Against a large field of Bicknell modifieds, John Willman wheeled a Teo Pro Car to victory lane. The win at Grandview Speedway reminded people that not only Teo Pro Car still exists, but it can still be successful.
“I only know of one other Teo chassis at Grandview — not a newer model RXD,” Willman, of Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, said. “In ’21 I needed a chassis, and Matt Hearn got me a car. I’ve stuck to the brand out of loyalty.”
Willman admitted he feels alone, sometimes, at races.
“I’m an island sometimes,” said Willman. “There are no other Teo drivers to talk to.”
Willman’s win at Grandview wasn’t the only one for Teo last weekend. In total, there was five:
- Jared LaBagh in a sportsman at Afton Motorsports Park
- Brian Krummel in a sportsman at Orange County Fair Speedway
- Bryan Tinnelly in a limited sportsman at Accord Speedway
- Wayne Weaver in a sportsman at Bridgeport Motorsports Park
Teo does not have the numbers like Bicknell, but it does enjoy a loyal legion of supporters.
“Our cars are put together completely different than our competition,” said Teo’s Cale Van Noordt. “Every Bicknell car is a cut and paste. Ours are a lot different.”
In recent years, Teo has diversified its operations, laser cutting metal for a variety of purposes, but it remains committed to racing.
“A lot of ingenuity goes into our cars — that’s why they look so different than the others,” Van Noordt said. “Start with aero. Our bodies have more bends, more bead rolls, more support, and are more aerodynamic.”
The chassis is also different.
“We use shorter radius rods on the front end,” said Van Noordt. “People are trying to replicate our short rod brackets to put on Bicknell chassis. Our parts are different. For example, our motor plates are built so they can be angled.”
John Willman believes he may find more drivers running a Teo Pro Car.
“I heard about all the races they have been winning and finishing up front in, mostly in New York this year,” Willman said. “All they need is for a top-name driver, and the landscape may change.”
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.
