namars: Teddy Beach Indiana Five Crown Nationals preview

Beach Boys Motorsports Team Driver - Teddy Beach

Current Point Standings (As Of 8/14):
NAMARS Championship Midget Series: 2nd
NAMARS Regional Midget Series: 1st

Where will Teddy Beach and the Beach Boys Motorsports Team be racing in the next week?

First Event: "Indiana Five Crown Nationals"
Track: Lawrenceburg (IN) Speedway (1/4-mile semi-banked clay oval)
Date: Wednesday, August 15, 2001

Lawrenceburg History:
Finished 3rd in a Kenyon Car in 2000; Finished 4th in a full Midget during a NAMARS race earlier in the 2001 season

Second Event: "Indiana Five Crown Nationals"
Track: Gas City (IN) Speedway (1/4-mile semi-banked clay oval)
Date: Thursday, August 16, 2001

Third Event: "Indiana Five Crown Nationals"
Track: Bloomington (IN) Speedway (1/4-mile semi-banked clay oval)
Date: Friday, August 17, 2001

Bloomington History:
Finished 4th earlier in the 2001 season at a NAMARS Regional Midget show

Fourth Event: "Indiana Five Crown Nationals"
Track: Lincoln Park Speedway, Putnamville, IN (1/3-mile high-banked clay oval)
Date: Saturday, August 18, 2001

Lincoln Park History:
Finished 2nd in Kenyon Car in 2000

DRIVER QUOTES:

What are your thoughts about the upcoming NAMARS "Five Crown Nationals" events? How do you feel your chances are against "the best of the best" in Midget racing?

"I'm kind of nervous about the competition. But I think I'll be able to use my ability to do my best to run up front. We have good equipment and our team works well together, so hopefully we can pull off a win in one of the four races. My competitors definitely have more experience and know the tracks better, but I feel I've prepared myself just as well with the experience I've gotten this year. The only thing they have on me is age and experience. It will still be tough, though."

Tell me what you think about each of the "Five Crown" tracks and a little about your last experience there:

Lawrenceburg: "I ran there once in a full midget earlier this year and finished 4th, and once in a Kenyon car where I finished 3rd. The track normally dries out, but if a guy could possibly have a cushion built up around there, he could carry his momentum around top. That's ultimately the type of track I like, which allows me to beat the guys who just stick to the bottom. It's a decent facility. The track may not be the greatest, but it will be the same for everyone. I have quite a few laps around Lawrenceburg, and I 'm really looking forward to going back there."

Gas City: "I've only been there to watch, but I' ve never driven there. That place is really neat. It's a bit the same as Lawrenceburg with both a high and low groove. I'll be going in there with cold feet, but I don't think I'll have a problem."

Bloomington: "I finished fourth there earlier this year in a Midget. I really like that track! It suits my driving style really well. Bloomington tends to build a big curb, which I like because I like to drive around the top. The clay down in southern Indiana gives you a different type of grip, a higher grip, and you get a lot better forward bite on that red clay surface rather than the black dirt we normally run on. I' ll probably succeed or be able to outperform my competitors better there than anywhere else we'll run this week."

Lincoln Park: "Lincoln Park is really rough. I raced there in a Kenyon Car and finished 2nd. It has two lines too, but because of the roughness, it's a matter of getting the car chassis set up to take the ruts. The important thing there is to work with your crew chief on the combination to get your car set up just right there."

You just came off a three-race weekend in Wisconsin - tell me about your adventures up north?

"Hales Corners was pretty fun, and was a good experience on a dry/slick track. I'm really inexperienced on dry/slick tracks. The experience driving with the older guys and track champions and Badger (Midget Car Series) champs helped me a lot. I made the feature all three nights, which gave me a lot of seat time on the drier tracks. It was a great experience, one of the best experiences I've had on dry/slick tracks. I just love Beaver Dam. It's really nice. The whole complex is really nice. They had a great crowd, everyone cheered the racers on, people were really nice and the staff takes care of the track well. It was nice and smooth. Angell Park, man, when you go there you had better be on you're "A Game." You won't whip anyone, that's for sure. If you think so, you'll end up in the trailer. People race there every week and when you do well, you know you've beat the best. (Dan) Boorse, A.J. Fike, Kevin Olson, a lot of the top drivers run there week in and week out. If you do well at Sun Prairie, you've done something big. I think we did pretty well qualifying fourth, but I sure would have liked to have ended the day in that same spot instead of with a broken car, but we'll use that experience and take it to some of the races this week and hopefully learn from it."

You have made quite a splash in the NAMARS Midget ranks this year. What are your plans for 2002?

"My expectations are to be Rookie of the Year in the USAC National Midgets, and possibly contend for the USAC Championship in that series. I'd also like to have a sprint car ride for next year, both on dirt and pavement, and run some select shows. And I would really like to continue to run some of the big NAMARS shows like the "Five Crown Nationals" and "NAMARS 500," and may even try to run some of the Silver Crown races if we can put together a good program or run with another team."

DRIVER FUN FACTS

How did you get started in racing?
Scott Halem worked for my dad in his Beach Manufacturing business, and he got us started in Quarter Midgets. He took me to my first few races and got my dad involved in it eventually. He's still a good family friend.

Has your family always been involved with racing?
Yes, my dad drag raced.

What age did you start racing?
Age 12, in Quarter Midgets and Karts (modified karts).

Was racing always an ambition?
Yes, always was. I hoped to move to Midgets from when I was very young, which was my main goal. My other goals were to definitely get "Rookie of the Year," and hopefully try for being a series points champion.

Why did you choose racing as a career?
I grew up around motorized vehicles - 4-wheelers, dirt bikes. Racing was a thing to do - it's always a challenge trying to beat someone.

Best part of job?
Women. Well, OK. The answer is that I like working with other people and the team, and becoming a team player.

Toughest part of job?
Getting myself mentally prepared. I tend to psych myself out.

Where did you grow up?
Donnelsville, OH - born and raised and still live there.

Who are you driving for now?
My dad. I've always driven his cars.

What are some of your hobbies outside of racing?
Fishing, hunting, golf - anything outdoors.

What is your favorite racing memory?
Winning the televised NAMARS/ARCA show in Toledo earlier this year.

Will you go to college?
Yes, I want to go to Wright State University (near Dayton, OH) and major in Marketing.

What are your future racing interests?
My goals now are to move to running in the various divisions of USAC next year, then get an IRL or stock car ride, but I'm really leaning toward the IRL.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I try not to look that far down the road, but most likely racing in the IRL and maybe even winning the Indy 500.

Who has been the biggest influence on your racing career?
My father, of course - I couldn't race at all without his help and support. And Kenny Martin, my crew chief. He really coaches me a lot on different things in Midget racing and has helped me more than anyone.

Who are your heroes?
Jeff Gordon and AJ Foyt.

What has been your scariest moment in racing?
I really don't have too many scary moments, but probably trying to qualify at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals ranks right up there. Nothing bad happened, it was just stressful situation for me, but I think I did OK as I qualified 57th out of 180 cars in my first time there.

Personality trait I like in a person: Being smart and easy to talk to.
Personality trait I dislike in a person: Being cocky, uneducated.

If I could change anything about myself: I would change the way I think about school. Racing has kind of taken over my life and I need to concentrate a bit more on my studies, which I'm working on.
If I could change anything about others: I would wish for people to be more open-minded and less judgmental.

Something I could not live without: Money and lasagna.
Favorite food? Lasagna, of course.
Favorite television show? "The Sopranos."
Favorite movie? "Last of the Mohicans."
Favorite kind of music? I like a lot of different things, but I probably like Rock 'n' Roll the best.
Favorite recording artist? Pink Floyd and groups like that.
Favorite color? Black.

What types of cars have you raced?
I started in Karts and Quarter Midgets, moved to Kenyon Cars, and now I drive full Midgets.

Where is your favorite track and why?
Indianapolis Raceway Park. I haven't raced there at all, but I've tested there about six or seven times. It's really tough to be fast there, and it makes you better to have to expend that type of effort.

What kind of personal vehicle do you drive?
A burnt orange Ford F250 Super Duty truck.

Where did you go to High School?
Tucumsch High School, in Donnelsville, OH

What sports do you play outside of racing?
Golf.

Where is your favorite vacation spot and why?
The Bahamas. It was the best vacation I've ever had, with lots of good fishing.

Approximately how many races do you compete in throughout the year?
About 45

Can you estimate how many miles you travel to races in a year?
Our truck travels about 20,000 miles to get to the races I attend.

Visit www.beachmfgco.com for more news and information about Teddy Beach and the Beach Boys Motorsports team.

The Beach Boys Motorsports Team would like to thank their sponsors for the 2001 season: Beach Manufacturing, Fram / Autolite and Cincinnati Fasteners.

-BBMT-