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And Bean says the team’s climb is far from over.
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Dexter Bean |
“It may be a far-out stretch to win the championship, but it’s realistic to finish in the top five and bring home a win,” Bean said the from the team’s shop in Mooresville, N.C.
“We had four straight top 10s until we ran into some trouble last week at Kentucky. We have worked really hard to get into the top 10 in points. We are slowly moving (toward the top) and doing what we need to do.”
Bean, a smalltown guy, is living a big-time dream. The 21-year-old Westby, Wis., man fully appreciates being paid to drive a race car in the ARCA/ReMax Series, which is a highly competitive national series that keeps attracting more and more NASCAR-funded developmental teams. He also knows his sponsor — Glock, which is a worldwide manufacturer of handguns — is watching very closely.
A push from 23rd in the season points to ninth no doubt pleases Glock — which pays the bills — but seeing their car in victory lane is something they would love to see.
“We are going to each race track to win,” said Bean, who is at the Michigan International Speedway in Berlin, Mich., for a 200-lap (88 miles) race that starts at 8:30 p.m. Saturday. “The points are still very crucial, but we are not looking at who is around us on the track and where they are in the points. If we were running first or second, it might be different.”
Bean said there has been very little talk of next year as the team is totally focused on making the 2008 season the best it possibly can.
“We need to worry about what is going on now, getting all the pieces to fit together for a strong run here in the second half,” Bean said. “For me, I never imagined even running now where I am when I started back in La Crosse.
“At the end of last year, it was tough. We were a family-owned racing team (BlackJack Racing) trying to make it work. I never had a huge sponsor like this before, so when that happened it was a big deal. I am very happy to be a part of this. Nowadays, if you don’t have a sponsor, you won’t be running up front.”
Or at all.
That’s part of the reason Bean not only works hard to know his race car and the entire operation of Spreker Racing inside and out, but he’s taken the time to learn about his sponsor, too.
“A couple of weeks ago I was in Denver for an appearance, and I am coming up to Wisconsin in mid-August. The La Crosse PD (police department) switched over to Glock,” Bean said. “Having been to a number of these shows, I have learned a lot about Glock. Now, I find myself — whenever I see a police officer — look to see if they are carrying a Glock. They probably wonder what I am looking at their gun for.”
Bean knows winning an ARCA race — something he hasn’t done in three years in the series — would certainly be a bulls-eye for his career, and for his sponsor.
Jeff Brown can be reached at (608) 791-8403, or at jbrown@lacrossetribune.com
