Dylan Hoch finished second in points for both the sportsman and crate 602 sportsman modified classes at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania. He helped fund those efforts by racing his slingshot (“Dylan Hoch: Funding the Sportsman with a Slingshot”). This year, his co-worker Michael Thomas offered him a wingless 360 sprint car ride to run the USAC East Coast Sprint Cars circuit.
“Taking the car out on the track Saturday [during a practice day at Grandview Speedway] was surprising,” Hoch, of Mertztown, Pennsylvania, said. “I knew where to find the sportsman line I usually run, and I was able to pick up bite and get the feeling for the sprint car. The sprint car is a lot lighter and moves quicker than the sportsman.
“I learned quickly how much the throttle controls the car. Without a wing, there is little downforce for traction. I never had that much [horsepower] behind my throttle when driving my other cars. The key to success is keeping it locked down to the track.”
Both Hoch and Thomas work for Mack Trucks. They chatted about the types of cars they’ve raced over the years. Thomas, of Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, mentioned to Hoch that he thought about stepping back as a driver. Hoch talked about ways for Thomas to remain in the sport. Thomas then offered his coworker a chance to drive his sprint car.
Hoch and Thomas have yet to finalize all the details of their deal. However, they have an idea of how the season will go.
Hoch brings sponsors to the ride and covers some of the expenses. Thomas and his team prepare the sprint car. Hoch continues to race his sportsman modified at Grandview Speedway and at USAC East Coast Sprint Cars shows that have that division. He will also help on the slingshot driven by his brother, Tyler, at Action Track USA in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.
“Driving someone else’s car absolutely gets into my head,” said Hoch. “I treat my own equipment well, but I may take more chances on the track. But, I don’t want to put these guys in the position where they have to repair things on the car because of something I did.”
Mike Adaskaveg has written hundreds of stories since the website’s inception. This year marks his 54th year of covering auto racing. Adaskaveg got his start working for track photographer Lloyd Burnham at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway in 1970. Since then, he’s been a columnist, writer, and photographer, in racing and in mainstream media, for several outlets, including the Journal Inquirer, Boston Herald, Stock Car Racing, and Speedway Illustrated. Among Adaskaveg’s many awards are the 1992 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Ace Lane Photographer of the Year and the 2019 National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) George Cunningham Writer of the Year.
