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Fritz back in driver's seat tonight at Ocala Speedway
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Location: Blogs Running Wide Open |
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| Posted by: Joe VanHoose |
3/17/2007 3:03 PM |
When Ben Fritz races at Ocala Speedway tonight in his TBARA sprint car, it will be a homecoming and a new beginning. The 24-year-old Ocalan has seen highs and lows in his racing career, but this year he is back where he is most comfortable: the driver’s seat.
In 2005, Fritz was on the verge of making the big time. After successful campaigns in the TBARA, Fritz was picked to drive an Indy car for Sam Schmidt Motorsports in the Indy Pro Series, the stepping stone to the Indy Racing League and Indianapolis 500.
But the deal went dry when a sponsor couldn’t be found for his car. Fritz sat out most of the year, trying to land a ride that never materialized.
“The whole thing turned into a money deal and a sponsor deal, and we just didn’t have any,” Fritz said. “It stole a lot of time, just a lot.
“It sucked, but what can you do. You just have to keep on digging.”
Fritz dug his way back into the TBARA last year, running a limited schedule and turning heads, Now in 2007, he’s starting anew, back to racing every weekend in his glossy red No. 16 sprint car that he built from the ground up.
“We’re looking to step it up and race full time,” Fritz said, overlooking his car. “We’re looking at getting a bigger rig and building more cars, and traveling to run some different series.”
But racing on this level is also very taxing, both on time and the wallet. Fritz’s race-ready car cost about $95,000 to build, an investment that can be crashed away in any given race.
“I’ve had nights where I’ve destroyed an entire car, left everything but the steering wheel,” Fritz said. “But that’s just part of it; it’s just like losing a paycheck.”
To help balance the cost, Fritz gets monetary support from several local sponsors. Their decals blanket the car – everything from Lester’s Truck and Trailer to Bruno’s Construction, Century 21 and Russ’s Barber Shop. Fritz also works full time as a local mortgage broker. Between his day job and working on the car, Fritz says it’s easy to lose 90 hours a week.
“We’ll be out here until 1 or 2 in the morning working on this thing,” Fritz said. “This isn’t for everybody, but that’s what it takes to be competitive.”
Fritz says his racing league, the Tampa Bay Auto Racing Association, is the most competitive in the state. The series regularly fields 20 to 30 cars, and 15 of those could win a race on any given night.
“You’ve got no weight restrictions, no mirrors and no radios,” Fritz says. “You drive on sound and feel, and you’ve got to be completely aware at all times or you’ll be upside down before you know it.”
Sprint cars are inherently as dangerous as they are exciting to watch. Weighing only 1,300 pounds and carrying a 750-horsepower engine, they can reach speeds upwards of 150 m.p.h. on a 1/2-mile track. Traveling in large packs at such high speeds, they create a vortex that can wrap the American Flag around the flagpole in the middle of Ocala Speedway’s infield during a race.
“We are the fastest short track cars anywhere,” Fritz said. “But inside the car, everything is completely calm.”
Fritz returns to his home track tonight with high hope of winning. Ocala Speedway sponsors Fritz’s car, and Fritz wants to deliver in front of his sponsor base.
“This is the most tense race on the schedule for me because everyone – my friends, my sponsors – will be there,” Fritz said.
Fritz plans to run the TBARA events around the state this year along with a host of others. But right now Fritz hopes to pull together a string of strong runs, hoping success will lead him to his ultimate goal: the chance to race for a living.
“This is what I want to do,” Fritz said. “It’s so tough to do, and it’s hard on everybody, but I love it.”
Ocala Speedway will be clean and green tonight
The rain clouds have blown away and the sun is shining this afternoon at Ocala Speedway. Racing action starts tonight at 7 p.m. with the TBARA series visiting the track for the first time this year.
Check back here for updates on Fritz, the TBARA and all of the Ocala Speedway action.
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