Chad Lamson is proving to be a force to reckon with in the Auto City Speedway Herald Pure Stocks and the Auto City Figure 8’s.
While currently the points leader in both divisions, Chad claims he’s just out there to have fun and be the best that he can be.
“When I was five or six years old I raced a motorcycle on a flat track,” Lamson said. “I think that gave me the competitive edge I needed for this (short track racing). I’ve been racing Led Sleds (Pure Stocks) for about five years now, and I have five Championships. If I’m going out there, I’m going out there to do my best - to be the best.”
Lamson started out watching Rod Marsh racing Led Sleds.
“Rod is my friend Dave’s Dad,” Lamson said. “We came out here (Auto City) to watch Rod race one night, and I kept looking at the Led Sleds thinking, ‘I have one of those in my back yard.’ So, I went home, put close to $1,000 dollars into building my first car headed to the track.”
To level the playing field, many track owners put the previous week's winner at the back of the pack, regardless of where they qualified for the night. This rule has applied to Lamson almost every week this season.
“When I’m starting in the rear,” Lamson said. “I’m thinking I have to make good decisions and I’m hoping for a little bit of luck.”
Lamson’s fearless driving and quick car have produced eight feature wins at three tracks already this year. Moving through the pack of really tough competitors (usually two or three wide) seems to be Lamson’s trademark in 2009.
“I don’t even realize I’m going three wide most of the time,” Lamson said. “Not until I get home and watch the tapes the next week. Once in awhile I look at myself on those tapes and wonder what I was thinking! I learn a lot about myself and my competition by watching those tapes every week.”
Lamson talks highly of his competitors on the circle track and the figure 8.
“Lonnie Saumier Jr. is my biggest competition on the circle track,” Lamson said. “On the figure 8’s it’s Duane Damon and Andrew Burton.”
Lamson owes a lot of thanks to his support team.
“My buddy Luke Mckenzie does everything for me,” Lamson said. “Neil Decker let me use his garage over the winter and my parents, Tom and Tracy are great. I wouldn’t be out front without them.”
Everybody knows it takes a special kind of person to run the figure 8 track. Many of the “near misses” at the intersection make the drivers look like they are aiming to take each other out. Lamson says that’s not true for him.
“If I cut it close in the intersection,” Lamson said. “It’s not because I’m trying to take someone out. I’m trying to time it perfectly so that I miss him the next time around. I’m not out there to take out other drivers. I want to race the next week, just like everybody else, and nobody can do that with a wrecked car.”
