The GRIT Racing Series has burst onto the Crate Racing scene in the New York area. The father-son team of Dick Stark and Nick Stark promote the series. We caught up with Nick Stark, who told us more about the series:
CI: For those who may not be familiar, what are the basics of your series? (Car type, surface, engine, region)
NS: We are a GM 602 Northeast Dirt Modified Sportsman Series
CI: Tell us how you came to found the Dig Safely NY GRIT Racing Series.
NS: Myself (Nick Stark) and my father, Dick Stark, are insanely passionate about the sport of dirt racing. He (Dick) owned a facility for 8 years in upstate New York, and after a strong run of ownership, he got out. We still wanted to be a part of the sport, so in his final season of ownership we put this series together. We picked the division we did because it's hands-down the fastest growing in this region. We crave the races that the crates put on the stage because of the uber-competitive nature of the involved teams.
CI: How do your rules align with other similar series?
NS: We've established a rulebook that blends together the rules of the local speedways, as well as the area touring series. We offer an open tire rule of American Racer or Hoosier so as not to discourage teams from partaking in our events. It also creates a great rivalry between the two manufacturers at our events.
CI: What has been the biggest challenge?
NS: The biggest challenge is tracking down sponsor dollars and contingency prizes to keep every event fresh for our racers. We want to "give away the farm" so to speak. We want the legacy that we really do this because we love it, and that's why we've put together this product.
CI: What is the one thing that people misunderstand the most about your role as the Series Director?
NS: Not too much honestly. We allow our tracks to run their shows as they would on any given night! We simply put forth our sets of rules and sponsor packages, combined with our promotion.
CI: What is your view/opinion of the future of Crate Racing?
NS: The sky's the limit if GM stays the course with what they're doing. Cheating has always been a hot topic in the crates and I think with the circle track program that they (GM) have, it's always under a watchful eye.
For more information about the GRIT Racing Series, you can visit their website at www.gritracingseries.com.