DECEMBER 2005 WINNER
Andrew Broucher
Somerset, PA
His motive is clear. Andrew Broucher wants to be a racer. At 18 months old, he was at a race at Pocono, where his family worked with Bud Moore Engineering. In his early teen years, Andrew used his savings and bought a used Go-Kart. He loved it from the moment he first sat in the seat. Under the guidance of his father, Randy, a former dirt track racer, Andrew was advised to start in the rear of the field. In doing so, he learned quickly by watching and passing others. He was pushed off the track and his Kart was beaten on, but he never quit. He started racking up feature wins in the Junior divisions, finished second in points in 2004, and moved to Senior Light in 2005. The goal at the start of the year was to win one feature and score some Top 5s. As of August 27, there were 5 feature wins and 12 Top 5s. He held a 100-point lead at Pennsylvania's Acme Speedway, having led the division from the first week.
His experience hasn't been confined to just ovals. He has raced the road course at Beaver Run and several other area tracks. At the age of 16, he competed in a Hobby car at the esteemed Jennerstown Speedway, a track that appears to be part of his destiny. The family hopes to move Andrew into a Late Model so that he can compete with the top talent in the area.
Andrew's goal is to move into the major leagues of racing, but he is backing his bet with a sense of purpose. This is not a driver who only carries a gear bag. As an 11th grader, he is enrolled in mechanics courses at the vocational technical school. Each week, the Kart engine is torn apart and Andrew puts the Kart back together for the week's competition.
For Kart racers, there are no big sponsors, and every bit of support is helpful. Andrew has received backing from local businesses and family members, including Advance Auto Parts, John Howard's, Hair.com, and Frank's Pizza. Tom and Cody Hardesty in Maryland have provided strong engines for his Karting. Andrew gets strong support from his parents, Randy and Amy.
As our December 2005 winner, Andrew will receive a $250 certificate from Day Motor Sports, a one-stop shop for all racing needs.
NOVEMBER 2005 WINNER
Brandon Dean
Huntersville, NC
Getting experience at places like Hickory (NC) Motor Speedway, Motor Mile (VA) Speedway, and Myrtle Beach (SC) Speedway means you are constantly racing against tough competition. It's been said that if you want to be the best, you have to compete with the best. Brandon Dean is on that path.
No matter where he races his Late Model Super Truck, Brandon goes with the idea of winning. The family-backed effort works without the luxury of major sponsorship dollars, but the 18-year-old driver puts the truck into contention time and time again. He's rapidly becoming known in an area where racing is clearly king.
Brandon started racing at the age of 5 in a go-kart. His dad was racing dirt Late Models, and Brandon caught the fever honestly. "I fell in love with it," he said of his early racing. He won numerous WKA state and national titles, culminating in 2000 with the triple crown and national championship, dominating North Carolina and South Carolina. He'd reached one pinnacle.
The next step brought him to the dirt of Lancaster (SC) Speedway, where he competed in the Four-Cylinder class. He won a few races. The dirt stint was short, though, because the road to the top is usually paved. "I liked asphalt racing the first time I drove," Brandon said. At the age of 15, he couldn't run in a NASCAR-sanctioned class, so his experience came in the Pro Cup cars and he started drawing attention, becoming Rookie of the Year at Hickory in 2003. He's had the chance to travel some and compete. There are plans for a Late Model or, if the right situation develops, some USAR Hooters Pro Cup or NASCAR Southeast Series races soon.
Brandon graduated with honors and will continue his education at the University of South Carolina, possibly attending UNCC in the future. His plans are directed toward mechanical engineering, a discipline that will help his eventual goal, driving a race car.
"If I could make a living driving a race car, that would suit me fine," he states.
Brandon has dedicated his season to his grandfather, Vernon "Poppaw" Dean, who passed away recently.
For the latest information on Brandon, visit his Web site at www.brandondeanracing.com.
OCTOBER 2005 WINNER
Brett Korves
Swansea, IL
Brett Korves is facing tough competition in the '05 season, but he's not backing away from the challenge. He's a rookie in the UMP Modified division, racing at Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville, Illinois.
The 16-year-old racer started in Go-Karts at the age of 12, winning the Junior Division championship in his second year. He moved into full-bodied stock cars, climbing before the wheel of his grandfather's Sportsman car for a few races at the age of 14, running at Highland (IL) Speedway. At Belle-Clair, his age prevented him from going into Modifieds, so Brett raced a Pure Stock. He won a feature event, several heat races, and was named Rookie of the Year.
As plans for the '05 season rolled around, there were some decisions that had to be made. Brett's car was part of a three-car team, which spanned three generations. Rather than spread themselves so thin, the decision came to make Brett the driver. Dennis Tribout Sr., his grandfather and owner of the Modified, stepped away from his race car. So did his uncle, Dennis Tribout Jr., who gave up his Modified racing after also competing in Sportsman cars. A new chassis from a new company (Razor) was purchased with engine work done by Belleville Automotive. In mid-June, Brett stood a strong Sixth in the point standings and has been drawing plenty of attention for his results. He has been named Hard Charger by www.stlracing.com, which covers the entire area's short-track racing. It's really impressive when you consider how many tracks and drivers are in the area.
Brett would like to keep the racing momentum going. He met and competed with Kenny Wallace during a mid-week race. His aspirations are to move up the racing ladder.
Brett is backed by a solid core of supporters. In addition to his grandfather and uncle, other family members are active with the team. Mom Shelly handles the notes and makes sure they have the right setup information. Dad Jack serves as the car chief. Brett has a brother, Todd, and a sister, Kayla. Others helping on the team include crewchief Steve Krakowiecki, John Krakowiecki, Scott Vielweber, Brian McGuire, Rich Schobert, Mike Causey, Mike Harris, Dan Dudek, and Abbey Fritz. Sponsors of the effort are led by the family business, Tribout Bingo & Carnival Supplies. Weil Trailer Sales, Steve Schmitt of Highland, Dairy Queen, Vinyl Visions, Belleville Wholesale, Causey Excavating, Pioneer Steins, Mid America Web Solutions, JSK, T.R's Place, Print Master, and Dutch Hollow Janitorial Supply are also backers.
As our latest winner, Brett Korves will receive a $250 certificate from TCI.
SEPTEMBER 2005 WINNER
Alison Quick
Redding, IA
Alison Quick has a competitive drive within her that is starting to leave the competition in its wake. Her drive is to excel in everything in which she is involved, and that's a pretty lengthy list. In addition to racing a NASCAR-sanctioned Modified in 2005, she was concurrently playing summer softball and running track for her school. She had qualified for the state finals in the 4x800m relay at the time of this writing.
Alison didn't come from a racing family, though her uncle was a tractor puller and father had competed in demolition derbies. Watching the Daytona 500 and then seeing the Indianapolis 500 put the idea squarely into her head. Family friends raced Go-Karts, so that became the first step. From there, she moved to Super Mini Cup and won the national championship in her first year. The next step was a Legends Car, but the track was four hours away and changed nights to Friday. The distance and school obligations made it impractical, and when Alison turned 16, she got her NASCAR license to run Modifieds at Adams County (Iowa) Speedway and Lakeside (Kansas) Speedway.
Alison met NASCAR's Don Hawk, who suggested getting in touch with Lyn St. James. Alison completed Lyn's Driver Development Program and became the recipient of the Kara Hendrick Scholarship. She was also selected to be a part of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity combine.
At the end of the '04 season, Alison was honored with the Adams County Speedway 2004 Citizenship Award. A 9-year-old fan suffering from a brain tumor had selected Alison as his favorite driver, and on July 4, she gave the young fan a ride around the racetrack in her Modified. That night, she won her feature.
The 2005 Alison Quick racing effort is supported by Kelly Tire & Exhaust, Longfellow Drilling, RMI, Davidson Construction, Advanced Ag, Glendenning Motor Company, SWBS, Campbell Trucking, Ironman Racing, RHR, Newton's Sporting Goods, Frank's Body Shop, Ricker AC Heating & Plumbing, Quick Charolais, and Quick Contracting. To learn more about Alison Quick racing, visit Alisonquick.com.
As winner of the Young Racer's Club, Alison will receive a $250 certificate from Comp
AUGUST 2005 WINNER
Austin Matthews
Dexter, MO
The success of Carl Edwards on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit has awakened the racing world to understand that there is plenty of talent that competes weekly in Missouri. It's a fact that Show-Me state race fans have known for generations.
One of the young guns in Missouri racing is 17-year-old Austin Matthews. Austin is starting his rookie season in IMCA Modifieds with a Dirt Works chassis powered by a 355ci Chevrolet engine. Austin has worked through the ranks to get to the Modifieds. After a stellar career at the controls of go-carts, winning titles, and features in various divisions, Austin stepped up to the Mini Sprints. His efforts in three years of racing found him prepared for the challenges of the heavier Modifieds.
Austin will be racing primarily at Poplar Bluff Speedway and Malden Speedway, but could venture to West Plains Motor speedway or even out of state to Arkansas' Batesville Speedway. In his early exploits in 2005, Austin had scored two heat wins in April and was making consistent progress toward top feature finishes.
The team is a family operation. His main wrench is his father, Bryce, while his 12-year-old brother Corbin has a keen interest in the mechanical side of the operation and helps where he can. Mom, Sherry, provides vital service to keep the program up and running. This is truly a racing family.
As the August winner of the Young Racer's Club, Austin Matthews will receive a $250 certificate from G-Force. With its emphasis on safety, G-Force is the choice of many racers, young and old alike, for the best in safety gear.
JULY 2005 WINNER
Sean Bass
Gibsonton, FL
By the time you read about our latest winner of the Young Racer's Club, there's likely to be a driver development agreement in the works. Sean Bass has been tearing up Florida short tracks with regularity during the past few seasons, and the broader world is starting to take notice.
A good indication came on April 1. Competing in the Truck division and the Mini Stock division at Orlando Speedworld, Sean made two stops in Victory Lane. To go back and forth between a four-cylinder car and a V-8 truck is an accomplishment in itself. To park each of them in Victory Lane is even better.
Sean started racing in the Kid's Club at Auburndale Speedway. As his wins mounted, the desire to move up was obvious. A short stint in a Super Stock class is on the resume, but the results really came in with the Mini Stock and Truck. Sean captured races in his first year in trucks, including a big victory on the 3/4-mile USA International Speedway. He won an '05 Truck race during the World Series of Asphalt Racing at New Smyrna Speedway's lightning fast 1/2-mile. Altogether, there have been feature wins at many Florida tracks, and size really doesn't matter. Big or small, Sean has proven he can win them all.
Sean would like to take the next step into the higher levels of racing, and word has filtered through the pit areas that there have been clandestine inquiries made about his plans. In addition to his on-track achievements, Sean also maintains a straight-A grade point average. In 2004, he won state honors in architecture competition for high schools.
As the July winner of our Young Racer's Club, Sean will receive a certificate valued at $250 from Aero Race Wheels for use on any of his race vehicles.
JUNE 2005 WINNER
Brian Geiszler
Boring, OR
Brian Geiszler has been winning races for nearly half his life. The 18-year-old open-wheel standout started in Quarter Midget competition in the Pacific Northwest at the age of 9. In that time, he raced on dirt and asphalt, including indoor winter racing. Brian finished Second one year by a single point with four wins on his record.
At the age of 12, Brian jumped into a 250cc Micro Sprint to run the 1/8-mile and 1/4-mile tracks in Oregon and Washington. He scored wins at four of the six tracks, including three victories in Madras, Oregon. In 2002, he was named the state of Oregon champion in the 250cc class.
The '03 season saw 16-year-old Brian back on asphalt behind the wheel of a 360 Limited Sprint. He competed in the Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association (NSRA) with a used car and gained valuable experience against the full 360 Sprint fields. When 2004 rolled around, a better engine and a brand-new chassis awaited. However, the new car didn't arrive until the season was three races old, and there was the usual learning curve. In his first race, Brian won his heat but did not finish the main. The next event saw a flat tire diminish his hopes late in the race. The next race brought a Third Place run and the Top-10 finishes just kept coming. He captured a feature win in Idaho, becoming the youngest driver to win a feature in NSRA competition.
Along the way, Brian had the opportunity to experience wingless racing, and he adapted quickly. Running the big 5/8-mile at Monroe, Washington (Evergreen Speedway), Brian scored a Top-10 with the Western States USAC class and has found a new home. The 2005 plans center on running the entire USAC sanctioned slate in the Western States Series.
Young racers like Brian Geiszler are helping to keep the sport thriving. We congratulate Brian and wish him continued success.