THE CHAMPIONS ISSUE |
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PHOTO: RICK BELDEN |
together between the track and the PDRA. We need to be able to access the tracks’ local fan base. That’ s what’ s hard about the PDRA when you go state-to-state basically one a month, being able to dive into that local fan base. That’ s the biggest challenge that the PDRA has had, and we’ ve gotten much better with it. Quite honestly, the way we get better at it is aligning ourselves with facilities that are willing to be partners. That’ s what’ s been good about it.
From the racetrack side of it, that gives us a huge advantage because I recognize, coming from the PDRA, how important it is to have a local base and have a stream of information you can get out to people all the time. By having two PDRA races, that will just give us an upper hand on those events because we know that we’ re both definitely looking out for the same end result.
We’ ve had it in the past where people look at( PDRA races) as a track rental and they don’ t really invest into it – that’ s not the way it is. We really look for partnerships. To be able to go into our track and know what we know from the PDRA side, seeing the trends that are successful, we get a little bit of an insight into how and why they’ re successful. My ears are always open. My eyes are always open. I’ m always watching what other successful people do to try to build upon that. I think that will help the racetrack as well as it will help the PDRA.
The PDRA is going into its fifth year with a full head of steam – six professional classes
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and six sportsman categories racing at eight events held at tracks like GALOT Motorsports Park, Darlington Dragway, Maryland International Raceway, National Trail Raceway, and Virginia Motorsports Park, of course. What do you expect from the PDRA this season?
From a car-count perspective and a fan perspective, I believe we’ re going to have the biggest year yet. That’ s the way I’ m going into the season. As I’ ve said, we spent a lot of time making sure we’ re aligned with tracks that want to work together to promote successful events, and we have that with every track that’ s on our schedule. I think the locations are great for the racers because we have so many racers in those regions. By expanding our sportsman classes, I think we’ re going to have a great car count at every event. I’ m excited for 2018. We’ re coming off of a really strong 2017. Our last two races of the year just really knocked it out of the park. To go into 2018 with that momentum is huge. It all goes back to everybody knowing your brand. Sometimes I think it just takes time.
What is the PDRA’ s brand? For someone who’ s never been to a PDRA race, what should they expect?
I believe our racers are the best in the world. Hands down, bar none, it doesn’ t matter what series you’ re talking about, I think we have the best racers in the world. I think we have the best racing in the world. We have fast cars, side-byside
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racing, and it’ s not like there’ s just one guy out there doing it. There’ s so many people out there putting up numbers and raising the bar.
To the fans, it’ s an experience that I don’ t think anybody should miss. This year is going to take us to another level of that. I’ m excited for that, I really am. Every year has kind of surprised us and we’ d take a little bit bigger step than we thought we’ d take. I’ d like to say that’ s happened every year, but this year just feels different. Everybody knows what the PDRA is, and that’ s the exciting part. That’ s what keeps driving me toward taking it to another level. I want to see success and I want to see everybody enjoy what we’ re putting out. I can really say that myself and all the staff at PDRA are really looking forward to 2018.
On that note, is there anything you’ d like to add?
Thank you to all the family, friends, fans; all the supporters of Tommy Franklin Motorsports, PDRA and Virginia Motorsports Park; and my employees at Franklin Electric and SmartCom. My wife, Judy, is right there beside me all the time. We work crazy hours together.
I always say in every interview I’ ve done that I’ ve gotta thank God for everything I do. None of it’ s possible without Him. I still have to be able to put in the work for it, but just to be able to have the wisdom and ability to make the right decisions. I’ m thankful for where I’ m at.
– NATE VAN WAGNEN DI
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January / February 2018 |
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