From Racer to Race Director

        He is the man behind the scenes. The one with the headphones on and the stern face.  Watching all the racing action from up high. Every lap, every bumper tap, every caution, he sees it all every Saturday night. 

He is the race director. The referee if you will of Saturday night racing at your local short track. Ignored mostly by the fans below and often by the drivers on the track, until the caution flies. It is the race director who ‘calls the ball’.

Who was at fault in the racing incident?

Was it simply a racing accident or did one driver knock another out of the way and cause the wreck.

It is the Race Director’s thankless job to decide. It’s his job to ensure that all racers ‘play fair’.

Finding the ‘right’ person for the job can be tough. How can that person in the tower really know what was going on in the driver’s minds at the time of the incident. Video replays tell a lot but they only go so far.

The answer to this age-old dilemma, according to some local tracks is to hire a former track champion. In effect, putting an old fox in charge of the chicken coop to protect the hens. These former drivers know all the tricks and techniques used to make a pass because they have either been tempted to do the tricks themselves or had these tricks done to them during their racing careers. The former champs also know what goes on in a racer’s mind in a race. That knowledge is something that must be experienced first-hand. There are no words to describe that combination of adrenaline, calculation, stress, fiery determination and joy that courses through a racer body in the heat of battle unless you’ve strapped on the helmet yourself.  That wealth of knowledge is invaluable up in the tower when making the call following a racing incident.

So, how does a former racer make the transition from racer to race director?

I interviewed two who have made the transition. Both come from different backgrounds but both past champions have been selected by their respective tracks to become race directors by virtue of their seat time and supposed ability to be able to put themselves behind the wheel when they are watching the video playbacks.

Dave Michaels- Wall Stadium Speedway Race Director

6 Time Modified Champion at Wall Stadium Speedway

RE: Now that you're no longer a weekly racer, how has your perspective changed now that you're on the other side of the glass?

DM “A lot changed a lot now. Now that I'm in there (The Tower) I can see what we tried to get away with when I was a driver and the different complaints. I didn't realize how bad we were on the officials. I never realized how hard it was for the officials until I experienced it. And it's not easy job.

RE: So what are the biggest challenges of being a race director?

DM: My initial thing when I got into the tower was policing the pushing going into corners, I have never liked it. I don't like that NASCAR allows it. To me, it's a cheap pass, anybody can go into corner and not use their brakes.

The first year I was race director, we only had nine weeks of racing and the first half of that, I was like kind of intimidated, and I was nervous doing the job. But as the year went on, I got a little better. But it seems like and I've heard from a couple of modified owners saying I've earned, I'm starting to earn people's respect, and they're paying attention to me now. I guess in the past, the people that are up in the tower were letting anything happened and the inmates are kind of running the asylum.

RE: So you think you're getting a little bit more respect now is because you were a former driver and understand their perspective.

DM: I think that definitely helps. Because there are things that happen on a track, I don't make a harsh call. I'll say that was just a racing deal. And I believe that I can tell easier than somebody who's just sat in the stands all their lives, who things happen on the track and why it happened. And I can also tell when something was intentionally done. So it does help to have seat time, when making the calls.

RE: So do you ever like put yourself in that driver's helmet? And think though, what would I do if I was that person?

DM: Absolutely. As long as I seen it, I pretty much know what my goal is going to be. But a lot of times I'll review the video playback Just to reassure myself that I saw what I thought I saw, and there are times when I didn't see certain things and I had to go back and I will watch the tape over and over and over. Sometimes my people will say, well, this happened. And I’ll say No, that's not what really happened.

To me it’s like, it's just seat of the pants driving. I can see things happen on the track and I know when people were trying to get away with stuff. For instance, there is what I call the ‘cue ball Shot’. Say there are three cars and the third place guy pushed the second place guy into the leader and spins him. Some who see that may say that the second place guy did it. But it was, in essence, the third place guy’s fault.  So I mean, there's things that I've that I know, in my heart and from experience in racing, I know how they're happening. And it makes it easier for me to make a call having that experience as a racer.

RE: So you would say being a former championship winning driver is definitely a very good thing to have going to a race director position.

DM: Absolutely.

RE: Did you ask for the position or were you asked to do it?

I was on the couch one Sunday.  Harry Reed called me up. He asked if I ever thought about being a race director. I said, I've never even thought about doing it. Let me talk to my wife and I called him back a couple hours later. And I said, ‘Well, what's it entail?’ And he told me.  He said, they need somebody up there (in the tower) with some racing experience. He said the past two or three guys didn’t have any actual experience behind the wheel and when making the calls were either letting things slide or making stuff stupid, overly aggressive calls because they're not really sure what happened and they (Wall Management) said they need somebody with some racing experience.’ Harry thought about me. So I told Harry I would do it if asked. He had Emily (Krause) the track manager call me and I took the position and I enjoy doing it.

RE: What was the most appealing aspect that made you say I want to be a race director?

DM: I think trying to right the ship and from what I'm being told by different car owners, Modified owners and it’s going in the right direction. And I'd have to say that what I'm most happy about is what we've accomplished.

The first few weeks of the opening season people were trying to give us (officials) push back on the issue of pushing in the corner and I kept having talks with the drivers. I set people down for doing it and it's finally come around to where they're paying attention to me and they respect my decisions.

For the most part when they come to the tower, and I explained why I did what I did and I show them the playback, 90% of them are okay with it. You still got some you can't convince even when he showed me the black and white and Modified owners that talked to me frequently tell me that I have the most thankless job in the whole place. I can make nine good decisions out of ten and they're going to hate me. It’s the name of the position.

Have you had any race any relationships ruined by you being raised director now? What was that like you at one time you're friends with everybody in the garage area has been erased director ruin any of your relationships or have they improved?

DM: I'm not there to make enemies or friends. I want to I try to be fair across the board I think the best that pit Stewart I ever knew was Tom O’Rourke. Love him or hate him, the guy was the same weekend and week out. He didn't change his calls whatever he would do to you this week he did somebody else next week it didn't change from week to week and that's what I try to do. I try to stay even keel across the board and make the same decisions week in and week out with the best of my ability

RE: Do you wish that you were still driving?

DM: One of my friends once said, I’ve got a ride for you if you want to do Turkey Derby (the annual November race at Wall Stadium).  I asked my wife and she says flat out “No”. She said “you've had a good career. You did a lot of things you never really got hurt bad. Why would you risk it get back in and have something happened and we all know stuff can happen.”

So I was still sitting on the fence and thinking, I want to do it because I know my reactions are still there and although I don't think I got the stamina to go 40 laps with these guys but I think would be fun. But the one thing that really made me not do it was my talk with Tony Sisonke.

I said Tony, what would you do? He said “I know you went out on top and you've had a really good career. The people that saw your race then thought you were a good driver. But if you get in a car today and you're not up to par, all the people that have never seen your race are going to say what is this guy doing in a racecar? How did he win so many races and have so many records and championships with driving like that?’

Tony (Sisonke) said, ‘it's up to you. But ultimately, people are going to remember you by your last race.” I thought, “You know what it makes sense. So while I would love to have gotten back in the car, my oldest daughter saw me race a lot but my youngest really never saw me race. So it wouldn't have been nice to do it for her, but you don't want her to remember me as running in the back of the pack.”

RE: Do you have to prepare at all during the week for your Saturday night job as race director?

DM: No, I just talk to my pit Stewart Jeff Tice about how things went last week. Sometimes I'll have conversations with Emily (Krause). Maybe something happened from a prior week, so we have to go over it just so we're all on the same page. We don't want to look like idiots up there at the drivers meeting with three different opinions. We all have to be on the same page. But pretty much like I said, the first season I was very nervous and apprehensive but now it's just walk in, put my headset on and go to work.

RE: How do you decide what to say in the drivers meeting?

DM: Most times, we just go over something that happened the previous week. I used to take notes but now I just kind of think about all week long. It's like getting mental notes. But pretty much got it over my head what I want to say like if there was an issue, For instance, opening night, we had some issues with restarts. There a thing that needed to be addressed about restarts. The guys are pushing the restart before the line or the second place cars is leading the leader.   I want the front row to be even when they go into turn four for the start. Then there are different things such as when we had the issue of the Sportsman drivers constantly crashing into each other. I've had to have private meetings with several of those drivers. I actually called them to the pit shack after the heat races and gave him a little lecturing because they were just driving like raw rookies.  But generally with drivers meetings, I try to have it all in my head and make sure that my pit steward and Emily (Krause) and I are all on the same page.

RE: Do you think that the racing a wall has changed a lot since you were champion?

DM: One thing I will say is there's no respect between drivers on the track like there used to be, I don't know how many issues I had with Jimmy and John (Blewett). I mean, we were friends off the racetrack. We didn’t always like each other but we respected each other as racers. We respecting each other's driving ability but we didn't always see eye to eye on how many times we've been banged on each other. But we're respected each other because just how it was back and growing up.

But since then, I noticed at the end of my career that with the newer generation that was coming up, there's just no respect. I don't know if it's because of what they see on Sunday with NASCAR. ‘With the boys have at it’ philophy. I do not agree with that.  It just seems like they see this on Sunday and they think well, its okay on TV. It's okay for me to do it at my short track and it's not. That's why I like opening night, first year that my pet peeve was no beaten going into corner.

I’ve had old time racers come up to me and agree with my idea on this. You pass a guy clean. That's how racing is supposed to be. It's not drive into a guy going into corner and move the driver, that's not a pass and I've tried to teach some of the younger Sportsmen drivers.

They would come to me and like, ‘We can't pass clean with these motors. We had to move them to pass them.’ I said, No, you don't.  I will tell him, ‘When you go into a Corner, lift a little bit early. Then you can get back in the gas quicker.’

  I remember one of those young drivers I talked to ended up winning that night.  He came to me later and told me that what I said worked.

I often tell the younger drivers “I know what I’m talking about, listen to me, I'm not going to steer you wrong.”  I do go around and try to tutor some of the younger guys. And then on championship point’s night, I always go around and wish the top three in point’s good luck and give a little pointers to the more inexperienced drivers on how to stay out of trouble. So hopefully, I'm staring them (the younger, more inexperienced drivers) in the right direction.

ME: So do you think that mentoring the youngsters is one of your favorite parts of being a race director?

DM: Yes and generally it’s the younger kids that come up and have a beef with me. The older drivers just take their punishment and don't have any complaints. Very seldom is it the one of the older generation complains. They know in their heart if they screwed up, and they just accept it. The next week, they might give me their opinion but there is no arguing or complaining.

It's usually the younger kids that get headstrong and think that I don't know what I'm talking about.

I remember one night a kid came up in the tower, to the front desk and complained about one of my calls.  Emily happened to be standing nearby. The kid said “Dude, do you have any idea what's even going on out there (on the racetrack)?  Have you ever been in a racecar?’ I was just staring at the kid when Emily said “Do you know who he is? He’s got eight Modified championships here!” At that the kid’s jaw dropped. He's like, ‘Oh, okay’ from then on he listened to what I had to say.

DM: I don't have a whole lot of people coming to the tower after a race these days like in the beginning. I may get a couple visitors a night but, that's about it. I think they realize now my way is my way. This is what I want you to do. If you abide by the way I want it then we're good and it just seems to be less and less visitors to the tower.”

Mahoning Valley’s Race Director Randy Schlenker is the son of a former race and race director at Mahoning Valley David Schlecker. He is also a former Mahoning Valley Speedway racer with two Street Stock championships and two  Pro 4 championships

RE: Now that you're no longer racing on a week to week basis has your perspective changed now that you're on the other side of the glass?

RS: It's a lot more relaxing for me on the weekends, any racer will tell you that their work is never done before the race. Whether it’s repairing from the previous week or getting prepared ahead of the coming week, it never ends. Being in the control room is definitely a different perspective when I go to the track on a Saturday.

It used to be as a racer I was on the go Saturday from the second I left the bed until the time I hit the pillow, but now it’s a little more relaxed in one aspect. On the other hand, it’s more demanding because there is much to be done during the week at the track.

RS: As a kid, I was hanging around with my father at the racetrack and so many, many times sitting in the press box with my dad and sitting in the pit shack after a race. So, you know, for me being in my first year's race director, I can't say it's my first go around, I've kind of been around. You know, as a kid, I was around watching what the officials had to go through and working behind the scenes.

Whereas a racecar driver,  all I concern myself with was racing. So each one has its pros and cons. so absolutely it’s different behind the scenes.

Plus As your kids get older, your priorities change a little bit as far as money and free time

RE: So did your dad teach you the ropes of how to be a race director?

RS: Yeah, he gave me some pointers. To be honest with you when I told him what I was doing, he said ‘Are you nuts?’ yeah, he gave me some pointers and you know, like I said, as a kid I kind of watch some behind the scenes stuff. 

ME Does being a former racer give you a better understanding of how to make the right call in the booth?

RS: you're never going to make everybody happy at a racetrack it's just not going to happen. There are guys that are racing there now that I raced with, that I don't really care for but it doesn't matter now because my job is to run a clean, fair race.  If I see something that's not correct, I’m going to call somebody on it.

 I don't want to see people get dumped to gain a position, even at the top level in NASCAR racing. I hate when I see a driver just dump a guy to win on the last lap. That’s not racing to me. Unfortunately, I that kind of stuff even in quarter midgets. When you see a guy clearly knocks someone out of the way for the win. At the top level whatever unfortunately dwindles down all levels. Some say that’s exciting. To me, that's not exciting. That's not racing. That's just wrecking people to get a win.

RE: So do you try coaching and teaching racers and let them know how you feel?

RS: This past weekend, I saw something I didn’t like on the track and I talked to a couple of guys about it Saturday night and said basically ‘I know you don't want to win a race like that. You know you don’t. Win clean.’

I know you get more respect from the racecar drivers if you don’t race over aggressive like that. I know racing People forget in the heat of the moment that they will be racing with these same guys the next week.   So I don’t really want to be the coach and I don't want to be like their dad either.  I just want to make it known for everybody what I tolerate and what I don't tolerate.

I tell them, it’s a tight track and it's very quick and things happened very quickly. I understand how track is like.  I understand what it’s like to race on that surface and through those corners. But some of the stuff I see on the track, is just blatant and so I call them on it.

RE: So do you think they respect you more since you've been behind the wheel? Do you think  they are more inclined to listen to you than let's say anyone just watched racing?

RS: Well, to be honest, I’m still getting use to the role.

Obviously,  you're not going to make everybody happy. But I think being consistent every week with making the judgment calls and so on so forth. If it's a call against somebody and they're not happy with it. At the end of the day, if the shoe was on the other foot, I would hope they would respect that I made that same call against that other person. So the race director is never, how would you say, a pleasant job? Because somewhere along the line, you're putting the hammer down on somebody, and they're not going to like that. So, I don't want to sound like a strict dictator or anything like that. I want to known as fair. But in the end, I just want to clean, hard racing.

I’ve heard drivers say things like ‘Well, I’m not coming back again.

Well that’s not the answer.  The answer is, ‘Let's, let's think of what we did and let's go forward’ because, unfortunately, racetracks are closing left and right and once they're closed, they don't reopen. Plus, why spend hundreds and 1000s of dollars to repair damage, that doesn't mean need to be torn up. It adds up fast. So there is no need to purposely knock someone out of the way and damage their car just to get a position.

RE: So why did you decide to become a race director?

RS: Actually, I was shocked how it all came about. I got a phone call one Sunday around January or February (2022) from Dino (Oberto) about if it would be any issue with having a Hall of Fame race for my dad. I said honestly, I'm sure he would really appreciate that because my parents are getting up in age and they got health issues. My dad ended up having two heart attacks from October to Christmas time. So he was kind of down in the dumps. When I gave my dad a call and told him what they (Mahoning Valley Speedway) were going to do for him. My God, it's like, he was 30 years younger, and he had pep in his voice again. He was very appreciative of it. Well, the next week, I was on the phone with Todd Berret just talking about random stuff he asked me ‘Would you be interested in being the race director?’

Well, you know, let me think about this for a while, because my nephew was still racing and I was helping him. The other thing and I thought to myself, you know what, I want to be involved with racing. That would be a way to be involved with it. I like a challenge, so I thought why not.  Because I would still be involved in racing as a race director. My dad thought I was nuts for saying yes.

RE: okay, so what do you think your biggest challenge so far has been in the few that times that you've been race director

RS: First off it’s a learning curve. My first race didn’t go as smoothly as I would have liked. We can't really say it was as just one thing. It was a lot of things that just added up.

The last few Saturday things went kind of smoothly. Every week gets better. 

One Saturday I saw some stuff happen on track and I had to make a couple of calls that guys weren't happy about it. But the thing is, like I said earlier today, at the end of the day, if you're consistent with the calls, nobody can point to complain that they're not trying to be fair. I am trying to keep everything on an even playing field to the show. You know, you're going to have your hiccups here they're nobody's perfect. I'm not perfect. Racecar drivers aren’t perfect. Its just a matter of working at being better work every week no matter what you do whether you job is. Or what you are doing.

Many who have never actually driven a race car may look at a racing incident and wonder what the heck was that $#%$ driver thinking when he did that, there are many racers who can look at the same incident and ruefully know what was going through that driver’s mind. More and more tracks are looking to former drivers to sort the mess out front the control tower and finding satisfaction with the job they are doing. Sometimes it takes a former seasoned driver to understand what goes on behind the wheel in the heat of battle and thus ensure a fair playing field for all.

                                         xxxx