In the middle of three races in eight days, Wisconsin’s Dexter Bean returns to DuQuoin State Fairgrounds on Labor Day with mixed feelings. Last year in his rookie season Bean stormed to the front of the field looking to capture his first ARCA win before engine problems ripped the team from contention.
The team has had to wait a year for a rematch, but they are coming locked and loaded and ready for a win on the dirt.
“I’m very excited about going to back to DuQuoin, ” said the 20 year-old phenomenon. “I’ll have to admit, I wasn’t sure what to really expect as we headed to the dirt races last year, but I’ve ran three now and I enjoy every second of it. ”
He continued, “DuQuoin is my favorite of the two dirt tracks. It’s a very unique track and suits my driving style. We finished fifth last month at Springfield and that was our best dirt track showing to date. As a team, we feel like DuQuoin owes us one and I think our chances look good. ”
When Bean was asked whether the mixture of three events in a little over a week has any effect on him as a driver he offered, “Not really. You know as a driver, I like it. It’s hard on everyone including me, but it keeps me focused. Going from a short track to a dirt track to a speedway has its advantages and disadvantages, but it’s still racing. We’ve done a good job preparing our cars for the races and I think our great season can continue. ”
Crew Chief Chris Bires has elected to bring the same Chevrolet Monte Carlo the team recently competed with at The Milwaukee Mile on August 26, yielding an eighth place run. The machine is also responsible for the stout fifth place finish at Springfield. Bean is confident the car has the capabilities of the same type of performance.
“Our cars in the shop are extremely good, ” Bean sounded. “They respond easily to changes and as a driver, that’s makes our job a little easier. The car has been strong for us a number of times this season and there’s no doubt in my mind that it will live up to its expectation. ”
While engine woes took Bean from the hunt last year, the team has switched engine packages for the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series season and the NASCAR bound driver is feeling a sign of relief heading into the 19th event on the schedule.
“We’ve been using Tesar motors this year and they have been fabulous, ” he stated. “A big difference from last year. I credit Tesar to a reason why this team is enjoying a turn around season. There are a lot of people who have made a difference, but you need the steam under the hood to get the job done. I want to thank them for that and hope we can celebrate in a big way on Labor Day. ”
While BlackJack Racing is still searching for additional sponsorship of Bean’s No. 6 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, the team is glad to have local longtime supporter Five Star Telecom on board as an associate sponsor.
Since their beginning in 1973, FST (Five Star Telecom), a long-time supporter of Bean’s racing career has become one of the largest interconnect companies in the Upper Midwest, with multiple locations serving the tri-state area.
Rolling into DuQuoin, Dexter Bean has 46 ARCA RE/MAX Series starts to his credit with three of those coming on dirt.
BlackJack Racing is still seeking additional primary and associate sponsors for the remainder of the 2007 ARCA RE/MAX Series season. For sponsorship inquiries, please contact BlackJack Racing at 608.634.4242.
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