SpeedSTR Roster Gets Added Talent
SpeedSTR Roster Gets Added Talent
by Mike Feltenberger
The 2014 SpeedSTR National Championship roster had quite a varied list of talented drivers from all classes of racing,from champion Billy Pauch,Sr who has driven basically everything that has 4 wheels to Mike Vermeulen,who decided to start his racing career in a SpeedSTR.
Among some of the Illustrious 11 were DIRT Hall of Fame driver Frank Cozze,ARDC,open wheel and modified driver Tim Buckwalter,Kenny Brightbill,who has won in modifieds,late models,sprints and SpeedSTR’s,Canadian teenage sensation Maxime Plante and Billy Pauch,Jr. who will not turn down any opportunity to wheel any type of race car.
10 time Grandview Speedway point champion,Jeff Strunk will be returning,sportsman modified ace Brad Brightbill will be preparing his 19B for racing action and Frank Yankowski is coming fully loaded for his run to the front in his 84Y.Wayne Weaver will be mashing the throttle of his Overhead Doors # 0 after a steady run at the Action Track USA and also a 7th place point finish in All Pro National Tour points.
Getting fitted up with new equipment and tracking down some used cars are some drivers coming in from other forms of racing with Ray Nemeth,Jr.,John Bockhorn and 2014 Junior National champion Damon Paul,moving up from the Slingshots,2 time Mahoning Valley Speedway SpeedSTR winner Kris Graver strapping into a Kovatch Motorsports mount.Steve Nederostek will be joining former Grandview point champion Jason Miller from the late model ranks with motocross racer Jason Esterly heading into something with 4 tires instead of 2.
World of Outlaw and All Star Sprint League winner Ryan Smith will be returning to the weekly racing at the Action Track USA as his schedule will allow as will central New York modified hotshoes,Mike Mahaney,Anthony Perrego and Dale Planck.
Asphalt standout and 2014 SpeedSTR winner Earl Paules will have his # 8 in many of the races along with journeyman modified driver Larry Solomon.Tim Iulg, an indoor racing specialist will be wheeling a SpeedSTR with ownership coming from former New Jersey racer Richie Pratt,Sr.
Two families with a name well known in the local racing area have teamed up to provide 2 SpeedSTR’s under the team name of NexGen Racing.The drivers of these 2 cars will be Joe Vaccaro,Jr. aboard the Vaccaro Auto Buyers # 53 and Ronnie Tobias,Jr. keeping the Tobias Family # 17 on his SpeedSTR.NexGen is also putting Joey Vaccaro his first chance at driving any type of car putting the 12 year old in the Yellow Submarine # 53 Slingshot.
Kovatch Motorsports will also be maintaining 2 STR’s for John Kovatch IV and Mike Bednar to have at their disposal.Former WoO Late Model champion Rick Eckert is looking to work in a few SpeedSTR events into his already busy schedule.Gary Huber has his #11 ready to go as one of the charter members of the SpeedSTR class.
OMS Racing has secured the exciting talent of wingless micro sprint ace,Kyle Lick as the L1 will be a teammate to Steve Svanda who will be taking over the SanFillipo # 39 and renumbering it the 34.Rumors are swirling that 2015 Miss Motorsports Shelby Harper could be sliding through the turns in a STR sometime this year.
The northern neighbors driving under the RevStar banner have also been securing new rides with Francis Methot hoping to improve on his 9th place national points finish and Andre Manny just missing out on an Illustrious 11 points finish.
Doing double duty in the STR’s and their other regular class will be Kyle Weiss,Ryan Krachun,Sammy Piazza,Bobby Trapper,Jerry Higbie and Craig Whitmoyer.
The driver roster continues to grow with a multitude of talent coming from all types of racing.With regular weekly action at the Action Track USA in Kutztown,PA to tour stops in Canada and local speedways,Linda’s Speedway,Mahoning Valley Speedway,Thunder Mountain Speedway,Five Mile Point Speedway,Penn Can and the weekend closers at New Egypt Speedway on October 1st and the Fall Jamboree at Grandview on November 1st.
