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| − | + | It s hard to find new ways to put what The Gazette s Eastern Iowa Driver of the Year Justin Kay did in 2014 into words. | |
| − | + | The Wheatland native has only been in a Late Model for a few years, but in that time has gone from the quiet guy who was learning and becoming a threat to the best there is in the IMCA ranks. | |
| − | + | His record the last two years takes away any guesswork in that debate. Back-to-back IMCA national championships, 51 IMCA wins and, as of Saturday night, an IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series title as well. It s planted the target squarely on his back. | |
| − | + | It s been pretty amazing, Kay said after the Yankee Dirt Track Classic. I know every time we leave the shop, we pretty much have a brand new car because of all the work Tyson (Gheer, lead mechanic) and the guys do. | |
| − | + | When I m on the track, I don t even think about that (target). But in the pits, it s kind of fun to joke around with guys, and stuff like that. | |
| − | + | The bucket-list items are becoming few and far between. The national crowns were a result of a barnstorming weekly tour in which he dominated at Dubuque Speedway and Davenport Speedway (track championships at both, as well). The wins came at at least seven different tracks in the area. | |
| − | + | But there was one left this season, and one Kay was dead serious about, even after clinching the national championship a few weeks early. | |
| − | + | In 2013, Kay came up just short of the Summer Series title to Brian Harris. He wasn t going to let that happen again. | |
| − | + | We have one focus now, Kay said after finishing fourth at the Yankee. We re not letting up one bit. We want the Deery title bad. | |
| − | + | Well, mission accomplished. Kay won the final two Summer Series features at Davenport and at the Liberty 100, where he won both 50-lap main events (only one being for Summer Series points). | |
| − | + | His worst finish on tour was seventh at Jackson County Speedway in Maquoketa, had 12 top-fives and never finished outside the top 10 in the 14 Summer Series races. His six tour wins moved him to 12th on the all-time Summer Series wins list. | |
| − | + | Some of his competitors have a grudging respect for what he s done this year, (let s be honest: it s grudging. They don t want to lose to anyone.) while searching for ways to beat him. | |
| − | + | Kay bought his car from Precision Performance, so his Summer Series title is a little bittersweet for the man who sold him the car and finished second to him in points, Andy Eckrich. | |
| − | + | I m just glad to say we sold the car to him, Eckrich said through a laugh after the Yankee. He s been the par, the car to beat, that s for sure. | |
| − | + | He s a good racer. We let a lot slip through our fingers this year. | |
| − | + | Maybe the best and worst part of the success this year was the white noise online and elsewhere from competitors and fans about why he was able to accomplish so much. | |
| − | + | His favorite rumor, he said, was apparently we re allowed to have GPS in the car. Traction control, I guess. It s a situation that s to be expected when success comes in waves. | |
| − | + | Is that all they think about all day is what we re doing? Not thinking about their own stuff? Kay said. There s a lot of things getting written on the internet, a lot of phone calls. Everyone thinks we re doing something that we shouldn t be, and we re not. We re keeping it legal. We expected it, but I m surprised it s this bad and some of the people that are saying it. | |
| − | + | Racing is cyclical, so at some point all the good luck and breaks that have come along with preparedness and talent will run out for Kay and his team. | |
| − | + | But when that happens is the million dollar question. And headed to 2015, there s good news and bad news for his competition. | |
| − | + | The last couple years we went to Arizona (for the Duel in the Desert to test and R D), but we re not going to go this year, Kay said. But we re not going to get a new car this year. We re going to keep these around. We kinda like them. | |
| − | + | l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com<p>Related Articles:</p><ul><li><a href=http://www.louisvuitton-pascher.com>Louis Vuitton Siracusa</a></li><li><a href=http://www.louisvuitton-pascher.com>Louis Vuitton Sistina</a></li><li><a href=http://www.louisvuitton-pascher.com>Louis Vuitton Speedy</a></li></ul> | |
| − | + | ||
Revision as of 06:21, 30 October 2014
It s hard to find new ways to put what The Gazette s Eastern Iowa Driver of the Year Justin Kay did in 2014 into words. The Wheatland native has only been in a Late Model for a few years, but in that time has gone from the quiet guy who was learning and becoming a threat to the best there is in the IMCA ranks. His record the last two years takes away any guesswork in that debate. Back-to-back IMCA national championships, 51 IMCA wins and, as of Saturday night, an IMCA Deery Brothers Summer Series title as well. It s planted the target squarely on his back.
It s been pretty amazing, Kay said after the Yankee Dirt Track Classic. I know every time we leave the shop, we pretty much have a brand new car because of all the work Tyson (Gheer, lead mechanic) and the guys do. When I m on the track, I don t even think about that (target). But in the pits, it s kind of fun to joke around with guys, and stuff like that.
The bucket-list items are becoming few and far between. The national crowns were a result of a barnstorming weekly tour in which he dominated at Dubuque Speedway and Davenport Speedway (track championships at both, as well). The wins came at at least seven different tracks in the area. But there was one left this season, and one Kay was dead serious about, even after clinching the national championship a few weeks early. In 2013, Kay came up just short of the Summer Series title to Brian Harris. He wasn t going to let that happen again.
We have one focus now, Kay said after finishing fourth at the Yankee. We re not letting up one bit. We want the Deery title bad.
Well, mission accomplished. Kay won the final two Summer Series features at Davenport and at the Liberty 100, where he won both 50-lap main events (only one being for Summer Series points). His worst finish on tour was seventh at Jackson County Speedway in Maquoketa, had 12 top-fives and never finished outside the top 10 in the 14 Summer Series races. His six tour wins moved him to 12th on the all-time Summer Series wins list. Some of his competitors have a grudging respect for what he s done this year, (let s be honest: it s grudging. They don t want to lose to anyone.) while searching for ways to beat him. Kay bought his car from Precision Performance, so his Summer Series title is a little bittersweet for the man who sold him the car and finished second to him in points, Andy Eckrich.
I m just glad to say we sold the car to him, Eckrich said through a laugh after the Yankee. He s been the par, the car to beat, that s for sure. He s a good racer. We let a lot slip through our fingers this year.
Maybe the best and worst part of the success this year was the white noise online and elsewhere from competitors and fans about why he was able to accomplish so much. His favorite rumor, he said, was apparently we re allowed to have GPS in the car. Traction control, I guess. It s a situation that s to be expected when success comes in waves.
Is that all they think about all day is what we re doing? Not thinking about their own stuff? Kay said. There s a lot of things getting written on the internet, a lot of phone calls. Everyone thinks we re doing something that we shouldn t be, and we re not. We re keeping it legal. We expected it, but I m surprised it s this bad and some of the people that are saying it.
Racing is cyclical, so at some point all the good luck and breaks that have come along with preparedness and talent will run out for Kay and his team. But when that happens is the million dollar question. And headed to 2015, there s good news and bad news for his competition.
The last couple years we went to Arizona (for the Duel in the Desert to test and R D), but we re not going to go this year, Kay said. But we re not going to get a new car this year. We re going to keep these around. We kinda like them.l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com
Related Articles:
- <a href=http://www.louisvuitton-pascher.com>Louis Vuitton Siracusa</a>
- <a href=http://www.louisvuitton-pascher.com>Louis Vuitton Sistina</a>
- <a href=http://www.louisvuitton-pascher.com>Louis Vuitton Speedy</a>
