Jay Havens

Often it’s hard to find someone who stands out. In today’s world everyone is asked to conform and especially in a sport like racing, where sponsors are looking for one particular type of driver and often will not take a chance on someone else. There is one thing that I’ve learned through meeting various up and coming drivers, it’s that they often pick up a charity or start their own that relates closely to them. This is true of Jay Havens, who helps run his “Wrecking The Cause” foundation to spread colon cancer awareness. They have T-shirts and wristbands for sale to benefit their foundation. Jay has continued his racing career today because of his mother, who has been battling cancer for 3 year told him to not give up on his dreams. He shared with me what his mother told him and what convinced him to not give up on his dreams, “she told me that I needed to fight as hard as she has to achieve greatness. So here I am now with hopefully the start of a better career opportunity in 2012.” Jay hopes to do just that this year and make his mother proud. He also mentioned that she is his motivation to keep going, “My motivation comes from my mom. She taught me that God will give me the strength to get me to where I want to be.”

Jay Havens has been around racing since before he was born. His grandfather, Richard Havens, has been at it since 1958. Before he stepped foot in his own race car in 2005 at Oak Level Speedway, Jay was working on them at age five. He’s no stranger to the interworking of his cars, which he says puts him a step above some of the competition he races again. “What makes me unique,” he says, “is the fact that I know every nut and bolt of my car unlike some drivers anymore. I build my cars from the ground up. Motors, chassis, bodies, and all come from me and my family.” While many drivers have turned to engine shops and garages to build their cars for them, Jay likes to know his car personally, which helps him out on the race track as well.

To find Jay in action in 2012 you will have to venture out to Ace Speedway in Elon, NC or Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, NC, where he will be competing in the Southern Ground Pounders division. You can also catch him in action in the around 10 late model races at Ace Speedway or the famed South Boston Speedway, in South Boston, VA. Jay is currently accepting any sponsors that would like to come on board for the 2012 season as he is currently sponsor-less. Take advantage of a great opportunity to get your foot in the door with a great racer who has a huge heart as well.

Life has thrown Jay some curveballs that would usually knock anyone down but his perseverance has paid off with him being back at the track again in 2012. “The hardest thing that I’ve went through is trying to run my team and be there for my mom also It gets hard when my father and myself have to help with medical bills and afford a V8 racecar also. New tires and prescriptions get expensive when you are trying to afford them all at the same time.” Jay has met some great fans through his years of racing and even says that they lead to the electricity of a race and make him more competitive. His favorite fan experience though? “My best fan memory was last year at Ace Speedway when this 4 year old little girl named Madison gave me a heart shaped sillyband and said ‘this will give you luck’. I qualified on the pole and finished 3^rd that night after a lot of trouble post qualifying.” Luck sometimes comes in the oddest forms and the cutest. Jay also wears the same socks and shirt every time he races, black socks to be exact and a Cowboys shirt.

Please check Jay out on Twitter, www.twitter.com/jayhavens, as well as on Facebook. You can also submit emails to havens_racing@yahoo.com. Lets find some sponsors for 2012 and support Jay’s Wrecking The Cause campaign as well.

Xoxo Kate

Peace. Love. NASCAR.

Enjoy Phoenix this weekend, since the craziness of Daytona is sure to be a sign of what is to come and feel free to give me ideas for who to interview next at 20Kate11@gmail.com or Twitter, www.twitter.com/20Kate11.

Hunter Smith

We all know how much I love to support up and coming drivers and get to know them, by helping any way I can. I’ve volunteered my time with PR work and sponsor hunting for local drivers and drivers all over the country. A little help can sometimes go a long way. I especially love to run across drivers that are especially local to me. When I ran into Hunter Smith I knew I was going to have to interview him and get to know him better. Hunter has the possibility (if sponsorship dollars materialize) to race near me this year and you can count on the fact that I will be there to support him. Hunter has only been behind the wheel since 2008 where he started in a champ-kart but was only able to complete test sessions.  In 2009 he got behind the wheel of his champ-kart again and found himself in victory lane at Snydersville Speedway in his first start. Not a feat that many drivers can boast about. Hunter was not only a rookie driver but he had a rookie team behind him, which makes this feat even more remarkable. To finish out the 2009 season, he ran a total of 20 races with 10 wins and a championship under his belt. Not too bad for a rookie.

Sophomore slump? What’s that? Hunter definitely did not suffer from what many drivers do on their second year. He returned to Snydersville Speedway again in 2010 where he ran 26 races and won 17 of them. In 2011 he made the transition to the all-star slingshot series at Hamlin Speedway in Hamlin, PA where he competed in 15 races and started from the pole on one occasion. When asked about Hunter’s 2012 plans, he seemed very excited, “I am planning on having my "break-out" year in 2012.  Instead of racing at one track every week.  I'll be racing all over Eastern Pennsylvania and New York.  Places like Hamlin Speedway in Hamlin, PA, Borger's Speedway in Saylorsburg, PA, and Snydersville Raceway in Stroudsburg, PA will my three main places of racing this season.  Any other tracks will be up to sponsorship dollars.”

Sponsorship dollars. A phrase that many drivers fear but are faced with the harsh reality that they must find them in order to race. Hunter is lucky to have a force of sponsors behind him already but is always looking to add anyone onto his campaign that would like to join him. His current sponsors include, eData Solutions, RubberFab Technologies Group, Children's Quality Consignments, AMSOIL, K&N, Bell Helmets, PowerMist Racing Fuels, Intercomp, Lincoln Welders, RoadID, Tim Weiss, and Charlie and Joan Schwank. He also added, “These are some of the greatest people and companies in this world and I'm thankful to be partnered with them.” Contact Hunter if you are interested in joining his team in 2012.

Hunter is also a typical teenager in his spare time. He competes on his high schools cross country and track teams. In his spare time he likes to work out and keep in shape as well as playing various other sports. He is appreciative for his family and close friends with whom he likes to spend time when he is free. He understands what it is like to be faced with the need to find sponsorship because his parents do as much as they can and he cannot help but thank them for everything they do. He wants nothing more than to make them proud by reaching his goals. He also enjoys his interaction with his fans and getting to meet them. He shared a story with me of his favorite fan experience, “My best fan memory was at a car show I entered in 2011.  I had the racecar on display and I had a table of things to autograph.  A little boy walked up to me and was in awe over the car.  I pulled out a K&N hat I had and signed it for him and gave it to him and gave an autographed hero card to his sister and the look on their faces was amazing.  It made the whole family real happy.  And the whole day he would walk past the car with the hat on and he'd wave to me.  That was really cool.  We also took home a trophy for best paint that day but the little boy was the real prize.” He appreciates what his fans stand for and everything they do in supporting him.

Please check Hunter out. He is a very active participant in social media and enjoys to hear from you, his fans.

Contact Links:

·  Twitter: @HunterSmith7H

·  Facebook (Personal): http://www.facebook.com/#!/HunterSmith7

·  Facebook (Athlete Page): http://www.facebook.com/#!/HunterSmith7H

·  Website: www.huntersmithracing.webs.com

·  YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/HunterSmithRacing?feature=mhee

Xoxo Kate

Peace. Love. NASCAR.

Enjoy Daytona this weekend! Welcome to race season 2012!

Ryan Reed

I first stumbled across Ryan Reed when I was looking at the ARCA Racing website, arcaracing.com. The story of his ride for Daytona with Venturini Motorsports was the main headline on the website. I clicked on it out of curiosity and stumbled across a great driver that I am excited to bring to you in our first interview since Work Hard, Play Harder has come back. Ryan has racing in his blood lines and it shows true when he is on the race track. Like many other young racers, he started in Go-karts at the age of 4 and as he aged he moved up the ranks. He has also raced Legends cars, where he racked up 7 wins in his rookie season at the age of just 14 years old. Ryan isn’t like every other driver out there though, just this past February he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and there were doubts that he would be able to continue his career behind the wheel. Now a year later and with doctor’s approval Ryan will be piloting the #15 for Venturini Motorsports with a paint scheme that is sure to turn heads. It was done by NASCAR’s own Sam Bass, who also happens to be diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Ryan has used this platform in order to be an advocate for Type 1 Diabetes. I got the chance to interview Ryan via e-mail which has given me the chance to meet another unique and talented young driver. I hope that everyone goes and checks out his website and learns more about this driver and that you root for him this weekend at Daytona!

Not everything has come easy for Ryan, no matter how much talent he possess. It was enough to catch the eye of Venturini Motorsports after all. The hardest thing that Ryan has had to deal with has to do with his diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes and his racing career’s future, “The thought I wouldn't have the chance to pursue my dream.” Many young drivers continuously chase their dream and hope for the best. The idea that they just might have enough talent to secure a sponsor and a chance at the big time haunts many drivers. Ryan did not have to deal with that, instead he had to deal with a hidden medical condition that may have put an end to his career. Instead he has embraced it and made himself an advocate for others. This is exactly what Ryan says makes him unique, “I am one of just a couple drivers with type 1 diabetes”, but this also is one of the hardest parts of being a race car driver for him as well. When Ryan isn’t at the race track he enjoys hanging out by the lake with his family.  He also shared some advice for aspiring drivers as well, “Absolutely never let anything hold you back! I was told after being diagnosed I'd never be in the race car again, yet here I am!”

Ryan’s story is truly inspirational and I hope you all go check out his website, www.ryanreedracing.com. Ryan is also very active with his fans on twitter, go follow him at www.twitter.com/driverryanreed. You can also go like his page on Facebook where he stays in contact with his fans, https://www.facebook.com/driverRyanReed. Also be sure to watch him tackle Daytona this weekend on SPEED at 4:30 on Saturday!

xoxo Kate

Peace. Love. NASCAR.

Follow me on twitter, www.twitter.com/20Kate11 and put in requests for who you want me to interview. Enjoy our first weekend back to racing this weekend!!!!!!!

A little introduction...

Alright guys, let me introduce myself. My name is Kate Wedman, I'm a full time college student, studying Communications at a school in northeast Pennsylvania. Its not exactly the racing capital of the country but we hold our own with a pretty awesome asphalt track by the name of Mountain Speedway and a crazy dirt track by the name of Grandview Speedway. I spend too much time at both, especially when spring rolls around this year. I've been around racing since I was in the womb. My grandfather used to own a race car, his most popular car being the Diamond 3 that ran at Flemington Speedway. My dad grew up helping him out and when he got older he began to build sprint car motors for a friend. After he and my mom married they traveled all around acting as the driver and mechanic for the race team. I went to my first race when I was younger at Nazareth Speedway. It was the highlight of my year, the one trip we made to Nazareth. From there we moved onto going to Dover with our parents, what used to be their vacation away from the kids became a family vacation. I've been going to Dover for about 7 or 8 years now I estimate. We only go to one race though because my parents still enjoy a weekend to themselves. In 2009 I met Joey Coulter through a paper I wrote on NASCAR and ARCA and an interview I conducted for the paper. We've remained friends over the years and I've had the absolute pleasure and privileged of traveling to Pocono and NJMP with his team and getting to go behind the scenes. My father is a pit fireman/rescue worker at Dover, Pocono, and WGI so we spend our summers traveling and going racing. This is the most fun I've ever had and the highlight of my summers. No one can separate me from my racing. I especially love the passion that comes from up and coming drivers and local drivers who race, not for the paycheck but for their love of racing. Nothing beats the feeling of being coated in dirt and when you go home to shower the water turns black that runs off your body. I live and breathe racing. I have another blog that I use to comment, usually I'm not politically correct either. That's about all I have to share, any questions feel free to ask! I can't wait to get this blog going again!

xoxo Kate

Peace. Love. NASCAR.

Happy 2011

Hey guys, wow, very late post. I'm thinking the blog probably will not be going again until summer, I still have interviews lined up. Stay tuned. 2011 has been whirlwind and I'm going nuts! :P Stay tuned!

Larry Spencer

I’m so sorry it has taken so long for me to get a new blog entry up. Life has been a little more than hectic at the moment and distracting. The following blog is on a close friend of mine, Larry Spencer. I sure hope the name Spencer rings a bell with you and it should because he is Jimmy’s cousin. He started racing in 2007 at the age of 14 in the same class as his father. He runs at Sundance Vacations Speedway (an asphalt track) in Pennsylvania as well as my local dirt track, Grandview Speedway. Although he didn’t start racing until 2007 he has been going to races his whole life and has always loved it. Having Jimmy as a cousin he always wanted to go and see him race so he was drawn to the track.

Larry isn’t your typical race car driver though. He also announces races on the weekends when he isn’t racing. He announces at Sundance Vacations Speedway on Saturdays and Dunn Hill Speedway 2 on Friday nights. His favorite track though is Grandview because in his first ever race on dirt he led 41 laps. Larry has some very interesting influences in his racing career, one being his father, another being Jimmy Spencer and the final one being Kyle Busch.

There’s a reason they call him Rowdy for a reason and its not just because he runs the number 51 every weekend. When he races he races in the Enduro series, the same type of car that Garrett Marchant runs. Enduro is a series in which street cars are stripped and filled with roll cages so they can race safely. He races for Lucky Ducky Racing in which his father also races for.

The drivers that he tries to model himself after are Kyle Busch and Scott Speed but he likes to find a good balance between the two drivers. The drivers that he looks up to are his father, Scott Speed, and Kyle Busch. Larry raced last weekend for the first time in a month at Sundance Vacations Speedway and unfortunately I could not make it to the race to see him race in person, for the second time in a row which is very sad I know, but after a very eventful race he finished in fifteenth. I will be going to see him race in person on the 30^th of October (crossing my fingers for a great day).

Go over and follow him on twitter, www.twitter.com/larryspencer. He helps to co-host a radio with myself, Garrett Marchant and several others so check him out on there, www.blogtalkradio.com/forthewin. Our shows are on Mondays and Wednesdays, we would love to see you there. I hope you enjoyed the new blog on a close friend of mine and they will hopefully become more frequent!

Update

Sorry I haven't gotten anything up in the blog as of late. I have several waiting in the wings so I hope to have some up soon! Ones waiting are for the one and only Larry Spencer, Alison MacLeod, Brandon MacReynolds and some others. If anyone wants to let me know which one they want up first please let me know. On mondays and wednesdays I am hosting a radio show with Garrett Marchant, Please tune in and I will post a link on here if we switch. Follow me on twitter for links to listen to the show. On sundays a couple of my friends and I hosting a show called Speed Chicks and Stars. I will connect you all as well. Its been a hectic last couple of weeks. I've been to Pocono ARCA race, Watkins Glen for six days and was just at NJMP for ARCA. Its been three amazing weeks. Everything seems to be turning around at the moment and I love life. Just a little update, I haven't given up but I've been really really busy. I start school the 30th and work 4 days a week, 8-9 hours at the ymca. So, yes just an update!