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ROGERS WINS FLORIDA NASCAR TITLE
David Rogers entered his first stock car race in December 1973 and won for the first time in 1974. Forty years later he’s still winning races and championships.
Rogers, 58, of Orlando, Fla., won Florida’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series state championship for the 2013 season racing super late models at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway, a half-mile high-banked asphalt oval just south of Daytona Beach. He won the crown on the strength of three wins, nine top fives and 15 top 10s in 15 starts.
His career win total is believed to be in the hundreds with championships numbering in the dozens. Rogers lost count long ago. He knows he’s won at least one feature race a year since 1974 at tracks across Florida and throughout southeast.
“When I was starting out and won my first race I got to feel what it’s like to win. I still get that feeling when I win. That’s pretty neat,” said Rogers. “Winning a race is a hard thing to do. I don’t take wins for granted. I’ve lost a lot more races than I’ve won. The chance to win still drives me. That excitement keeps me going.”
Since the 1970s Rogers has been synonymous with New Smyrna Speedway. But in 1989 he signed on to race in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series at the newly paved Volusia County Speedway, a half-mile oval in nearby Barberville, Fla. He won the series’ 1994 national championship with a perfect record of 22 wins in 22 starts, and remains the only undefeated national champion. He also won four track championships and two regional championships in the Whelen All-American Series. His NASCAR Division I racing record at Volusia from 1989 to 1994 was 57 wins, 73 top fives and 77 top 10s in 83 starts. In 1995, Volusia moved away from super late models, sending Rogers back to New Smyrna on Saturday nights.
He was delighted when New Smyrna Speedway joined the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series this year.
“Racing with NASCAR puts everything we do into a totally different light.” Rogers said. “People understand what NASCAR is, and that brings prestige.”
Under a separate track points structure, Rich Clouser of Palm Bay, Fla., won New Smyrna’s 2013 NASCAR Super Late Model track championship.
In recent years, Rogers found himself racing with grown-up sons of former on-track rivals.
“I’ve been around that long,” Rogers muses.
Second generation competitors include Central Florida’s Travis Cope and Tim Russell. Cope is the son of Mike Cope, a two-time champion of NASCAR’s former southeastern All Pro Series while Russell is son of David Russell, who, like Rogers was a veteran champion and race winner.
The Russells operate TRI Driver Development and Tim races part-time. He finished second to Augie Grill in the Oct. 26 Governor’s Cup 200 at New Smyrna. Travis Cope posted two NASCAR Super Late Model feature wins this year. He was also champion of the track’s Bright House Series of extra-distance races.
“They’re great drivers,” Rogers said. “Tim does a good job with his driver development program, and the Copes are committed to winning.”
Rogers’ primary sponsor for more than two decades is Steve Holland and T.M. Ranch. Dane Ebersol is crew chief and team members include John Clark, John Collard, Joe Yarborough, Ron Renfrew, and Scott Cornwall. David Crume is engine builder.
Rogers will be honored for his state championship during the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards event on Friday, Dec. 13 in the Charlotte (N.C.) Convention Center at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
*** As an aside, who knows where David won his first race in 1974?***
David Rogers entered his first stock car race in December 1973 and won for the first time in 1974. Forty years later he’s still winning races and championships.
Rogers, 58, of Orlando, Fla., won Florida’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series state championship for the 2013 season racing super late models at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway, a half-mile high-banked asphalt oval just south of Daytona Beach. He won the crown on the strength of three wins, nine top fives and 15 top 10s in 15 starts.
His career win total is believed to be in the hundreds with championships numbering in the dozens. Rogers lost count long ago. He knows he’s won at least one feature race a year since 1974 at tracks across Florida and throughout southeast.
“When I was starting out and won my first race I got to feel what it’s like to win. I still get that feeling when I win. That’s pretty neat,” said Rogers. “Winning a race is a hard thing to do. I don’t take wins for granted. I’ve lost a lot more races than I’ve won. The chance to win still drives me. That excitement keeps me going.”
Since the 1970s Rogers has been synonymous with New Smyrna Speedway. But in 1989 he signed on to race in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series at the newly paved Volusia County Speedway, a half-mile oval in nearby Barberville, Fla. He won the series’ 1994 national championship with a perfect record of 22 wins in 22 starts, and remains the only undefeated national champion. He also won four track championships and two regional championships in the Whelen All-American Series. His NASCAR Division I racing record at Volusia from 1989 to 1994 was 57 wins, 73 top fives and 77 top 10s in 83 starts. In 1995, Volusia moved away from super late models, sending Rogers back to New Smyrna on Saturday nights.
He was delighted when New Smyrna Speedway joined the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series this year.
“Racing with NASCAR puts everything we do into a totally different light.” Rogers said. “People understand what NASCAR is, and that brings prestige.”
Under a separate track points structure, Rich Clouser of Palm Bay, Fla., won New Smyrna’s 2013 NASCAR Super Late Model track championship.
In recent years, Rogers found himself racing with grown-up sons of former on-track rivals.
“I’ve been around that long,” Rogers muses.
Second generation competitors include Central Florida’s Travis Cope and Tim Russell. Cope is the son of Mike Cope, a two-time champion of NASCAR’s former southeastern All Pro Series while Russell is son of David Russell, who, like Rogers was a veteran champion and race winner.
The Russells operate TRI Driver Development and Tim races part-time. He finished second to Augie Grill in the Oct. 26 Governor’s Cup 200 at New Smyrna. Travis Cope posted two NASCAR Super Late Model feature wins this year. He was also champion of the track’s Bright House Series of extra-distance races.
“They’re great drivers,” Rogers said. “Tim does a good job with his driver development program, and the Copes are committed to winning.”
Rogers’ primary sponsor for more than two decades is Steve Holland and T.M. Ranch. Dane Ebersol is crew chief and team members include John Clark, John Collard, Joe Yarborough, Ron Renfrew, and Scott Cornwall. David Crume is engine builder.
Rogers will be honored for his state championship during the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards event on Friday, Dec. 13 in the Charlotte (N.C.) Convention Center at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
*** As an aside, who knows where David won his first race in 1974?***
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