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Running around in circles…err, Ovals!
November 30, 2015 (Perris, CA)
By Doug Bushey
When things haven’t gone exactly as you’ve envisioned them to go in the game, and the clock is running out, sometimes throwing the “Hail Mary” is exactly what seems most logical. Sometimes you’ve just got to take a step back, regroup, and then throw everything you’ve got at a last-chance play to salvage the season. From the grandstands, that’s exactly what it appeared that John Springstead Racing (JSR) was doing at this year’s Oval Nationals. The team had been struggling with some bad luck towards the latter portion of the 2015 racing season, with both the USAC-CRA 410 Sprint Car effort, as well as the PAS Senior Sprint Car driven regularly by “Hubcap” Mike Collins. For this race, a new look was in place for the #36.
2015 hasn’t been kind to JSR’s stable of race cars, to say the least. Just a couple of months prior to the Oval Nationals, the team lost the primary chassis for the #36 entry in an early accident at Perris Auto Speedway, with rookie Anthony Lopiccolo of Brea, California behind the wheel, during the event’s USAC-CRA main event. Shortly afterwards, the 360 sprint car of Collins suffered fuel issues and retired prematurely from his race as well. As the Senior Sprint division had come to a close, and a three-day racing weekend at Perris Auto Speedway November 12th, 13th & 14th was scheduled as the last “home track” race on the calendar, John Springstead added both of his hotrods to the entry list for the 20th Annual Oval Nationals. Why not double your chances and cut the odds in half…right?
Knowing that the USAC National Sprint Car boys were coming to town, John and Evelyn figured there was no better opportunity to pull out all the stops and give it everything they’ve got. John entered his garage and pulled out a prized possession from the rafters…the last of the sprint car chassis fabricated by Arizona’s Buck Buckley in 2009. John had been preserving this beauty, and decided it was time to put her back on the track for the big show.
Next, John and Evelyn decided it was time to enlist the services of Saybrook, Illinois native Mitch Wissmiller for driving duties in the family #36 ride. Mitch had just recently come off of a strong season of Non-wing Sprint Car Racing. He bested the field at Twin Cities Raceway Park in North Vernon, Indiana on August 29th, and then went on to lead every lap of the WAR series feature event at St. Francois County Raceway in Farmington, Missouri. John had been itching to get the 6’3” hot shoe out to the West Coast to see what Mitch could do against the Nation’s best Traditional Sprint Car drivers. After a few phone calls, Mitch had airline tickets and plans to join the field for the richest Sprint Car race in Southern California for 2015.
Team JSR’s preparation didn’t stop there. They enlisted the help of volunteer crewman Bryson Hawkes, who comes from a racing family that has wrenched on sprint cars and has also fielded a Modified Stock Car in competition in Arizona. After reading about John and Evelyn’s devotion to putting cars on the track despite not having a large budget, this passionate Sprint Car fan donated his free time to assist JSR both at the shop and on race days at the track. He has been a valuable new asset to the team. He joins John Springstead and long-time crew member and veteran wrench “Pool Man” Jim Wells in preparation and maintenance duties on both JSR machines. The team was also lucky to have the help of Richard Cordsen, who flew to Southern California from Illinois to lend a hand to the team during the Oval Nationals.
The JSR #04 machine once again hit the Perris Auto Speedway clay oval with “Hubcap Mike” Collins behind the wheel. The likeable driver and owner of HubCapMike.com, Collins knew that he had a huge hill to climb during the Oval Nationals. Not only was he going to have to deal with the tough competition that the USAC National drivers would bring, but he was admittedly “bringing a knife to a gunfight” in terms of horsepower. Mike’s 777 Chassis has a 360 cubic inch, cast iron engine bolted into it that turns out about 600 HP. Compare that to the 410 cubic inch, cast aluminum engines the National guys brought, with over 900 HP!
Mike had one goal in mind going into the long weekend…to have fun! In fact, before the racing began on Thursday, knowing that the entry list was more than double a normal season event, “Hubcap Mike” confessed to me a realistic goal of his to try to advance to Saturday night’s “B” feature. Although the weekend did not go exactly as Mike and John had hoped for, the #04 machine did earn a spot in Saturday night’s first of two last-chance qualifying races. He wasn’t able to transfer to the “A” main, and instead watched the main event from the grandstands. With a great view of the track from up top, Mike quickly decided that it was far more comfy watching the track from the cockpit, as he witnessed the great exhibition of speed the USAC contenders displayed. His revised goal for next year is to “bring some power and never lift!”
The #36 entry piloted by Mitch Wissmiller had issues that kept the team’s hopes of advancing to Saturday night’s feature from becoming a reality as well, and unfortunately resulted in an early flight back home for the Saybrook, IL resident. Having never sat in the JSR Buckley before, Mitch spent the early afternoon attaching his own shocks and setting up the car to suit his driving style. The night started off on the wrong foot with ignition troubles during practice and qualifying. Starting at the rear of the consolation race, Mitch quickly figured out the chassis and was on a tear, climbing his way to the front. With only a handful of laps to go, and in a transfer position, a fuel pump failure forced the #36 JSR machine to the pits for a DNF.
Down in points, but not in confidence, Mitch and Team JSR returned to the track Friday night with much better hopes of a good finish and of accumulating some points towards Saturday’s features. That didn’t last long, as a soft brake pedal, caused by a faulty brake line, sent the #36 into the Turn 1 wall on the first lap of qualifying. Mitch wasn’t hurt in the incident, but the car and the team’s chances of continuing on were all but destroyed.
Saturday evening was spent trying to get the Buckley back together with the spare parts from other chassis, and trying to get a setup on the car that was similar to what they started with. Unfortunately, that just didn’t happen in time, and the hired gun was retired from the event. An unfortunate ending to what had potential to be a great weekend for the group.
What amazes me about this group is that, despite the bad luck that continued to plague the team all weekend, you’d never know it by the smiles on their faces. Next time you're at the races...please stop by the JSR pits after the races and say "hello" to these guys. Shake their hand and ask them how their night went. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed in the stories these guys will have for you! To JSR, racing is much more than just making circles on the track…it is spending quality time with their circle of friends, family and fans in the pits!
Team JSR would like to thank all of the supporters that helped make the long weekend a possibility, which include HubCapMike.com, Evelyn Springstead, Day Construction, “Krazy” Kenny Dietz, Freeway Auto Supply, Richard Cordsen, Pools by Pic, and all of the others that have been on board this season and throughout the years.
Doug Bushey
Passionate Fan / Announcer / Media & Public Relations
Agent
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