By Jeff Pederson
Pedal Down Promotions
(PEDAL DOWN PROMOTIONS) May 28, 2021 – Although he may be a rookie, Plymouth Dirt Track Racing Late Model driver Jake Van Engen of Howards Grove approaches the sport of dirt track with the wisdom, insight and poise of a seasoned veteran.
The Sheboygan Falls native got hooked on racing as a youngster and is currently living out his racing dreams as one of two rookies competing in the Plymouth Dirt Track Racing Late Model division this season.
“I got into racing going to Plymouth on Saturday nights starting in 1994 to 2000 or so,” Van Engen said. “During that time, I also went to Slinger Speedway every Sunday from 1994 to 1998. The driver intros at Slinger were electric, kind of like rock stars in race cars you could go meet after the races. Then going to Plymouth on Saturdays, you heard each nickname announcers Roger and Eric Mueller announcers gave the drivers and the announcement of ‘faaaaaast time’ in qualifying was big for me.
“It was a magical time to grow up watching racing,” he said. “My grandparents had a house on County Highway V in Waldo, so I’d sit by the window every Saturday and wait to watch all the cars coming from Oostburg area heading to Plymouth on open trailers. This is why I have a Parker open trailer. The kids need to see the cars going to the track. We race a local Saturday night show. At the end of the day, we aren’t running with the Lucas Oil Series, so we’ll always have an open trailer.”
Van Engen, who sits eighth in the PDTR Late Model point standings after the first four races of the 2021 campaign, got his feet wet behind the wheel last season before diving into the deep end this year with a full campaign at Plymouth.
His first-ever race behind the wheel of a Dirt Late Model last season was one that Van Engen will never forget.
“I first started racing last year,” Van Engen said. “I got my car in 2016 from Brad Mueller. It’s an old Russ Scheffler car. It’s a piece of history. It is the first car to win the Lucky 7 series that turned into the WDLMA, which is now the Dirt Kings series. I took two years to build it. I stripped it down to the roll cage and made all the tin from scratch. During that time, I saved up for a Ford engine and open Parker trailer. Once it all came together in late 2019, we tested two times. Then in 2020 COVID hit and no one was racing, except Mississippi Thunder Speedway, so me and my crew guy ‘Hulk’ loaded up and drove 5½ hours from home to go start a new adventure in life.
“I’ll never forget, we got there at 2 in the afternoon it was 85 degrees out,” he said. “We walked up to the turn 1 exit of what’s billed as a third mile and I looked down the straight away and just stared. Hulk goes ‘She’s a bit bigger than you thought, huh?’ I said, ‘Just a bit.’ Then I walked back to my trailer and answer my phone, and it’s Brad Mueller, who said, ‘So you went to Mississippi Thunder, you are nuts kid. Put four turns in the right front shock, you know you’ll be doing over 100 into the corner’ I said, ‘I see that now.’ Jimmy Mars, Chad Simpson and a who’s who of regional stars showed up that night to make up the 18-car field. We didn’t do well, but it’s cool to say that we were there for our first race.”
With no previous racing experience to speak of, the owner of D&D Machine in Howards Grove understands the pathway to success in the PDTR Late Model division is likely to be a slow and steady one.
“I have not raced any other type of cars, unless a pedal car in my grandparents basement counts,” Van Engen said. “Then I’ve turned a few thousand laps in that basement pretending to be Jim Bailey, Doug Teunissen and Scott Specht.
“My highlights on the track so far have been running clean, passing clean, keeping my car in one piece and finishing races,” he said.
Van Engen has already set himself apart from his fellow competitors through his unmatched enthusiasm and willingness to go above and beyond to engage with fans of all ages.
“I enjoy the fans and saying that in my life I lived it to the fullest running the fastest, high horsepower cars you can drive,” Van Engen said. “I like being around all the friendly people in the pits. I pit next to Kurt Davis and the Sippel Racing Sprint Car. That way, if I make any one of the Late Model drivers mad on the track, they have a long walk to find us and hopefully I can see them coming from a distance, so I can run away. The Davis and Sippel teams are a fun bunch to pit by.
“After every race, I give away 1/64 race cars to kids who stop by my pit,” he said. “I do this because the more exciting we can make it for the kids, the better chance we have at seeing them in cars in the next 20 years. We need to invest in the youth because they are the future of our sport. If we don’t, we won’t have in person racing. It will all be iracing. I want to encourage young people to out in the garage and build a car and develop real skills. In addition, kids, parents and fans are always welcome to stop out at my race shop. We keep the fridge stocked with Sprecher root beer for just that reason. Anyone interested in stopping by should message me ahead of time on the JVE Racing Facebook page.”
Looking to the remainder of the 2021 season and the future, Van Engen has some clear cut goals in mind.
“My goals for the year are to finish races, pass cars without contact, race with respect for other people’s equipment and demand the same respect from them,” Van Engen said. “Hopefully, I can be in the running for Late Model rookie of the year as well.
“My future plans are to continue to run Plymouth,” he said. “I want to be around for a long time like a Henry Dickmann or Richard Hed. I don’t want to be a flash in the pan.”
Van Engen’s pit crew includes “Big” Chuck Guetzke, Kris “The Hulk” Reseburg, “Mighty Mike” Mike Stuckmann, “Engineering” Alonso Davila and Dayton “The Designer” Davila.
“I would like to also thank Brad Mueller and his crew for all of the help they have giving me in getting me on the right track,” Van Engen.
Van Engen’s sponsors are Wild Stewardship Taxidermy , Rammer Outdoor Property Service, Fly by Acres AG services, Equipment Supply Inc. and C4 Overhead Doors.
“I do something different for my sponsors,” Van Engen said. None of them are paying sponsors. They get their logo on my car for free. I look at it as a way to help me help promote them. I share their products on Facebook and try to help them grow their businesses. We are also seeking sponsors that can help fund our program too, so if anyone is interested, I encourage them to contact me and I’m sure we can work something out.”
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The fifth PDTR racing program of the 2021 season at The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, Wis. will be sponsored by Pedal Down Promotions and feature 360 Sprint Cars, Late Models, Grand Nationals and B Mods on Saturday, May 22.
The Military Night program in conjunction with the Memorial Day Weekend will feature free admission for all U.S. military members with a valid I.D.
In addition, all kids in attendance will receive an American flag courtesy of Partners in Success Networking group.
Pit gates open at 2 p.m. with grandstand gates opening at 3:30 p.m., hot laps scheduled at 4:30 p.m. and racing slated to begin at 5 p.m.
The Plymouth Dirt Track at the Sheboygan County Fairgrounds is located at 229 Fairview Drive in Plymouth, Wis. For more information, visit www.plymouthdtr.com or check out Plymouth Dirt Track Racing on Facebook.
Pedal Down Promotions is a full-service public relations and media services company devoted to helping clients effectively communicate with targeted audiences through a diverse array of promotional strategies and methods, including press releases, newsletters, profile and feature articles, website and social media content development, printed media, editing and layout, graphic design and book publishing services.
For more information on Pedal Down Promotions, email pedaldownpromotions@gmail.com, visit www.pedaldownpromotions.com or call 920-323-7970.
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