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4/21/2010 |
COMPETITION ON A SHOE STRING IN A MODIFIED CAR
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Denise DuPont |
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There are many teams and drivers that participate in racing but when it
comes down to doing what you love the low-budget teams are right on top.
Every race team struggles when it comes to finding sponsors and backing for
the money needed to race. Some teams get big sponsors while others remain
mom and pop type race teams and shops.
On the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour there are two teams that come to mind
when you think low budget racing, Wade Cole (#33 NWMT) and Jake Marosz (#9
NWMT).
Wade Cole is there every race competing and trying to do the best he can. What does it mean to him to be a low budget racer competing on the NWMT?
“You always just try to do better. You do not have the money that the big
teams have. So you do the best with what you have. We are trying just to
improve. A lot of teams try to help us get a little better and that is what
we are after. We just want to try to be more competitive.”
Modified cars have been competing on short tracks weekly and on larger
tracks as part of the NASCAR Touring series. The short track racing can be
as competitive as the Tours and cost less so why do low budget teams such as
Cole and Marosz select to run in longer more costly events? “Both of them
(short track and Modified Tour racing) are great choices,” Wade Cole said
about weekly short tracks versus the Tour division. “I enjoy the tour
because of the camaraderie. Sometimes when you are at a small track it is a
little bit tougher to get along with people. The short track racing -
crashing and stuff like that. Out here (Mod Tour) everybody tries to help
everybody. It is a really good experience. There is a lot of knowledge. The
knowledge on the tour is just incredible with the top teams that have the
knowledge. Top teams knowledge they sometimes share with you and you just do
not pass it on to somebody else.”
This year Wade Cole helped fellow NWMT racer, Jake Marosz, when Marosz
needed a car to continue racing. Marosz had sold his race equipment to
support his business and ensure his families income. Cole knew Marosz loved
racing and took an opportunity to help Marosz out when racing spring came.
“We have worked together for several years. Financially he could not do it
again this year. “I asked him if he wanted to retire or was it that he could
not afford to race?” He said he could not afford to race. So basically I put
him in a car and it is his motor in the one car. I am buying it from him on
the easy payment plan so we are taking one race at a time. We will see how
it goes. He got into a little trouble today but it was not his fault. It was
a racing mishap.”
Jake Marosz in the #9 car has been competing with the NWMT in every race
that he can. Every race he is out there trying. He may not have the faster
car and best equipment but he does have persistence and a love of racing
modifieds. “We have been a low budget team now for seventeen years. I love
the sport but sometimes it gets a little out of hand and it is hard to do
it. Wade offered me an opportunity to drive this car and I was not expecting
it.”
Marosz was prepared to be on the sidelines this year when the economic
situation made him reassess his love of racing. “He (Wade) had an extra car.
He bought the motor that was in my car originally. So I am driving his car
with my motor and my carburetor. So I know how to get the setup with that.”
At Thompson’s Ice Breaker, Marosz was involved in an incident that took him
out of competition early. “The car ran good today. I just got sideways. I
went to stop and I could not stop in time, so I got sideways and hit the
back. There is not much damage. We can fix it for fairly inexpensively. We
are going to try to make a race at a time. We are going to try to stay out
of trouble. If we do not have motor trouble then we will keep going the rest
of the year.”
So with Stafford’s Spring Sizzler coming up, we will see more modified
racing, local and tour cars.
Let’s see how the teams on a shoe string do.
Low Budget Race Team Notes:
Why do you want to race?
Wade Cole
“When I first started out, I was selling Speedway Scenes. I was about six
year old. That was great. I thought it was wonderful. And then I worked on
the car at my dad’s house. That was pretty darn good. They when I got to
work on the car in the pits that was even greater. Unfortunately the one
time I was offered a chance to run my dad’s car in a mechanics race. What
happened was they lost the clutch in their car and my dad said “you are out
and I am in”. I told him, “You know what, I really wanted to try it once.”
We talked about what we could do and I got my own car for $300 bucks. That
was in 1972. I ran my first race in 1972. And I have loved it ever since.”
Jake Marosz
“I wish I knew. Guess I just like the excitement of it. I like dancing and I
like racing. I was in the infield watching racing when I was a kid. When I
am in the infield watching the cars I want to be in it. I do not want to be
on the sideline.”
“My first race was at Waterford Speedbowl in 1974 in these modifieds. My
friend went to buy one and he did not buy it. So I said, “Do you mind if I
buy it? He said go ahead.” And that is how it all started. The fourth race
that I ever went to, I was in a race car.”
Are there any lessons that you have taken away from Racing?
Wade Cole
“I use to drive a little crazy on the road and now that I drive the race
car, I pretty much drive real slow. My wife tells me “Can you go a little
faster.” It is not a thrill on the road. The thrill is driving on the race
track with the people that are here. The fans and the little kids that are
here, it is really great.”
With the NASCAR Modified Tour a more expensive division to run in, have you
considered a modified car at a local track?
Jake Marosz
“I do not like the SKs. I tried it. I ran the tour years ago before it was
“The Tour”. I ran here at Stafford, Thompson and Waterford in these types of
cars here (Thompson Speedway). Then the tour came about and I retired. I
retired a while to take care of the family. Then I came back into it and then
I took a year off. Then before you know it I took thirteen years off.”
So how did Marosz get back into racing?
Jake Marosz
“My friend was retiring from racing and I bought everything that he had. It
was the car #9 of Billy Simon from Cromwell, Ct. Then I went back into it. I
wanted to go to Monadnock but you had to race there for the year. I did not
want to drive the car there for the year, so I decided to go to Riverside.
Then Wade said why don’t you come race up here at the Thompson 300. That was
my first tour race in 1994. Then Loudon was the next race I went to. I have
been on the tour ever since. I have not missed a race since then. I would
say I am addicted to it. It is hard to get out of racing. I would not be in
a car if it was not for Wade. My business is busy and taking up a lot of my
time. So I had to think about retiring as an owner of a car. I just could
not afford it.” |
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Source: Denise DuPont / TheChromeHorn.com
Posted: April
21, 2010 |
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