Media Contact: Megan Dupuy – woodhullracewaypr@gmail.com
For Immediate Release - July 14th, 2017 – Joe Kaminski photo
(Woodhull, NY) – Luck is an important thing in racing. There is nothing you can do to change it. The only thing you can do is keep trudging along and hope it gets better. This week’s driver hasn’t had the best season due to bad luck, but still has hope for the rest of the season and seasons to come.
Josh Keesey, pilots the No. 4 NAPA Crate Sportsman on a weekly basis at Woodhull Raceway. Keesey just got behind the wheel six years ago. Like other rookie drivers at the track, he had no prior racing experience.
“I wanted to race a modified so we went with crate sportsman” Keesey said.
What advice would you give to other crate sportsman drivers just starting out?
“Patience, don’t get frustrated, slower is faster, and use your head. It won’t come overnight. I always tell people it took me 60 races to float out and start going a little bit,” Keesey said.
2012 was Keesey’s rookie season. Throughout his six seasons he’s learned a lot about racing and luck.
“The first two seasons were learning curves. Just fighting and clawing for top tens. I actually had a lot of fun the first two years. The last couple of years have been pretty good. We’ve been pretty consistent,” Keesey expanded on his experience.
Keesey has not been running how he would like to be this season.
During our interview he said, “this year we’re having a down year in my opinion but the speed’s there and the car is there. We’re just looking for a little luck I guess.”
Although the season has been tough for Keesey, he still loves getting behind the wheel. For Keesey- it’s something fun to do on the weekends.
“I don’t know how long I’m gonna do this for but right now we’re happy,” Keesey mentioned.
Next week will bring a new challenge for the Keesey crew. Hopefully, we’ll see Keesey in the Insinger Performance 370 Modified division on Saturday night.
Keesey has considered moving to a different class and this past winter did some shopping, so he could move up when the time was right.
“I bought a small block this winter and I believe we’re going to try and put it in tomorrow (Sunday),” Keesey said during the interview last Saturday.
Overall for Keesey, the idea of racing and his main goal is just about having fun.
“For me winning is nice obviously, but if I’m passing cars then I’m happy,” Keesey said.
“You don’t have to win every other race. If you can go out and pass cars and be fast then that’s what makes it fun.”
Keesey runs both Outlaw Speedway and Woodhull Raceway. Friday, he had a great run at Outlaw leading multiple laps and finishing in third. His luck stayed with him as he got another third place finish at Woodhull the following day.
Many drivers run multiple tracks a weekend. Keesey is no different, changing between the two tracks is nothing major to him. Keesey and his crew only have to make small changes to the car.
“We just change a couple small things. Some guys may make major changes but not us,” Keesey said.
Another problem that could arise by running multiple tracks a night means having a bad night at one place where the mojo could leak into the following night’s show.
“We take it day by day. Don’t get me wrong, if your riding high like last night then it certainly helps. If you go out and wreck on Friday night you can’t let that ruin your Saturday night. You have to get up in the morning and fix the car. You’re starting with a clean plate.”
The most frustrating part for Keesey this season in a whole is that he knows his car is fast, but freak things happen here and there and put him just shy of a feature win.
Keesey’s luck could be turning around, he’s had some good runs to boost his confidence. Hopefully we’ll see Keesey in the 370 Modified division this coming week. Maybe the new class will bring better luck and Keesey can see the season turn around.
Stay tuned all season long for more of Megan Dupuy’s driver profiles, as she travels the pit area at Woodhull Raceway to help tell the stories of the drivers that put on a show each week. Megan is finishing her sophomore year at Mansfield University, where she is studying to pursue a career in public relations. She has returned to Woodhull Raceway for her second season as Media Intern- an experience she hopes to make useful in a future career in motorsports media and marketing.