Sheboygan, Wisconsin, native Brody Rivest, 29, built a new sport compact so he could travel. He wanted to go beyond the Badger State and race against some of the best in America that wheel four-cylinder stock cars.
Rivest’s first venture away from home occurred this past week, competing in the Bristol Dirt Nationals. He posted incredibly respectable results. A fourth on Tuesday. Followed by a second on Wednesday. Another fourth on Thursday. Unfortunately, he wound up finishing 19th, with a DNF on Saturday. Nevertheless, three top fives … and, also, three engines.
“I blew up a motor in practice, after five laps — it was brand-new, and now it’s junk,” Rivest said. “We then put in last year’s motor, which has been around for six seasons. [On Wednesday,] it popped out of third gear in the middle of the corner. I bent a few valves, because it overrevved. On Thursday night, I ran with bent valves, and I was still able to compete with it. I didn’t realize it was as damaged as it was.”
Rivest put feelers out on Facebook for another engine. Jaxson Keith, whom Rivest met through a Facebook group, rose to the occasion.
“He messaged me that his dad has a couple of motors lying around,” said Rivest. “I called the guy up and said, ‘Could you deliver them to the rental house we’re at?’ The owner of the rental house was okay with us doing motor swaps there, right in the garage.”
Unfortunately, this story does not have a fairy-tale ending. Brody Rivest struggled with the car stalling out during Saturday’s feature, and his night ended when it wouldn’t restart. Nevertheless, Rivest enjoyed his first significant foray beyond Wisconsin.
“We might take a few weeks off — it’s been a heck of a week,” Rivest said. “We’re pretty exhausted.”
The Outside Groove Executive Editor has covered motorsports since 2000. His many awards include the 2019 Eastern Motorsport Press Association (EMPA) Jim Hunter Writer of the Year and the 2013 Russ Catlin Award for Excellence in Motorsports Journalism.
