Chub Frank: A Championship Year
By DOC LEHMAN

No one can accuse Chub Frank of being a lazy man.

He spent the past 2000 season traveling with the Renegade STARS Racing Series on his way to his first sanction championship title and if that wasn’t enough, there was a smattering of UDTRA and MACS events he competed in, let alone winning some of them. Now with the season over he is fill bore into building a new home for himself and his lady, Mary, doing a majority of the work himself. Anyone who has done that knows it’s on your mind 24-7, even discounting all the actual work and time and effort one must expend.

Frank, a product of the ultra-tough Eriez-Stateline circuit, spend many years reaching the top of the “local” region out of his Sugar Grove,PA base of operations. For years Frank raced, and won, at Eriez Speedway, Stateline Speedway, Raceway 7 and McKean County. One thing all those tracks have in common is the talent. Those race tracks have produced, and continue to produce, some of the toughest and most competitive groups of racers in the country. Frank’s roots are steeped in an abundance of outstanding  competition. He spent his formidable years racing with some of the baddest-to-the-bone racers which made Frank all the better. It was perfect grooming for the step up to traveling series. Chub Frank proved that beyond question this past season.

He has, since his early years, steadily became a fan favorite, well beyond his original boundaries. People like Chub Frank. They root for him. Chub Frank represents the “blue collar” aspects of dirt track racing. And the blue collar fans, probably 80% of dirt Late Model racing’s fan base….relates. Plus Frank is just a dandy of a hard charger. Frank is the epitome of flat-footed racing. His wins across the sanction spectrum proves that. He can win anytime, anywhere, against anyone.

When I spoke with Frank last week, the day before he was to head to Indianapolis for the Renegade STARS Racing Series banquet where he would pick up his championship accolades, which included, among other things, $25,000, he seemed like the same old Chub Frank that I always seem to encounter: friendly, cordial, jovial.  A conversation with Chub Frank always lead to laughs, too. It always strikes me what a great attitude Frank always has. And winning a national championship title hasn’t altered Frank’s persona one iota.

“I wish I had time to think about it!” exclaimed Frank when asked how it felt to secure his first Renegade STARS Racing Series championship title. “It will probably hit me after the banquet. It’s a great deal for us, from where we started, to get here. It definitely makes me feel good.”

“For us we had an awesome year. This was the best year we ever had. We’ve had more wins, but not major wins, money wins. We won, what, ten or eleven races. Three of them were STARS, two of them were MACS and two of them were Hav-A-Tampa. It was a great year,it really was. Of course, racing is like gambling and it can all go away (laughs)!”

Frank seems to find a great deal of satisfaction in winning the STARS championship in only his second year of running the circuit full time. He has competed in STARS races for ten years on an occasional basis, but in 1999 he made a commitment to run the STARS full time and came away with a second place finish in points. This year he went all the way in a tight battle with “The Mayor of STARS”, Mike Balzano. Frank likes the series and isn’t afraid to espouse his fondness for the series.

“STARS is a good deal,” stated Frank. “We’ve run STARS off and on since 1990 but actually last year was when we started running all of them. It’s a good deal and you really get along good with the guys. Actually, I like that better than running local. I think it’s easier to run some of these traveling deals than it is the local deals.”

“One thing about (STARS) is they always guarantee their money. Hav-A-Tampa doesn’t even guarantee their money. I’ve seen (STARS) take a hit for $30-40,000 on a promoter’s bad deal and pay it right out of their pocket. You can’t as for more than that, guaranteeing the money. You don’t have to worry about getting paid.”

“And we get along with all them guys on the road. Even Walter (laughs)! Walter (Burson, tech director) likes to think he’s hard but he’s not really (laughs). But we like to be on the road. I’d rather do that. We have a good time and everyone on the crew get along. And being with all the guys on the road, it’s a pretty neat deal. And you get to meet a lot of people.”

The respect goes both ways between Frank and the renegade STARS Racing Series officials.

“Chub did a great job this year, he really did,” proclaimed Bret Emrick, Renegade STARS Racing Series Race Director and Public Relations Director. “With Chub it was the first time he ever got a championship with a touring series. He did a great job this year, he really did! I don’t have all the stats here in front of me but Chub made all 33 STARS races that we had this year. Was the only driver who failed to not finish a race in the 33 races. If memory serves me right I believe Chub had 29 top tens out of 33 feature events. And that’s just consistency, that’s what that is right there.”

“The thing about Chub is, he’s a hardnosed racer. There’s no quit in him. I guess that’s the best way to put it. I still say Todd Andrews probably had the best description of Chub. He said Chub is like that old proverbial pit bull. You think you got him knocked out and here he comes right back at you. But that’s just the way Chub is, too (laughs)!”

“Chub is a hard worker and the guys on his crew are hard workers. A lot of people still think that now he has done pretty well he’s got all kinds of money and is a big operator and stuff but that’s not the case. Chub still scrapes,let’s put it that way. That ‘Shoestring Traveler’ moniker can still stay with him (laughs)!”

Frank, like in 1999, spent 2000 racing Mike Balzano both on the track and for the points. It seemed like whenever you saw one, you saw the other. And it happened at races that weren’t STARS sanctioned, too. Frank and Balzano have formed a solid friendship and it appears they are comrades-in-arms, so to speak. They even pitted next to each other at a majority of the races they attended together. Frank has the utmost respect for Mike Balzano as a competitor and a friend.

“Mike is probably the toughest guy in the country to race against,” declared Frank. “I mean, people, I don’t think, give him as much credit as he deserves. He’s a clean racer and we get along good. We both have this thing about, when we aren’t racing STARS, like when we were at that Hav-A-Tampa race at Conneaut. We were walking away to get ready for the race and we both turned around at the same time, and we both said, ‘If I don’t win I hope you do’. Both at the exact same time! It was like, OK, Mike, that was scary (laughs)! We’ve been racing too much together (laughs)!”

“We race each other hard. This year I never had to race somebody so many time. We were usually first or second and it didn’t matter if we were running fifth or sixth, we were always running together on the race track. And it didn’t matter what series we were running. I probably ran 60 some races and probably 35 of them I ran side by side with Mike on the race track. That’s a lot!”

Frank is a loyal person. If you’re his friend, then you’re his friend and he’ll stick right by you. And the same goes for his choice of equipment he uses on the race tracks. Frank’s #1* is a Rocket Chassis powered by a Draime Racing Engine. And it goes beyond running quality equipment. Frank also has established close personal bonds with the people behind Rocket and Draime. He believes in their products and service and appreciates the respect he gets from them.

“With the Rockets, I’d say right now they are probably pretty much on top of the heap,” offered Frank. “I mean, right now it’s between them and GRT. And GRT cars are decent, but the biggest thing with the Rocket cars is you get more help. You get more help from the local guys. For some reason, if you take all the fastest guys in the Rocket cars and all the fast guys in the GRT cars, the top name drivers, take all of them out of the picture and you look at all the locals, that you know and that a lot of people maybe wouldn’t have heard of, are probably winning and probably in a Rocket car. Probably moreso than in GRT’s.”

“The other chassis builders are good and their guys are running good in them, but right now Rocket’s stuff is working. I remember when they didn’t have anything. No cars, no nothing. And right now they can’t keep up.”

Another factor in Frank’s success, a very important component in his rise to the top, is his powerplant of choice, Draime Racing Engines. Frank wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Draime, they’re right down the road from you, I’ve been with them probably ten years now,” explained Frank. “I wouldn’t trade! They treat me good and I have all the faith in the world with their motors. I very seldom have had a failure. And if I do have a failure they are upset about it, know what I mean? They’ll take care of their stuff if they think it’s their fault. There’s not too many motor builders who will do that. They’ve got a good reputation and they don’t want anything happening to their stuff.”

Frank is also quick to point out another extremely important factor in his success. His crew.

“They’re probably not going to get Crew of the Year because they got it last year at the STARS banquet,” said Frank. “You usually don’t get it two years in a row. This was our second year back to back we ran with STARS, the whole deal. And we ran 60 whatever races, and they (crew) haven’t had a DNF yet! So as far as I’m concerned they are crew of the year!”

The 38-year-old Frank is also quick to acknowledge the support he gets from his loyal and dedicated sponsors. During his 2000 STARS Championship title run Frank’s #1* carried sponsorship from Biscotti’s Restaurant, Corry Laser Technology, Rocket Chassis, Draime Racing Engines, MAC Trailer Mfg., HLH Trucking, Tuttle’s Diesel Repair, Flinner Signs, Big A Auto Parts, Nystrom’s Auto Sales and Carerra Shocks, among others. 

During the 2000 season Frank, besides running the entire STARS schedule, ran a slew of MACS, Hav-A-Tampa and other events, including a few local shows. He ran the whole gamut and was successful throughout the season. I asked him to look back over the season and think about what races or tracks really stood out.

“Oh, man, well, let’s see, like Portsmouth and stuff like that, we had such good luck there and won some races and had a car that dominated,” replied Frank. “The Hav-A-Tampa races, even though they are not STARS, the Hav-A-Tampa races at Conneaut, that was a big win for us.”

Frank also had good memories of Wayne County Speedway. During a one year period Frank won a STARS, MACS and Hav-A-Tampa race at Wayne County Speedway. I commented to Frank that he apparently “owns” WCS.

“I don’t know why that is (laughs)!” exclaimed Frank. “I just like the track. I used to hate it but it’s totally different the last two years. And of course our cars are, too. There are places I used to hate to go to. Used to hate to go to Portsmouth. Used to hate to go to Hagerstown and places like that where it got real slippery. But once you get your car where they run good at those places then it’s a lot of fun to race there. But at Wayne County, the track is so nice to race on. You can race all over that track. He (Wayne Phillips) definitely works on that surface. It’s a great surface.”

Another event that stands out in Frank’s mind, and, no doubt, the minds of a couple hundred plus other dirt Late Model racers, is a weekend spend in the beautiful region of Eastern Tennessee. Even though he didn’t win, it still is a feature race that has had impact.  At a “unique” race track called Bristol. 

“I think the one that could have been the best but was the worst was Bristol,” Frank flatly stated. “I think we had a good chance of winning that race but that deal fell apart when the wheel fell off. I never thought we had it in the bag but I thought we had a good chance at Bristol. That one probably hurt the worse.”

“We did everything we said we were going to do. We wanted to go there and make the show but when we were in the race and starting up front, I thought, well, I just want to lead that first lap, which we did. You can’t run a 100 laps at a place like that and expect your car to live. You kind of have to take it easy and see what happens.”

“But the problem is when you are running there, when you take it easy, you are still running wide open (laughs)! And you’re still running 145 miles per hour in the corners (laughs)! You just got to try and find a line in the race track that takes it the easiest on the equipment, but be able to gas on it as hard as you can. We waited until 60 to 70 laps into the race when everybody was having trouble and picked the pace up and then in about five or six laps the wheel broke. But that’s just one of those things that happen.”

Still, Frank and the team must have learned a great deal during that historic June weekend that will better serve them for a return appearance in 2001. The experience should make them better prepared.

“One thing,” quipped Frank. “The wheels won’t fall off (laughs)! Something else might happen but that won’t happen (laughs)!”

For months you couldn’t talk to any dirt Late Model racer without the subject of Earl Baltes’ ELDORA MILLION race eventually dominating the conversations. And since the postponement until next June the conversations haven’t diminished one bit. How could they? And Frank is like every other driver I’ve spoken with…grateful, amazed and impressed with Earl Baltes’ history making promotion. And while Frank definitely respects the track and the competitors, and acknowledges the daunting task of just MAKING the race, one gets the feeling Chub Frank has an underlying confidence about Earl Baltes’ historic extravaganza.

“The biggest thing is getting in the race,” explained Frank. “If you can get in, you can win it. Getting in…(laughs)…that’s a battle! That’s the hardest part. The race is easy. Just like at THE DREAM this year. We got in the race, that was the hardest part. The race was easy once you’re in it, know what I’m saying? You can still have a tough time, but there’s no pressure, unless you’re going for the win and it’s a million dollars!”

“Then you might have a little pressure (laughs)! If you had to lead that whole race, that might be a little tough. We sure could use it (million dollars)! If you can get in you’ve got a good chance. You’ve got a 26-1 shot so that’s a lot better than the lottery.”

Should Chub Frank win the ELDORA MILLION you can bet he will always remain, to his fans, the “people’s racer”. Frank’s rise to the top hasn’t soured race fans one bit as his fan base grows with every race. And it grows out of a combination of obvious talent, blue collar beginnings, paid-in-full-dues, and a friendly, “everyman” demeanor and attitude. Chub Frank enjoys his life, his sport and the fans. And it shows.

“Chub is a fine representative for STARS,” stated Bret Emrick. “Chub did pretty much anything we asked of him this year from the P.R. end of it. He was always willing to do it, never any questions. He gets along great with the fans. During the KENTUCKY DIRT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP, on the second day, we had an autograph session going on that day and Chub was one of the first ones over there. There were a lot of fans that wanted his autograph and their pictures taken and all that. Chub’s really good at that. He’ll take the time to talk to the fans and things.”

But for the time being Chub Frank can bask in his Renegade STARS Racing Series Championship. Chub Frank is one of the big dogs, no doubt. He has achieved a lot and, if you wanted to be  a nit-picker, about all that’s left for Frank to accomplish in the sport is one of the crown jewels, like THE MASTERS, SHOW ME 100, THE DREAM or even the ELDORA MILLION, as examples. Regardless, Chub Frank, is at the top of the game and he earned the accolades the old fashioned way….by earning it.

Frank is ahead of schedule as far as preparations for 2001 go. He has to be with the time-consuming effort it takes to construct a new home. But Frank will have all his ducks in a row when 2001 rolls around and looks to build on what he has accomplished in 2001. He will return to defend his Renegade STARS Racing Series championship and run as many UDTRA, MACS and other events as possible. Another 60 plus race schedule is not out of the question. In fact, there may be more. But Chub Frank and his team will be ready. You can count on it.

“We’ll do the same thing,” Frank said when asked about his winter preparations and plans for 2001. “Luckily the car we ran in Florida only has three or four races on it. It’s actually pretty much ready to go. Just need to do some maintenance. And we’ve got a new car coming in January. The other two cars we had we sold. We’ll go with two cars next year. We’re pretty much ready to go. We could actually be ready to go in a couple days. Just need to make sure everything is stocked in the trailer and stuff. The car needs gone over and everything but for the most part one car is ready to go. We really don’t have any work to do until we get the new car.”

But you can bet your bottom dollar when the first green flag of the 2001 season waves in East Bay, Chub Frank will be locked and loaded. And headed for the front.

 

© 2000 DOC LEHMAN/DirtAmerica!

December 3, 2000