Weekly Notebook presented by FK Rod Ends
Notes: Father's ridealongs spurred Alabaman's success
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt managing editor
Sam Norman (Zackary Washington/Simple Moments Photography)
While a son carries on his family's racing legacy, it's not a stretch to say that the late Gene Norman rides along in the Late Model driven by 27-year-old Sam Norman of Valley Grove, Ala.
Sam, whose racing career was temporarily derailed when his father died unexpectedly from a heart attack and was buried on his 47th birthday, is enjoying one of his best seasons with five Limited Late Model victories through mid-June as he leads the points chase at Xtreme Speedway in Moulton, Ala.
"He ate, slept and loved racing," Norman says of his father, a former racer. "That's kind of where my passion for it comes from and my drive is just to continue what he started."
While father spiritually rides along with son these days, Gene Norman literally rode along with 12-year-old Sam when started his racing career in a Camaro in the factory stock division at Moulton. Literally as in dad was strapped into an added passenger seat inside the roll cage, providing hand signals and encouragement to his preteen son for a half-dozen races while Sam got the hang of it.
"He would hold his hand up and tell me when to get on the gas and when to let off the gas," the younger Norman recalled. "He would tilt (his hand) if I needed to be on the gas or off the gas, and like he'd kind of show me where to get on the brake. … It kind of gave a really big jump-start because I never raced go-karts or any of that stuff and didn't really have a lot to go off of being a kid."
In trying to gain more experience, "when I started there really wasn't classes for kids or beginners," Sam continued. "We were kind of thrown to the wolves. I was racing against people that had raced for, you know, 15, 20, 30 years, and just kind of had to find my own way."
While Sam assures that his father's ridealong was "as safe as it could be," he does remember that "I got door-slammed really hard one night. It was pretty rough.
"He would talk to me under caution and stuff, and it'd be kind of hard to understand just because you got your (one-way radio in) and your helmet on and stuff.
"He was always really, really supportive, and never really got mad at me — even when he probably should have," added Sam, a graphic designer at C&C Graphics. "If I wanted to do it, he was gonna help me do it to the best of my ability and teach me as much as he could, and I was very, very thankful for that."
The driving lessons propelled Norman through lower divisions and then into Late Model-style cars, where competing with his father in 2017 he racked up a double-figure victory total at Moulton as one of Alabama's winningest drivers as a 17-year-old.
It was also the season Norman lost his dad.
"He had gotten in a wreck, probably about two months, maybe one month before, and he'd been having some breathing problems, and I think it was complications from the wreck. I think something had happened internally," Norman said. "He was having like real bad shortness of breath and just exhaustion, and he actually had an EKG scheduled the week he passed away."
Norman's voice trails off in sadness. "It's crazy," he said he quietly.
Norman continued what would become his winningest season, forging ahead through his grief and trying to ignore his father's No. 14 race car that was pushed into the back corner of the team's race shop.
Finally, near the end of the summer, Norman decided to climb into his father's car for a run that ended up in victory lane at ECM Speedway in Arkadelphia, Ala.
"It was real special because it hadn't been raced in three or four months and it had been sitting there. We kind of just put it in the back of our brain that it wasn't in the shop and just worked on our stuff," Norman said. "We didn't change anything. I ran his shocks, motor. The only thing we changed was the carburetor and the seat."
It was an emotionally charged night.
"It was kind of like all the weight on my shoulders from it sitting in the shop was kinda off," Norman said. "And when we come out and was good in it, it kind of felt like it all fell in the right place at the right time. Like we were supposed to be there."
But the loss of his father, who was also a city council member, lingered for a teenager who had his life ahead of him. He cut back on racing in the ensuing seasons while trying to find himself.
"It was two weeks after I graduated high school and just trying to figure out what to do with life," Norman said. "When I came back racing I could tell I wasn't really where I was supposed to be with myself and you know I struggled there for three or four years and we went without winning a single race.
"It was a tough time," he continued, "but I'm glad we kinda went — I'm not glad we went through it — but it worked out that we went through it and I think it drove me to be better."
A chance connection with team owner Toby Bates led to Norman taking the seat of his No. 10 Late Model in 2024, and it's progressed into a successful pairing with Norman's five victories this season. Racing for Bates "kind of got my passion back for racing," said Norman, who also fields his own No. 46 Crate Late Model for crew member Dylan Perry, a car Norman occasionally drives as well.
"We work together really well and we kind of all are on the same page," Norman said of the Bates team. "And he wants to race and kinda lets me do my thing on setups and I can kind of have some freedom driving for him."
Norman's 2019 Swartz Race Car, with updates and tweaks and assists from former IMCA champion Cory Dumpert of Newman Grove, Neb., utilizes a modest powerplant that gives up more than 100 horsepower to the competition, but Norman says it performs well in his preferred track conditions.
"The slicker it gets, the better we are," Norman said. "I struggled in the slick for a while when I was younger and I just pretty much set out, the last five years, to get as good as I could in it, because that's what it's gonna take to win races in our area. I just made myself hyperfocused on racing in the slick. …
"Pretty much just a refusal to spin the tires. I work so hard to not spin or slide, it pays off (at) the end of the night, most of the time."
In the Xtreme Speedway points chase, Norman is locked in a tight battle with local standout Brandon Brown, a Hanceville, Ala., racer who was friends with Norman's father. The younger Norman and Brown maintain a friendly but healthy rivalry.
"I'd probably call it rivals-plus," Norman said. "We're friendly and we're friends, but we race really hard. So we both wanna win really bad and I think we both wanna beat each other really, really bad, too."
Norman raced at the Moulton oval early in his career, but he's returned to the track to run there more than he has in more than 10 seasons, saying that owner "Brian Mitchell and them have really turned that place around," he said. "I think that's one of the premier racetracks in our state right now. It's, really, really good."
Norman hopes to secure the track championship during a season when his father is never far from his mind.
"It definitely will drive me to just continue chasing and get better," he said. "That's kind of what drives us now is just trying to do everything right and make everything that we've been through worth it."
Weekly highlights
• Earning more than $11,000 in Super Late Model cash on the June 19-20 weekend, Kyle Hardy of Stephens City, Va., won the Red Frederick Memorial at Elkins Speedway in Kerens, W.Va., and the Jimmy Spence Memorial at Winchester (Va.) Speedway.
• Anthony White of Clinton, Tenn., swept June 19-20 Limited Late Model action at Big South Fork Raceway in Huntsville, Tenn., and Wartburg (Tenn.) Speedway.
• Overtaking Alex Ferree with a last-lap pass, hometown driver Michael Norris won July 19's Super Late Model feature at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa.
• Kyle Moore of Mansfield, Ohio, swept June 19-20 events at Hilltop Speedway in Millersburg, Ohio, and Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio.
• Outrunning Hayden Cardwell, Skylar Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., earned $2,300 at Thunder Mountain Speedway in Corbin, Ky., for a Crate Late Model victory in the third annual Rod Carter Jr. Memorial.
First things first
Recent first-time occurrences at the dirt track:
• Winning June 20 at Shelby County Speedway in Harlan, Iowa, Derek Daly of Omaha, Neb., notched his first Late Model feature victory.
• Winning the Thirlby Throwdown for non-winners, Josh Knoll of Lake, Mich., earned $2,000 for his first win June 18 at Crystal (Mich.) Motor Speedway to open the Dan Salay Memorial weekend.
• Santino Loretta of Shinnston, W.Va., won June 20 at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, W.Va., for his first Crate Late Model victory.
• Multiple-division driver Dayton Pursley of Hermitage, Mo., captured his first Late Model victory June 20 at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo.
• Winning June 18 at U.S. 30 Speedway in Columbus, Neb., Robbie Thome of Spalding, Neb., notched his first Late Model feature victory.
• Jeff Watson of Conneaut, Ohio, on June 19 at his hometown Raceway 7 won his first Crate Late Model feature.
• Winning a June 18 feature at 141 Speedway in Francis Creek, Wis., Dallon Murty of Chelsea, Iowa, scored his first Super Late Model triumph.
Weekly news briefs
• The expected sale of Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park to the Jent family that operates Mudlick Valley Raceway in Wallingford, Ky., is still awaiting completion. The Jents have had access to the track and have been making improvements with plans to reopen the track as soon as possible.
• Three 2026 dirt racing events starting with an Aug. 1 fair race are tentatively planned for the rebuilt Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill., with WM Marketing signing an 11-year lease to promote the quarter-mile oval, according to a report in the Belleville News-Democrat. WM Marketing is operated by Curtis Francois, who owns World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., and helped design the new layout. WM Marketing's lease begins July 1 with the firm paying the county an annual fee of $15,000 for 2026, $30,000 for 2027-2031, and $35,000 for 2032-2036. The track's expected divisions haven't been announced.
• Because of low car counts, Fiesta City Speedway in Montevideo, Minn., removed Late Models from the June 26 program. The division will return July 10. In non-tour events, the track has averaged five Late Models per event and drew a single entrant for June 19's program.
• Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway's grader broke down June 23 and the track was seeking a loaner so it could stick with its June 26 race program.
• Big South Fork Raceway added a major holiday doubleheader weekend for Limited Late Models at the Huntsville, Tenn., oval. July 3's Freedom 40 pays $5,000-to-win and July 4's Freedom 50 pays $10,000-to-win over the Independence Day weekend with a total payout of nearly $50,000 for the division. Additionally, the track plans $50 lap money for both events.
• Texas-based Echo Properties has taken over ownership and management of Hartwell (Ga.) Motor Speedway "to take it to the next level," former owner Jeremiah Hall announced earlier this month. Hall said he believes the sale will "benefit not only the racer but the fan. They could take it further than we could take it right now." Echo's Colby Jordan will be taking over promotions at the track where improvements are being made before racing that's expected to resume in mid-August, tentatively continuing on Friday nights "We left it better than we found it," Hall said in a Facebook announcement. "And now we believe we're setting it up for the future."
• Dodge County Speedway in Kasson, Minn., which hadn't hosted a Late Model event since 2003, ran a June 20 event with Adam Hensel of Baldwin, Wis., topping a six-car feature. The track hadn't run the division since John Kaanta's Structural Buildings WISSOTA Challenge Series victory 23 years earlier.
• After June 20's event at ABC Raceway in Ashland, Wis., the track elected to pay in full the winner of the 50-50 drawing. Cash had been lost when someone "distracted our volunteer and took what was not theirs," the track posted on Facebook. "We are taking steps in ensure this does not happen again," the track's statement said.
• Tornado damage sustained June 17-18 at Coles County Speedway in Mattoon, Ill., forced the track to suspend midseason racing. Neighboring track Charleston (Ill.) Speedway has offered to host the track's previously scheduled Stars, Striples & Survivors event benefitting Melissa Shain.
• Twin City Raceway in Kenia, Alaska, has set its biggest weekend of the season with July 3-4 events for Dirt Late Models. The Willie Creech Memorial opens the weekend with the Late Model Dirty 30 on Independence Day.
• Laurens County Speedway in Laurens, S.C., was forced to cancel June 20's program the afternoon before the evening's event because equipment malfunctions prevented the staff from preparing the racing surface. The track is scheduled to return to action July 2 with a program topped by a $2,000-to-win feature for 602 Crate Late Models with Limited Late Models among five other divisions.
• Three prominent Late Model drivers are among nine people to be added to the Wall of Fame at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway on July 17. Shannon Babb, Mike Mullvain and Tom Rients will be honored along with drivers Jim Quinn and Bobby Hutton, fans Don Stagen and Norma Gemme, team owner Jaren Hamblen and parts supplier-vendor Tommy Scott.
• Lavonia (Ga.) Speedway has named Mitchell Ledford the track chaplain.
• River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., is mourning the passing of one of the track's Hall of Famers, Ben Adams. The Grand Forks resident was 79. He owned Adams Automotive & Machine, which specialized in high performance and racing engines with his products capturing countless features and track titles over 50 years. He was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 2023.
• Gondik Law Speedway in Superior, Wis., on June 26 will induct five people into the track's Hall of Fame. Don Eckstrom, who formerly prepared the racing surface, will be inducted as a pioneer along with drivers Riece Stewart of Thunder Bay, Ontario; Mike Willie of Superior; Rick Cox of Thunder Bay and an active driver over the age of 50, Jim Latlava of Solon Springs, Wis.
• Red Dirt Raceway in Meeker, Okla., has been listed for sale at $350,000, a purchase that includes 32 acres, all the track buildings, lighting, internet, electric and water service (the bleachers and concrete blocks around the track have been removed). Call Cody with questions at (405) 823-8095. The track hasn't hosted Late Model competition since 2004.
Weekly points
DIRTcar (Supers): Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., has 1,051 points to lead Mike Spatola (981) and Bobby Pierce (916).
IMCA (Limiteds): Curtis Glover of Knoxville, Iowa, has 708 points to lead reigning champ Zach Zeitner (607) and Tommy Elston (558).
WISSOTA (Limiteds): Tyler Peterson of Hickson, N.D., has 785 points to lead Shane Sabraski (722) and Chad Becker (678).
American All-Stars (Crates): Logan Walls of Junction City, Ky., has 526 points to lead Brandon Fouts (436) and Dalton Brown (356).
Crate Racin' USA (602 Crates): Covy Parsons of Iuka, Miss., has 565 points to lead Allen Edwards (560) and Joey Tucker (543).
Crate Racin' USA (604 Crates): Shannon Lee of Lumberton, Miss., has 554 points to lead Chris Reid (534) and rookie Gunnar Duke (416).
DIRTcar (Crates): Braden Johnson of Taylorville, Ill., has 524 points to lead Chase Wilson (499) and Hudson Dick (455).
Gen X (Crates): Parker Gilbertson of Montevideo, Minn., has 595 points to lead Trevor Walsh (573) and Blake Swenson (552).
RUSH (Crates): Davin Kaiser of Winchester, Va., has 1,230 points to lead Devin Brannon (1,091) and Jeremy Wonderling (845).
Ultimate (Crates): Brandon Adkins of Jumping Branch, W.Va., has 170 points to lead T.J. Salango (151) and T.J. Hicks (135).
USRA (Crates): Jason McFadden of Jim Falls, Wis., has 2,844 points to lead Lucas Peterson (2,484) and Josh Wahlstom (2,044).
Upcoming weekly specials
Among non-touring and independent special events coming up for Late Models at dirt tracks around the country:
Kossuth County Speedway, Algona, Iowa (June 25): The track is running an event using Repairable Vehicles.com Tri-State Series rules paying $1,500-to-win (the rules differ from the track's regular Late Model division).
Dog Hollow Speedway, Strongstown, Pa. (June 26): The Dave Kittey Memorial pays $2,000-to-win for the Limited Late Model division with sponsorship from McAdams Roofing & Remodeling (a $200 King of the Hill Challenge is also planned).
Fort Payne (Ala.) Motor Speedway (June 27): The 17th annual Late Model Shootout pays $2,500-to-win for the 604 Crate Late Model division with Limited Late Models and 602 Crates on the undercard.
Selinsgrove (Pa.) Speedway (June 27): A $5,000-to-win Super Late Model event tops a three-division card on Kids Night with bike races part of the program.
