2014 Season – 30th Year of Racing
01/02/14 WOW, it does not seem possible that this will be my 30th season as a driver. You know, the last season my dad raced his own car, he was 38 years old and it was his 10th season. Knowing that racing means as much to him as it does me, it shows how much I meant to him. For him to give up his racing for me to start mine. There are no words that I can provide to give him the praise he deserves as a father! Thanks Dad, love ya!
Mom put her time in at the tracks as well, but when she got her fill of it. She never tried to slow dad or me down from doing what we love to do. Although Parkinson’s has slowed down Dad’s attendance at the races, it hasn’t slowed down his passion for it. Mom stays active on Facebook updates and still supports me in everything I do. My sister, Tammy Jo, also supported me throughout her younger years until she started her own family. She was a die hard for sure!
I’m 45 years old now and feel like I have many more years left or at least I hope so. Here’s a recap of the first 29 years. . .
1985 – Doll Bros Chassis, 69 Camaro weighed 3275# and had a 355 c.i.. Formerly driven by Earl Hill, then was the “HOTDOG” car owned by Jr. Simmons. Dad paid $810 for the car minus the engine. Ran Hobby Stock/Semi-late.
1986 – Purchased a Tom Pistone Chassis, Dad purchased it from Roy Johnson. Not sure what year chassis it was, but it was still old, but more up to date than the Doll Chassis. Ran Hobby Stock/Semi-late. Donnie Allison drove the car at WVMS for NASCAR night and the engine blew up.
1987 – Ran the Pistone chassis for another year. Tom Willoughby supplied me an engine. Ran Hobby Stock/Semi-late.
1988 – Dad bought a 4th design Howe Chassis from Buddy and Mark Myers and Shirley Paul supplied an engine for it. Ran Hobby Stock/Semi-late.
1989 – Purchased a 1987 Mastersbilt chassis (formerly Harold Redman’s) along with another complete car. Sold the other car and kept the engine (formerly Larry Holmes) and bought pieces needed to complete the Mastersbilt. Ran Semi-late.
1990 – Ran the same Mastersbilt, but moved up to Late Model. Still ran the same 406 c.i. steel block engine.
1991 – Went to CJ Rayburn’s and bought a re-clipped cantilever suspension chassis. Near the end of that season, we bought an all-aluminum engine from Mark French.
1992 – The year of the fire at dad’s garage just 2 weeks before the mall show. Buzzy Holliday and several other people jumped in and rebuilt the car in time for the mall show.
1993 – Bought my first brand new racecar from Audie Swartz and it was a leaf spring car. Wayne McPeek rebuilt the aluminum engine. Totaled the car 3 different times and Audie fixed every time and we never missed a weekend of racing. I was nicknamed “Test Dummy for Audie Swartz”. I won my very first feature at Ohio Valley Speedway. I’ll never forget my first win!
1994 – Ran the same 1993 Swartz chassis but sold it before the season ended to Greg Mitchell.
1995 – Bought a brand new Swartz 4-bar car and powered by a McPeek Racing Engine. We won the Track Championship at Ohio Valley Speedway just barely over the late Bill Childers.
1996 – Ran the same 1995 car. I had to run a steel block for a while until I came up with an aluminum block.
1997 – Bought a brand new Swartz racecar and kept my old one. Won the Topless 50 at Tyler County Speedway! As it turns out I needed the backup car, for I rolled the primary car at Ohio Valley Speedway. I ran the backup car the remaining part of the season.
1998 – Ran the 1997 car and also freshened up the 1995 car as a backup. At the end of the 1998 season, I made the hardest decision I had ever made and that was to quit. I sold everything but the engine.
1999 – Was supposed to drive Gene Casto’s modified at Skyline opening night, but they did not make it and Tommy Powell put me in his modified. Drove his modified off and on and I also drove Jr. Simmons #16 late model quite a bit that season as well.
2000 – Tommy Powell and his dad Tom Powell had bought a brand new Throw’n Dirt and Shirley Paul Keffer supplied the engine. We went on to win 24 features and the AMRA International Points Championship.
2001 – Drove the same 2000 chassis and won the AMRA Road Warrior Tour Points Championship.
2002 – Tommy and I put 2 cars together, both identical. Shirley Paul Keffer’s engine failed about mid-season and I finished out the season in Tommy’s car. 2003 – Came out in my own modified and brought back my original number 38. That lasted until late May when I literally tore the car in two. Throw’n Dirt supplied me with a car they had and I ran it for a while, Ran Tommy’s car a couple of times and then finished out the season in Gene Casto’s car. Wayne McPeek did my engine and I raced 57 times this season. This was the season that Tim Cooper started helping me.
2004 – Bought a brand new Throw’n Dirt and won the AMRA Road Warrior Tour Points Championship. Engine was built by Billy Lloyd.
2005 – Bought a brand new Throw’n Dirt and engine was by Billy Lloyd.
2006 – I teamed up with Tod Buckhalter & Hassy Chassis. I had my own Hassy and I also drove the Hassy House Car. Mid-year John Cornell bought a complete late model from Mike Balzano and he asked me to drive it. I drove both classes the remaining part of the year.
2007 – I committed myself to John Cornell’s late model and had given the Hassy ride up. By late May, I gave up the late model ride (my decision) due to low performance. Fortunately Hassy stepped in and gave me a car to race the rest of the year. We finished 2nd (by a half a car length) to Steve Arpin in the Harley Race at Brushcreek.
2008 – Ran for Hassy Chassis and at the end of the season, it came down to the wire for the AMRA National Points and AMRA Road Warrior Tour Points, in which we won both in the same year.
2009 – Came out with a brand new Hassy Chassis and at mid-year, stepped down from the ride and drove Louie Krushansky’s backup car for a few weeks, then worked out a deal with arch rival Jr. Nolan to run a 2009 Shaw.
2010 – Ran the 2 Brothers Motorsports 2009 Shaw and won 17 features and the AMRA National Points and also the Skyline Speedway Track championship. 2011 – Got a brand new 2011 Shaw chassis and again won 17 features and the AMRA National Points.
2012 – Ran the same 2011 Shaw and won 21 features and the AMRA National Points and the AMRA Road Warrior Tour Points and also won the Jackson County Speedway Track Points too. The only way we won the track points was because Sean Schobelock gave us his car to run when ours broke in hot laps.
2013 – Ran the same 2011 Shaw Chassis until Labor Day weekend, when I totaled the car. We had bought a new 2013 Shaw Chassis and it was just setting there. So we put it together and finished out the year, except the last 2 races and we drove Frankie Hall’s modified. 2014 – We’ll just have to wait and see what this year brings us!!!!!!!!!!
Throughout those seasons, I was privileged to drive some other peoples cars such as, Tommy Powell’s, Gene Casto’s, Jason Canepari’s, John Cornell’s, Kevin & Kenny Rogers, Larry Jarrett’s, Ed Watson’s, Jr. Nolan, Tod Buckhalter’s, Jamey Adams, Kenny Riddle’s, Jim Helterbran’s, David Landman’s, Louie Krushansky’s, Buckwheat Shutt’s, Frankie Hall’s, Sean Schobelock’s, Ken Patrick’s, PJ Chamber’s, Toad Fordyce’s, and Randy Henderhan’s. Not certain if I had forgotten anyone’s or not, but if I did I apologize. Also can’t forget those that have helped me out over the years in many different ways! I’ll apologize in advance if I have forgotten someone. Dave Nestor, John Markle, John Barker (RIP), Dave Hilton, Ron Sury, Robert Gerlach, Buzzy Holliday, Steve Davis, Steve Armentrout, Shirley Paul Keffer, Tom Willoughby (RIP), Bill Shortridge (RIP) Brian Fox, Jeremy Detamore, Brian Wright, Fred & Lee Bonnett, Chris Stull, Mike “Bubba” Whited (RIP), Keith Emrick, John Carvillano, Tod Buckhalter, Gene Casto, Jimmy Simmons, Tommy Powell, Shane Thomas, Tom Powell, Wayne McPeek, Allen Siers, Andrew Siers, Kevin Farrar, Wes & Sharon Washington, John Cornell, Wayne Cornell, Steve Leist, Tom & Pam Lemon, Todd Lambiotte, Chad Nelson, Tim Cooper (been with me now for 10 years) and many others that have jumped in at the spur of the moment when I have crashed to help put the car back together. Too many to name has helped me out in that way and although you wasn’t named, your help was and is greatly appreciated!
I have to give a special thanks to my fans. I know I can’t be liked by everyone, but the fans I have are some of the best. It’s their support that makes racing very gratifying. I appreciate you all for your support and cheers. Over the past 29 years, I have raced at 45 different tracks and have won features at 22 of those race tracks. I have accumulated nearly 175 feature wins; with the first feature win not happening until 1993 and prior to 2000, I only had 12 wins. So the majority of my wins have been in the modified division. We have collected 5 AMRA National Points Championships and 4 AMRA Road Warrior Tour Points Championships. I have 4 Track Championships under my belt as well.
I’m excited for the 2014 season and looking forward to another competitive year! I plan to have new racing shirts this year and Coop will be posting info. on Facebook in the next few months. I currently have Frankie Hall’s modified done; Tommy Powell’s mod is in progress and will start on Frankie Hall’s late model next week and Johnny Powell’s hot mod in Feb. sometime. Our car will be worked on in between jobs. Also excited about a newly designed website being created Jenni Cook, and will be unveiled in the next few weeks. Keep checking www.kjmotorsports.net for updates.
Sponsors for 2014 are not finalized as of yet, but below is the list of supporters we have and can’t do this without them. If anyone needs anything from any of my sponsors, please contact me or them and we will get you what you need.
Remember, to make this work, support those that support us!
K-Graphics, Hall’s Auto Repair, Schilling Truss, JS Enterprises, Zemba Bros., Coughlincars.com, Steve Balderson Construction, Sheet Metal Local 33, Octane Race Products, Poske’s Performance Parts, Out-Pace Race Products, Hypercoils, Tom & Pam Lemon, Carr Auto Glass, OVDTR.com, Billy Joe & Wanda Hammett, Bill & Patty Welch (RIP), Keyser Mfg., Shaw Race Cars, TSM Enhanced, Bazell Race Fuels, Hoosier, Aero Wheels, Wrisco Aluminum, Lubeck Community Baptist Church, Iglesia Bautista Jehova Yireh, Willy’s Carburetor’s, KSE Pumps, KRC.
