Forum: Minnesota Dirt Track Racing Forum (go)
Moderators: StanM

By Greg Parent, UMSS Media Director

Stillwater, MN (12-7-10)

The Upper Midwest SprintCar Series (UMSS) is very pleased to announce that series co-founder Joe Kouba will serve in the capacity as Technical Director for both the winged 360 sprint car and the new non-winged sprint car divisions. "Joe Kouba was instrumental in helping form the UMSS, and without his assistance, knowledge and support from the beginning, the UMSS would not exist today," stated series co-founder Ron Bernhagen. Joe brings a lifetime of experience and a wealth of knowledge gained as a driver, car owner and mechanic in the world of sprint car racing. "I have relied heavily on Joe’s knowledge of sprint cars and engines in helping shape and mold the UMSS in its first two years," continued Bernhagen. Joe has been doing this for the UMSS since the series first started, so serving in this capacity only reinforces his dedication and commitment to helping the UMSS and sprint car racing gain in popularity in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The Kouba family has a proud tradition in our great sport, and Joe is more than willing to help fellow competitors by giving advice and assistance regarding the technical aspects of the cars themselves and the engines. Joe is often seen spending time helping fellow competitors in the pit area during a racing program to solve issues, make repairs or just give some helpful tips. Series competitors, new drivers, and prospective race teams in both sprint car divisions should contact Joe Kouba with questions about mechanical or technical issues involving the cars or the engines. Joe will continue to help assist in the technical process for the UMSS. Joe Kouba can be contacted by phone at 612-751-4646, via email at [email protected] or in person in the pit area during an evening of exciting UMSS sprint car racing action. Joe plans to continue to field cars for his son Joseph and his daughter Anna, as the Kouba family continues its long-standing tradition of supporting sprint car racing.

Stay tuned for additional updates from the UMSS regarding the winged 360 sprint cars, the new non-winged sprint car series, and the micro sprints. The UMSS is continuing to work on their 2011 schedule for all divisions. Final preparations for the upcoming UMSS banquet and free sprint car seminar on January 22, 2011 are well underway. Plans call for an informational meeting for the new non-winged series on January 8, 2011. The exact time and location of the meeting will be announced soon. For additional information, rules, past race results, standings, and driver profiles, please visit our website at www.umsprints.com or check out the UMSS on Facebook where there is a nice photo summary of the 2009 and 2010 feature winners along with other information.

Here's a photo from my archives from Joe's early days in a non-winged sprint car at North Starr Speedway.

Teaming up with veteran driver Jerry Richert, Jr. for the first two UMSS winged sprint car racing seasons has provided a formible team for fellow competitors to race against. The Kouba-Richert team will once again be a strong contender during the 2011 season. Joe is pictured on the right in this Victory Lane photo from Jerry's Elko Dirt Nationals win in 2010 (photo courtesy of Stan Meissner).

Good for Joe. Now we need to give Don and Bryan a title. Those guys are great people who help keep the UMSS show running smoothly. It's good to see the people behind the scenes get the recognition they deserve.

Chad

Ron Bernhagen,

I want to tell you that I have NOTHING PERSONAL against Joe Kouba. I also want to tell you that I have NO QUESTION about Joe's lifetime of experience and a wealth of knowledge gained as a driver, car owner and mechanic in the world of sprint car racing. I will select Joe as long as HE IS NOT FIELDING CARS for his son Joseph and daughter Anna and also for Jerry Richert Jr.

I want you to be aware before UMSS season start. Having Jospeh, Anna, JR JR, and also his brother Jimmy racing, it COULD POSSIBLY CREATE some problems and CAUSE some conflicts if Joe serves as an UMSS' Technical Director.

It is similiar to the employment that they don't allow relatives to work under other relatives in the workforce.

My suggestion is to have Joe to train and consult other person who is neutral to become the Technical Director.

If I don't care about UMSS, then I wouldn't have typed this up. I want to see UMSS continue grow and success especially in Twin Cities area.

Thank you and wish everyone best of luck!

Greg Gunderson

PS: Joe, you are my brother just like everyone else in racing community. Take care buddy!

I took that photo in the middle of a blizzard.

Stan Meissner

I can give you my personal experience that could be similiar to this upcoming situation.

In 1997, I drove for my car owner, Ross Schenk, who was the flagman at I-90 Speedway in Hartford, SD. I raced there while Ross flagged and things were NOT pretty even we did everything legally so I quit racing at the middle of the season. That still is bothering me to today that I wish I was smart enough not to race for the flagman.

So what are you saying. You could not get away with being illegal? "lol" " smiley face"

From the outside looking in Greg makes a valid point. You definately have a conflict of interest with Joe fielding cars and being your tech director. Not that anything may happen, but you better be ready to deal with the aftermath if it does.

It is a good point,,, BUT knowing Joe for as long as I have,,, I would think that it would be more along the lines of if Joseph, Anna, Jerry and Jimmy's car owners ever got caught cheating THEY better be ready to deal with the aftermath once Joe found out...... He has my trust to do an honest job...

Brian

Ron and I co founded it together just like GRP press release says.. I have been a Technical Director as far back as the Wissota days. No one else wants to or attempted to do anything for Sprint racing since Chuck Preifer did in 2001 is why. Chuck was the Track Tech man tech but has since bowed out for personal reasons, we have no one. Brian and I did it for most of last season. I am not nor do I want to be the Tech man at the track but let me assure you all I will if we can't find anyone qualified to do it. Let me also assure you If Anyone is found illegal at one of our races they will be DQ ed. Joseph, Jimmy, Anna, Jerry, Ronnie and any of the other um-teen cars I work on are not subject to preferential treatment. I will DQ anyone who is illegal. When my cars our teched anyone is welcome to watch and or assist.. The engines are sealed after tubing so I could not cheat there. I cars our weighed by the track scale so I could not cheat there. The only thing left is the tires, fuel and stacks so anyone of you could check my cars stacks at anytime you want, test our fuel, and read the tires as well. You can challenge my integrity anytime you want but you won't find anything . I never have cheated and I never will. I guess if this dose not put this to rest then you will have to make your mind up if you want to compete with us. I am the Technical Director or Vice President or Second in command what ever tiltle you want to give me. I assist Ron in all the physical race car decision that have been and will have to be made as far as engines, chassis, tires, racing "ON Track" rules, Race dates and really most all of it we decide together. When issues arise we together determine the best course of action to take.

Finally we are accepting application for the Race Track Tech if anyone is interested. You can contact me via e-mail or phone. Merry Christmas to all. Thanks GRP for the nice write up.

Joe Kouba

UMSS Technical Director.

This is where the problem may lie. I have known Joe for a long time also, consider him one of the most honest and supportive people I have met in racing, but it is the person that doesn't know him or a complete new team that has never raced before and may not know Joe at all. That new individual or team might have second thoughts about running your series if they see Joe has personal interest in some of the cars they will be racing against. Just voicing some concerns you might want to consider for the betterment of your series, not trying to knock it down. In any event good luck to all in the UMSS in 2011.

Ken Netsch

"My suggestion is to have Joe to train and consult other person who is neutral to become the Technical Director."

Greg, that is exactly the goal my friend! Until such a person can be found and properly trained (if need be), Joe has been serving in that capacity during the first two years of existence and will continue to do so. Once the UMSS has a head tech person in place at the various race tracks they visit, Joe's role will change to being more of an adviser in order to provide tech assistance and help direct the head tech person in their activities. In other words, he won't be doing it himself. Joe has stated before on more than one occasion that due to the fact he owns sprint cars, he would prefer not to be a tech person but rather provide helpful advice along those lines when needed. Quite frankly, without Joe's knowledge, extreme dedication to our sport, and his willingness to help out in a position that for the most part is a thankless job, the UMSS would not exist today! I for one am grateful that Joe has been willing to step up and do what ever it takes to make this work. Your comment is accurate and believe me, the UMSS has evolved to the point where changes in this area are something that the co-founders, Ron Bernhagen and Joe Kouba, are most certainly aware of and are working towards a solution. Joe truly wants to be more of a coordinator in that role by providing useful insight and suggestions regarding the cars and engines rather than doing any teching directly on any cars. That is the goal they are striving to work towards. Hope this helps shed some light on your inquiry Greg,

Have a Great Holiday Season! Looking forward to watching you race in 2011.

Greg Parent, UMSS Media Director

My two cents worth that I'm going to add to what you said GRP.

As someone who has been doing racing media work on a shoestring budget for over a decade I can relate to the challenges a series would face to find someone. Basically in a tech person you're looking for someone who loves racing enough to devote their entire summer to the UMSS and if there's any compensation at all it would barely cover gas and hot dogs. In addition to mechanical skills they're going need some diplomacy to deal with the various personalities and be able to let controversy roll off their backs. They're going to have to commit to all the events and they're going to be working all night and not sitting back watching races.

I think the thing that racers don't understand a lot of times is that people who support the sport don't have the vested interest in it that they do. I know in my own case it would be a lot easier and cheaper to sit in the stands drinking beer with my son and complaining about track conditions, car counts, cold hot dogs and warm beer than doing all this work. A lot of us have non-race-fan wives, kids, grandkids and extended family that we leave behind all summer to travel alone supporting racing in one way or another. In my case doing the writing and stuff I get some pats on the back and thank yous for supporting the sport but when's the last time anybody thanked a tech person for putting their family life aside for supporting the sport? LOL, that just ain't happening is it!

Dirt track racing needs a lot of support to survive and I never knew how this worked when I used to sit in the stands and criticize like the rest of the fans. Boy, has this last dozen years ever been an eye opener. Myself and a lot of people behind the scenes aren't maybe in a position to open their checkbook and sponsor a car or event but I think every one of us is giving as much as we possibly can within our personal circumstances.

I know that perception in a case like this can be everything but I think you guys ought to make it a point to shake Joe's hand and thank him for filling in.

Stan Meissner

I second the motion. All in favor shake hands.

Excellent post Stan! As soon as the UMSS has such a person in place, Joe will gladly move to what his role was intended to be from the onset, that of directing and kind of overseeing the activities of the head tech person and continuing to draw upon his lifetime of experience in providing helpful ideas and suggestions regarding the mechanical makeup of the cars and engines used in the series. Joe has been the backbone of the UMSS in that respect the first two years, and without someone of his caliber (knowledge in the sport), I highly doubt the UMSS would have gotten very far. Joe was in on the ground-floor of this deal from the beginning, helping found the UMSS and get it off the ground so it could take flight. In the early formative years, the UMSS has had to rely on Joe for help in these matters, as no one else was willing to do what it takes. Next time I see Joe, which should be soon, I will definitely shake his hand and say thanks!

From what I have seen so far, alot of the success of the UMSS has been derived from the integrity of it's founders, officials, and fellow drivers. I have full confidence in everyone involved.

It seems that whoever gets put into a tech position in any series, someone always comes along to question their integrity.

Do the memories of the flagman keep you awake at night? You said it bothers you to this day. Does this give reason to question your integrity?

I can assure you that everyone involved with the UMSS with the possible exception of a certain photo taking, story writing groupie have unblemished reputations.

Stan Meissner

I must also admit that I like watching stock car racing and I think I sponsored on around 22 or so stock cars this past season, so my record is not unblemished either Stan. LOL

I will be moving more sponsorship dollars in the direction of the UMSS in 2011 and cutting back on my stock car sponsorships, so I am working towards a remedy for the above affliction.