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Guidance
from Team Owners a Crucial Piece toward the Puzzle for SCSCS Success
Mount
Joy, Pennsylvania (November 14, 2017) – In the race-to-race
grind during the Super Cup Stock Car Series summer months the focus
is mainly placed upon the individual behind the wheel.
While in some cases in the grassroots short track atmosphere
that person is also the one paying the bills, there are some other
instances in which the potentially forgotten key to making an
opportunity possible is the important aspect of the car owner.
One such
personality who often works behind-the-scenes without requesting
much recognition is Don Gnat. The
current Indiana resident moved from South Dakota at a young age and
tagged along to a Figure 8 race at what is now Anderson Speedway.
The experience as a whole caught his interest and years of
dabbling in the local short track world in various roles including
as a driver eventually led to 2012 with an eventual SCSCS champion.
“Jimmie
(Crabtree)’s the one that kind of brought me to Super Cup,” Gnat
explained. “He
approached me about running to take some of the pressure off him, as
they were looking to get his son (J.P.) into it with their car.”
That first year,
series newcomer at the time Tim McLaughlin joined for a two-car
effort, resulting in a runner-up points finish for Crabtree and
eighth place result for McLaughlin.
A year later, Gnat became a two-time winning owner with
Crabtree back in the primary seat while rookie Derrick Layne,
currently a well-regarded tire specialist in the Super Late Model
and NASCAR Truck Series ranks, turned in a reputable ninth in the
standings.
While
Crabtree moved on for a few seasons Gnat stayed with it in SCSCS,
providing competitors in the Hoosier State with a highly appreciated
shot to navigate a stock car that they otherwise may never have been
given the chance. Nevertheless,
the gentleman who has amassed a total of 64 career starts between
his multi-car efforts will be the first to tell that their positive
results are thanks to a lot more than him alone.
“I really can’t
say enough about the people that helped me do this,” Gnat said.
“It’s not all me, and I’m not going to take all the
credit.”
Working as an over
the road truck driver, Gnat relies on his appointed drivers and any
help they can receive from friends and family members between races.
This past year some extra days were taken off from the day
job to ensure the cars received the attention they needed, which
paid off in a return to victory lane twice with two different
drivers.
“We were real
pleased with how the season went,” Gnat recapped.
“We did lose a car, but things happen in racing.
It was an above average season, I will call it, and I think
that says quite a bit about the people involved.”
Trent Gossar picked
up his first career win at Midvale Speedway to start the 2017 season
and concluded full circle in a way with J.P. Crabtree, piloting a
renumbered 42 in honor of his car owner’s past racing endeavors,
winning at Jennerstown Speedway to finish second in points.
During the post-season trophy presentation, Gnat was
recognized for his hard work with the annual Car Owner of the Year
award.
Looking ahead to
2018, there is consideration to cut back to a single car campaign on
a full-time basis with a more focused approach on achieving one
position higher than being the bridesmaid in the championship at
year’s end.
In all, five
different owners collected trophies throughout the eight regular
season SCSCS events. In
addition to Gnat’s accomplishment of winning on more than one
occurrence with multiple drivers, there was one other team that was
able to do the same.
CR7
Motorsports got its start as a group out of Petersburg, West
Virginia mostly new to the scene of stock car racing in 2013.
In fact it was the first time Codie Rohrbaugh, a teenager at
the time, made the jump from successful ventures in karting.
The owner of the operation being his grandfather Larry Berg,
they have expanded in recent years to field multiple cars at times
including ‘Pap’ himself.
“It’s tougher
obviously with everything being double at the shop and once you’re
there, but when you have the crew’s support it makes up for it,”
Berg remarked. “If it
wasn’t fun you wouldn’t do it.”
Under the tutelage
of Mark Huff, a crew chief in the past for Pro Cup and Xfinity
Series winner Johnny Rumley and longtime crew member for Ricky
Benton Racing in the NASCAR Truck Series, the team is still mostly a
family effort. The
tight-knit group has won six times with Rohrbaugh in the seat, Berg
broke through for his first victory in 2015, and at the beginning of
the 10th Anniversary season Indiana’s Stephen Cox made a
long-awaited visit to winners circle.
The team has made a
foray into the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and ARCA Racing Series
in the last few years, in which they have stuck together and held
their own against an environment composed of some higher-dollar
teams with full-time assistance and hired aspiring drivers.
Involved
in the turning of the wrenches with their preparation both away from
and at the track is Rohrbaugh.
“I think a driver
that’s more than a driver and knows how to make a car go is
important,” Berg noted. “It
gains him respect in the community and when we can go out and
compete with them it is gratifying for us.”
The Super Cup Stock
Car Series features a landscape filled with a variation of sizes in
quantity and knowledge when it comes to race teams.
The independent driver/owner single-car family efforts of
Brent Nelson and Jim Crabtree Jr. combined for three wins in 2017.
In 2016, veteran driver Mike Potter witnessed his substitute
for a race fulfill an accomplishment that could have only been
dreamed of before, and parlayed it into a multiple car assault the
following year winning again at the same track with that driver, Ben
Ebeling.
Every group has its
own story, and many entering into competition are in a similar
situation as when Berg and the CR7 Motorsports team got their start.
Berg spoke about the fairness the SCSCS displays despite
being able to use the experience gained over the years across
multiple series.
“We don’t win
every time we’re there, even though I would like to think we are
competitive every time,” Berg, who indicated that they will be at
the track with potentially up to three cars each event that does not
interfere with additional schedules, added.
“I think that shows the different levels we have here.
It’s diversified.”
As the pieces
continue to come together regarding participating teams and the 2018
schedule, check the official web site at www.supercupstockcarseries.com.
In addition, visit the
Super Cup Stock Car Series Facebook
or Twitter for
continued updates and information about drivers and teams plans for
the new season as well as additional news.
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