Tom Hessert: “The lack of experience in stock cars really took its toll”
Cherry Hill, NJ
Nov 21, 2007
THM
The entire 2007 season was pretty much a learning experience for young Tom Hessert III. His rookie season in USAR Hooter’s Cup wasn’t what it could have been according to the Cherry Hill, NJ college student.
“With a former Nextel Cup crew chief preparing our MAACO America’s Body Shop Monte Carlo I really thought that we had the makings of a great season, ” said Hessert. “And it was a great season when you consider the great experience that I gained.
“The lack of experience in stock cars really took its toll. I put myself in positions to be wrecked at times but there was a lot of wrecks that happened that were out of my control. ”
In July Hessert decided to devote all his efforts to stock car racing. He parked the USAC midgets and sprint cars that he had been racing from time to time.
“That was a difficult decision for me. I have always been an open cockpit racer, ” the young racer commented. “Going from midgets and sprints was more of a challenge than I had anticipated. When we got to mid-season we just felt that we had to devote all our energies to the Hooter’s Cup series. “It is a great series to learn and certainly it was great exposure for our sponsor, MAACO, with all the TV time generated on SPEED. ”
Hessert admits that stock car racing is more of a contact sport. “You have to learn to pay attention to what is going on in front and protect your position. There is a lot of give and take, ” said the 21-year-old. “There seems to be a lot of impatience. Some of the Hooter’s Cup events run on the bigger tracks had the racers being more careful. And the end of the season championship events had less contact. ”
Hessert felt his best efforts came at Concord, NC Motorsports Park where had a 10th place finish and an eighth at South Georgia Motorsports Park. He also ran as high as second in one of the events run at Iowa Speedway and he qualified a strong seventh but a late race incident dropped him way back at the finish. “I really loved running at Bristol Motor Speedway. What a great facility, ” commented Hessert. “And Myrtle Beach was another great track. I really enjoyed being in a new series (new to him) and getting to race at so many different tracks. ”
It was a disappointment for the MAACO, America’s Body Shop team to finish so poorly at USA International in the season finale after having run so well at Georgia just a couple weeks before.
The team had a good test session for the Robert H. Brooks Memorial Aaron’s 250 at USA International. Practice went well but they did not qualify well. In the race there was shifter problems which caused a pit stop and put them down a lap. Later in the race a cut tire caused a left rear tire to blowout and the car crashed out at 89 laps ending the season. It was a disappointing effort.
Hessert was still upbeat about the 2007 season overall. He got to run a few dirt track events on the ARCA RE/MAX circuit for Andy Belmont Motorsports. He ran the full schedule of USAR Hooter’s Cup events and also was active in a number of USAC Midget and USAC Sprint races. The experience gained, the knowledge learned will be a huge help to him as he continues his career.
The young racer will be heading to Daytona Beach, Florida in mid-December to be part of the ARCA RE/MAX Series practice sessions with Andy Belmont Motorsports.
His plans for 2008 are still in the formative stages with plans to be announced early in 2008.
