The track is home for Weiss

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This article was published 06/12/2019 (2360 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Headingley man is making inroads in the U.S. dirt track racing world.

Rick Weiss, 31, was recently named World of Outlaws dirt track racing rookie of the year, making him the first Canadian to earn this honour.

Nicknamed the Manitoba Missile, Weiss, his crew chief Shawn Gage, and Weiss’ girlfriend Dayna Fossay are gaining recognition in the dirt track racing world as they travel to tracks across the country. The World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series features more than 50 races in the United States and Canada from January to the end of November.

“Now they know what we’ve done and what we can do,” Weiss said, interviewed in his family’s Headingley home while on a break.

His racing career began at Red River Co-op Speedway, south of Winnipeg, where he started competing in the Super Trucks class, then switched to modified stock cars before moving to the top class in stock car racing —  super late model racing about 10 years ago. He didn’t race in Canada at all last season as there are few tracks that host late model racing and the prize money is higher at American tracks.

“You’ve got to pay your dues,” he said, adding that greater recognition will help generate sponsorships. He calculates that all the costs associated with taking part in one race total about $2,000, so he and his team must be strategic about choosing races that offer a decent-sized purse.  

Having the dirt track series televised through pay-per-view broadcasts is helping raise the sport’s profile, Weiss said.

The world of racing might be exciting but it isn’t glamourous. Weiss said. “We pull up in a Walmart parking lot to sleep in the motor home that pulls a large two-decker trailer housing two cars and equipment.”

The past season marked the first time that Weiss and his team competed over a full season in the late model dirt track series. He said it was a learning experience. “That was one of the hardest things because about 80 per cent of the tracks were new to us.”

He said his favourite track is Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio in part because it offers a big payout of up to $125,000. “It’s a nice big track; it’s always smooth.”

Weiss said he’s one of about a dozen racers who follow a similar circuit, so they get to know each other well. He’s one of the younger racers, especially compared to his friend and mentor Scott Bloomquist, from Knoxville, Tenn., who still competes in his mid-50s.

“He’s a big part of my success,” Weiss said.

Bloomquist recently designed and constructed one of Weiss’ cars. Weiss was able to help build the frame, made primarily of chromoly, a type of tubular metal that’s seamless and light. The car’s 700-horsepower engine was built by another company in Tennessee.

Weiss has three cars that he juggles. They are capable of speeds of up to 140 miles an hour, but racers typically drive at about 100 mph on dry tracks and 130 mph on tacky tracks that offer more grip.

Weiss said dirt track racing usually takes place in the evening, starting with hot laps that offer each racer that chance to drive around the track a few times to warm up and get a feel for the traction. This is followed by a qualifying round that’s timed, then a heat race of about eight or 10 laps to determine in which group a driver will be racing. The feature event has drivers rounding the track between 50 and 100 times.

With a field of up to 24 cars, the margin of error is slight, but Weiss views it as a fairly safe sport. The car’s seat provides full-body stability, there’s a five-point harness, and racers wear helmets and fire suits.

“I’ve rolled twice but I’ve walked away from them,” Weiss said.

Weiss will soon be back behind the wheel competing in New Mexico and hopes the crowds keep cheering for the Manitoba Missile team.