Gary Kasperek wins Championship in Antigo
Sep 7, 2008
Gary Kasperek is fast. I mean, real fast.
Just how fast you ask?
Well, it seems his opponents need a bit of help from the heavens to slow down the Forest County Potawatomi Racing team member.
Earlier this season, Kasperek was leading a race by a substantial margin when he came into the final lap. However, the way the sun was glaring through the grandstand, he was unable to see that the grand marshal was waving the white flag, not the checkered.
“I pulled off the track and all the other cars keep whizzing by me,” recalls the driver of the No. 2 car. “I quickly realized my mistake, but by then it was too late. People gave me a bit of grief back in the pits, but nothing too bad.”
They should have been thanking him. The man behind the red, black, and white car that looks intimidating enough even if you didn’t know how successful it was has won three of the last four championships at that very track. After winning three of the last four features there, he took home the 2008 Wissota Street Stock Championship at Langlade County Speedway.
When asked if he felt any added pressure being the defending champion, the man simply stated, “Not really. When I unload my car I just go out there to lean on it and race it hard. Sometimes (other drivers) come over and quiz me on what their car is doing.”
Apparently it doesn’t matter how much help the Tigerton, WI native dishes out, like a cheetah in a dead out sprint, he simply cannot be caught.
What is the secret to this man’s success?
“I put a lot of hours in on my car. A lot of preparation I guess. Just making sure it is ready to go when I unload it.”
A little bit of talent and knowledge of racing probably helps too. Since Kasperek has been racing since he was 24, it would seem he has a quite a bit of both.
“I moved to Tigerton in ‘83 and one of the guys I met up here said he was going to the ice races. I went to (those) with him and I thought ‘Wow, that’s cool.’ The next year I had a car and I went ice racing.”
With all this experience, knowledge of the sport, hard work and just pure talent, it’s a wonder if anyone will be able to catch this speed demon. Maybe they should start praying for sunny evenings every time they race. That seems to be the only thing that can slow this man down.
