Auto Racing
Nosbisch's Success A Family Affair
BILL GREEN
Tribune correspondent
Published: July 31, 2008
Riverview racer Jackie Nosbisch Jr. drove his first race in 1992, in the same Late Model class he competes in today. Crowned division champion at East Bay Raceway Park in 2002, Nosbisch credits his brother, Keith, and father, Jack Sr., for his career and success.Tribune correspondent
Published: July 31, 2008
"I didn't know anything about racing until my brother got interested," said Nosbisch, 43. "Then my dad started racing when Keith got a new car and we kept the old one. It wasn't until 1992 that Keith was out of town and allowed me to make my first start."
Nosbisch did not set the world on fire that first night. He got passed by his dad several times in the race and did his best to just "stay out of the way." Seeing Nosbisch race now, it's hard to imagine he ever struggled to control the dirt ballet that is Late Model racing.
This week, Nosbisch will compete in Waycross, Ga.
"That's what's nice about this series," he said. "My wife and I get to drive together with the crew to the Saturday event. My crew will often bring their wives. We all have fun together, the whole weekend, stay overnight and then drive back home on Sunday."
The United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series currently offers the fastest and most exciting dirt racing in the southeastern region, reminiscent of the racing in the 1970s and '80s at the Hav-A-Tampa dirt late model event. Held at tracks across Florida, Georgia and Alabama in 2008, the UDLMCS already has grown from a start-up group of 17 to 20 weekend warriors, to the large gathering of 51 dirt late model drivers who attempted to qualify for the Volusia Speedway event July 19.
Nosbisch credits the sudden rise in popularity of the series to the late model rules package the series has chosen.
"They were smart enough to open the rules up to include other traveling series by using a variation of common late model rules from across the country," he said. "The series allows most dirt late model drivers to race without major changes or modifications."
Nosbisch, a well-known local driver, is fourth in this series peppered with seven East Bay regulars in the top 15. While Nosbisch is 150 points out of first, he's only 30 behind brother Keith and Mark Whitener, tied for second. This is in a series where 153 drivers have entered events in 2008.
"I had my best finish at the East Bay UDLMCS event, getting fifth, but my consistency has been good," said Nosbisch, referring to his string of eight straight top-15 finishes to start 2008, with five of those in the top 10.