of karts and other forms of racing? On a local level Delaware International Speedway has given young drivers a choice or two to help with that decision.
The age to run in the crate classes is fourteen years old. That helped a lot of drivers make the decision to go directly to the crate class as they come of age, and wanting to advance. The cost is more reasonable for a team just starting out and a really good stepping stone if those drivers should want to advance to the bigger engine capacity divisions later down the road.
In 2006, the Street Modified class added the same motor as the AC Delco TSS Mod only titled TSS Late Model. The two divisions with only different specifications so one class (Street or TSS Late Model) wouldn’t have an advantage over the other and vice versa; so that the cars remained on an equal playing field. This gave the opportunity for those with the Street Modified motor stock cars to continue to race because the added TSS Late Model was only added; it was not to replace the Street Modified. There were two drivers that still used the Street Modified motors this year; Mark Williams and Steve Ellingsworth.
As in any racing, numerous teams, from any form of racing will push the gray area in rules. If it’s not listed pacifically in black and white than it can be interpreted in lots of different ways; some call it cheating. This season did produce a few drivers & teams bending the gray areas. One night, all the top 5 TSS Late Model cars had the shocks checked, only one was legal, Kelly Putz # 59, Georgetown, DE. Two motors were confiscated this season one from the TSS Mod and one from TSS Late Model. The policing of these motors and cars have to be in place and followed to the tea, and not change. If you don’t have the officials keep on top of this and let it slip one week, or two, results will be teams pushing the gray line again. Cathell tries to keep on top of it and a few steps ahead of the cheaters. Not all the tracks have the same rules, but to enforce them remains a must. You can count on DIS to enforce the engine rules.
This year the Street Modified / TSS Late Model division had 53 different racers during the season over the 41 in 2006. Each week the number of drivers grew. It was not uncommon to have more than the allowed 26 car count to start the feature. The track would run a consolation race after the number allowed to qualify before the consi to get the allotted amount of 26. There have been more that 18 new drivers alone, racing in the TSS Late Model or drivers coming from another division this season. Some of these drivers had never raced stock cars before. Seven of these drivers were between 14 & 18 years old. It seems a great deal of young drivers like the late model style car.
The AC Delco TSS Modified was a strong field every Saturday night as well. Actually both the crate classes had a full field most nights. Four drivers in the TSS Modified were under 18 years old; there were 8 new racers to this class and a total of 41 different drivers the whole season. In 2006, there were 49 different drivers.
In the TSS Late Model some of the new drivers that raced in this class were Jack Mullins, Jr. # 1, Seaford, DE, who was the 2006 AC Delco TSS Modified Champion in his second year of racing in TSS Modified. Jack switched this year to lates, and took home the 2007 Street Modified/TSS Late Model Track Championship, along with 7 wins, and many top 5’s. Jack’s younger brother Andrew # 2 (15 yrs old) drove a couple of races last year, this year he started around mid season and improved regularly. The last point’s race on September 22, Andrew grasps the checkered at the flag stand, with Jack in second. Jack clenched the championship that night, while Andrew celebrated his very first win in this division.
Herb Tunis # 85M, Georgetown, DE, ran in Modified Lites for a number of years before moving into the TSS Late Model this year. Tunis was a contender from the start, he didn’t get his first win, but I’m sure it will be soon; Tunis finished fifth in points with consistent top 5’s & 10’s.
Barry Beauchamp # 11B, Salisbury, MD, had never drove a stock car before April 2007. Beauchamp ran up front on many nights and also fell privy to some mechanical woes such as the drive shaft falling out on the track one night. Overall, Beauchamp finished sixth in points, not bad for a driver that has not driven before.
Two other new drivers to this class and finished in the top ten were Justin Breeding # 27, Federalsburg, MD and Eric Vent # 86, Lincoln, DE. Fifteen year old Breeding is one of the very young new drivers that started in the TSS Late Model for the 2007 season. In 2005, at age 13 and no prior racing experience Breeding jumped in the Jr. Mod Lite division at Delmarva Motorsports Park (Middleford Speedway) and finished third in points after starting in the middle of season. This was Breeding’s first year in the TSS Late Model and being consistent earned him the seventh place finished in points. Now Vent on the other hand wasn’t a young teen starting in racing but it was his first full year in the crate. Vent has an impressive racing history racing 600cc micros. Vent dabbled in few races 2006 in the AC Delco TSS Modified, but went to the TSS Late Model to race the full schedule this season. Vent powered the # 86 TSS Late Model to finished tenth in points and claimed three wins.
The Street Modified / TSS Late Model also have several more new young bright drivers worth mention. Tyler Reed # 44, Laurel, DE, Darin Henderson # 22, Pasadena, MD, Staci Warrington # 20, Milton, DE, Nick Davis # 92 Millsboro, DE, Derrike Hill # 75D Trappe, MD, and Kerry King, Jr. # KB1 Delmar, DE. Reed and Warrington ran the whole season and consistent finishes and final standings in the top fifteen. Henderson ran until August when he had to leave to attend college at Clemson University. Henderson drove karts before he changed and raced as a contender all season. Hill raced a few crate races and then switches to the Super Late Model during the year, so 2008 will be his first full year in super lates’. King only raced a year of go-karts before he wanted to get behind one of the late crates, this was his first year racing and he made out okay. With very little experience, and underdeveloped drivers the class remains a big choice for a lot of the younger ones.
There were 30 drivers’ eligible candidates for www.redbud69racing.com Rookie of the Year. Autoworld of Delmar, DE has sponsored the web site to honor the top driver in points according to the Redbud69racing.com rules. This year the Redbud69racing.com Rookies of the Year were: Late Model – Ross Robinson # 61, Bridgeville, DE; AC Delco TSS Modified – Chad Clark # H2O, Georgetown, DE; Street Modified / TSS Late Model – Jack Mullins, Jr. # 1, Seaford, DE; Modified Lite – Curt Miles, Jr. # 21JR, Saxis, VA. Congratulations to all the candidates. This recognition to drivers is solely from redbud69racing.com and not associated to anything Delaware International Speedway honors.
Now for a bit of a recount on the drivers that were new last year and how their year went. 2006 Street/TSS Late Model Champion Joe Warren # 11 Georgetown, DE, finished fourth in points this year and claimed 6 wins. Young Kevin, Scott, Jr. # 12K Milton, DE remained consistent and took home ninth. Scott may move into the super late class next season. Billy Mellon # 56 Seaford, DE, another young coming up driver finished in the top fifteen in points. Mellon started to run in the late model crate about mid way of last year after a few races in the Modified Lite. Ross Robinson (17 years old) # 61 Bridgeville, DE, a strong contender last year only drove his crate a couple of times before he switched up to Jerry Figgs # 61 super late model this year. Robinson finished tenth in the late model division. Jon Callaway # 95, Harrington, DE, raced a few races at the end of the 2006 season, but this was his first full year; he took home a win on Sept. 8. Callaway has won many championships in the Modified Lite and TUSA series. 2006 Redbud69racing.com Rookie of the Year in AC Delco TSS Modified Ryan Walls # 14W, Laurel, DE ran strong in the TSS Mod last year and switched to the TSS Late Model; although Ryan didn’t get to race the whole schedule at Delmar.
The AC Delco TSS Modified division has had a full field every week with some of the best racing all year. The DIS track champion of the AC Delco TSS Modified class goes to Brad Trice # 33, Parsonsburg, MD. This year Trice claimed 3 wins and consistent finishes. Just to show how consistency really pays off take this example. Aug. 25 Trice started 13th, made it up to 3rd. A car gets around in front of Trice, results in two front flat tires and the trip to the pits. His crew changed the tires and later learned the right tire was on the left and the left tire was on the right side. Trice finished 7th and remarked “I had to fight the car to the finish”; now he knew why he had to work so hard, but he did that’s the point. Brad started in this class when in its sophomore year of running, in 2005. He came directly out of karts into the crate; last year, Trice finished fourth in points.
Second year AC Delco TSS Mod driver Mike White # 21M, Laurel, DE, took third in points and one win. The drivers with two or more year in the AC Delco class really raced hard all year, Joseph Tracy, Rodney Cordrey, Tim Trimble, Justin Griffith and John Curtis. Every one of those drivers had one win or more during the season and continues to be impressive.
Chad Clark handled 600cc micros for a number of years until this year when he ran full time in the TSS Mod. Clark claimed two wins, forth in track points and the Rookie of the Year in AC Delco TSS Mod designated by Redbud69racing.com web site. Brandon Purdue was also new and claimed one win this season. Purdue finished ninth in points and second top rookie in this class. These guys were young but not in the 14-18 years old age bracket.
For some of the really younger drivers of the AC Delco TSS Modified this year were Casey Lynch # 31, Lincoln, DE, Westley Smith # 55, Delmar, Matt Hawkins # 83, Dover DE, and Randy Hill, Jr. # 12K, Seaford, DE. These guys range 16-20 years old. All of them did an excellent job with several top 5’s and 10’s finishes. Being consistent really pays off in the long run.
The regular drivers that have drove either Street or Modified (crates) for the last few years did an excellent job all year. There was some fantastic racing every Saturday night. Drivers Tom Curtis, Tommy Evans, John Curtis, Kelly Putz, Mark Williams, and Mike Wilson just to name a few name, had to be on their A-game, because these fresh new drivers did not cut them any slack.
Austin Hubbard # 11A, Seaford, DE is 15 years old; he’s not in either crate division but sure deserves a round of applause. Hubbard ran a super late model, and with some of the top late model drivers in the country, such as the WoOLMS. Not only that, he managed to claim one win at Delmar, and the 2007 Victory Lap Model Championship at Virginia Motorsports Speedway, Jamaica, VA. Hubbard was ahead of former points leader Tom Cohick of Gloucester, VA by only 8 points at the start of the night. Hubbard won the Victory race claimed $10,000 of the $25,000 points fund and took the track championship. It was his first year racing a super late model and the youngest rookie at VMS. Awesome Job!
It was track Owner/Promoter Charlie Cathell that introduced these new classes in 2004; which consists of a sealed GM spec No. PN88958602 crate motor in a division titled TSS Modified (Technician Service Specialist) sponsored by AC Delco. The crate divisions continue to grow every year. More drivers can make the change to the crate class with a bit less cost in engine than the full upswing to Super Late Model or Big Block Modified horsepower motors. Since the crate classes began, at least 28 drivers have moved from the Modified Lite class to the crates; demonstrating that this route has become a way for many young drivers to choose.
Now you can watch these drivers, grow and bloom sort to speak. These young drivers definitely proved they could run right with the other seasoned drivers. Having the choice to choose to even run in either crate class gives drivers options to consider and dreams to step up.
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