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Advisory
Board Guiding Competitors and Super Cup Stock Car Series to Success
Mount
Joy, Pennsylvania (February 29, 2016) – From the beginning when exhibition races were held in the autumn of
2007, the presence of the Super Cup Stock Car Series has far
exceeded a one person effort. While
many touring series have existed and succeeded with decision makers
at the top with their eye on the competition, SCSCS has taken it a
step further by establishing an advisory board to support Joe
Schmaling, who was appointed as Director of Competition and has
maintained that role since its inception.
This
advisory board has consisted of various owners, drivers, crew
members, and officials throughout the years and entering season
number nine has a diverse balance of minds to bring unique
viewpoints to the table.
The
longest standing member is Kelly Kromer, a wife and mother of
competitors in the series. In
addition, as the one who budgets many of the day-to-day expenses for
the K2 Motorsports team she brings the car owner perspective.
“Having
considerations and input from our longstanding drivers and listening
to the owners is important,” Kromer said. “It’s
about what is best for the drivers financially while keeping
fairness and safety, basically trying to accommodate everyone’s
needs as best as possible.”
Kromer’s
profession during the week as a school guidance counselor also has
helped at times in a setting where tempers can potentially get high.
Communication skills served as a mediator, in which she
continues to hone as she works on her second masters degree, in an
attempt for certain events to be forgotten by the next race is a
must in grassroots racing.
“Everybody
can get frustrated on the track or in the pits,” Kromer, who also
brings experience from working as part of a family-owned business
when she was younger, pointed out.
“Strategies to utilize so that everybody is heard without
causing conflict if there is a concern is part of it.”
Kromer
continued that her position within the series also allows for those
invested in the series to express their opinion to her, knowing that
they would like her to run with it and take it back to the other
advisory board members and officials.
Components
that are not normally seen on the surface come into play to keep
teams and drivers like husband Kevin and son Kyle coming back.
Taking care of items before, during, and after the day of the
race ranging from preparing food and drinks, laundry for all the
racing gear, hotel booking, and making sure radios are charged are
all pertinent to make things go.
“I
truly feel that the mothers and wives are a big part of it,”
Kromer stressed. “Being
a motivator and keeping the drivers positive so that when they’re
at the track all that they have to focus on is the car.”
Lou
Ansel is another advisory board member that brings multiple hats to
each meeting of the minds, acting as both driver and owner for his
endeavors.
“I
have the unique position of being able to view it all three ways,”
Ansel said regarding seeing ideas from a driver, owner, and advisory
board point of view. “If
my input is positive in all three areas then my thinking is sound,
but if it is not then I have to rethink it.”
Ansel
added some supplementary factors to calculate, including perhaps the
most important piece that contributes to the races occurring.
“I
try to look at the show and what it looks like for the fan,” Ansel
explained. “What is
the final product we are putting together is all part of being an
advisory board member.”
Ansel
also reiterated the importance of driver conduct during the course
of an event.
“All
of us have to race with an implied respect for each other,” Ansel
said. “We are all
little guys with small pockets, and the advisory board looks closely
at on-track incidents.”
Continuing
on the team ownership side has been Cal Richardson, who won the 2014
series championship with driver JJ Pack.
Richardson has been part of various decisions in recent years
such as the move to the double-file restart option and the switch to
the American Racer tire compound, all part of preserving stability
in the series.
“Cal
has been around racing and multiple motorsports organizations, and
brings a different perspective and valuable input,” Ansel noted.
Two
new members join the board for 2015.
One of them has been a crucial part of the series for many
years, West Virginia driver Harvey Harrison.
“Having
Harvey is going to be wonderful because I feel like someone is
coming with my husband’s perspective and brings the appropriate
terminology,” Kelly Kromer mentioned.
“Harvey
is not only a great driver, but is also a fine human being,” Ansel
added. “His demeanor
and the way he thinks around certain things bring a lot of value to
the series.”
The
second joining member will be Rich Zillweger, another parent of a
driver in the series, Jeff Zillweger.
“I’m
looking forward to it,” an enthused Zillweger described.
“I’ve never done anything exactly like this before, but
it will be interesting hearing what people have to say and help them
oversee a little bit.”
One
item that Zillweger happened to bring up perhaps summed up the main
purpose of the Super Cup Stock Car Series advisory board.
“It
takes more than one person.”
Parties
interested in joining the Super Cup Stock Car Series can view the
series rulebook and more on www.supercupstockcarseries.com
or email Director of Competition Joe Schmaling at scscs@att.com.
Organizations looking for information about taking part on a
sponsorship or marketing level, including events scheduled to air on
MAVTV and LucasOilRacing.tv
can contact Marketing Director Bruce Baker at brucescscs@gmail.com.
Additional
updates and information are available on the official Facebook page
(www.facebook.com/SCSCSRacing)
and on Twitter @SCSCSRacing.
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