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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 2001)
OCTOBER 15, 2001 Smoke Signals 7 c ll I Tribal Members Are in the Family Business of Racing Cars Brothers go head to head on the track this summer. we t V- I, Race Ready Mark Shandy recently won "Rookie of the Year" honors after completing his first season as a driver. By Willie Mercier As the cars roll into position the crowd tenses. The green flag drops and they're off. Engines howl as the cars at Wil lamette Speedway in Lebanon, just east of Corvallis, race around the track, each one vying for the cov eted first place. Two Tribal members, brothers Todd and Mark Shandy, are among those being watched. Family and friends fill the stands as the two take to the track. Many are here every week on Saturday night. "I get excited, nervous and enthu siastic," said Todd's wife Tammy Shandy. Todd has been racing off and on at the speedway for 15 years. "It's an adrenaline rush," said Todd about the way he feels at the starting line. Todd credits his father, Rollie Shandy, for getting him started. Rollie used to race when Todd was younger. "I do it for the whole family, they like it, it's what we do in the sum mer," said Todd about why he con tinues to race. "I just get excited watching them," said Todd and Mark's mother and Tribal Elder Louise Coulson of her going to the raceway. She is at the races every weekend. Mark was always there to set up the car for his younger brother Todd, but this year Mark decided to get behind the wheel. "He (Mark) has always wanted to race," said Coulson, the mother of the two siblings. In his first year as a driver Mark pulled away from the rest of the pack of first year driv ers by bringing home the "Rookie of the Year" award. He came in MHnBaMlMliaillll,'IM rv-f 1 ; . ' J- ' ' ' " 7 ' V ,', . i" A' mm. -mm - "- ' Bad Attitude Todd Shandy just completed another season racing at Wil lamette Speedway in Lebanon. He has been behind the wheel of a racecar for the last 15 years. ninth overall for the season. "It makes him happy" said Mariah Shandy, Mark's wife, when asked what she thinks of Mark racing. So how did the veteran racer Todd fare this year? He came in fifth for the season. They do it for fun and for the fam ily that come to watch," said Tammy Shandy. "I couldn't imagine life with out racing, our daughters love it, they are the reason that Todd still does it, they help him at home with the car and they just really enjoy it." Both brothers have been involved with more than just their own cars too. Todd helped build three of the racecars that are on the track ev ery week and will help build an other this year. The brothers also help maintain roughly 15 cars that they race against. "It's like a big family," said Tammy. "If you need a car part and someone has an extra they will loan it to you, they would rather have the competition." "We are all buddies, it's a good group of people to hang with," said Todd of his peers. So what did mom think when Todd came to her the first time to tell her that he was going to race? "No, you can't do that, you know how parents worry," she said. Now she has to worry not only about the two sons that are already into the racing, but her youngest son Gregg is also thinking about getting into a car of his own. Gregg, who lives in San Diego at the mo ment, participated in a few races in Lebanon and is thinking of mov ing back to Oregon where he will consider joining his older siblings on the racetrack. Rolston Finishes Another Racing Season in Banks, Oregon Tribal member is still the youngest driver in his class. 1 I By Justin Phillips "It's not what you drive; it's how you drive it," said Tribal member Nathan Rolston after putting the finishing touches on another rac ing season at the Sunset Speedway in Banks, Oregon. Rolston had just finished the 2001 season, which annually runs from April through the end of August. Rolston and his teammate Andy Hoyt together form R & H Racing. They compete in the Street Stock Class along with 22 other drivers. Rolston mostly does the driving while Hoyt does the "wrenching." Wrenching is racing lingo for mechanical work done on the racecar. Rolston and Hoyt race a 1979 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. In the specific event they race, the rules are that the frame of the car has to be all original steel and sheet metal. There is to be no fiberglass used on the car in any place. "All parts of the engine have to be steel," said Rolston. "The track inspector comes around and uses a magnet on the engine. If the magnet doesn't stick on something, you can't race." As the same with last year's racing season, Rolston, 21, is still the young est driver to climb into a car in his class. When Rolston can't be present at the race, Hoyt takes the wheel. The start of the evening consists of "hot laps" used for the "shake down" of the car. Hot laps involve the process of packing the dirt on the track and warm up of the cars. Shake down is the checking of the car inter nally and externally to make sure everything is working. Behind the Wheel Tribal member Nathan Rolston of Tillamook recently completed another season of racing his Monte Carlo in the Street Stock Class and has been sporting a new, patriotic helmet this year. 1 V ? V The racers are divided J up and will be ready to n Lw involve between seven perform heat races, which 1 and eight cars. The heat races will determine who will race in what position for the main events. The main events are A-main and B-main. A-main is the top four cars from the heat races. B-main con sists of all other cars that were outside of top four in the heat race. "This basically determines how well you perform in the heat races," said Rolston. Rolston and Hoyt had an unfortunate accident the second to the last race this season an accident that almost put them out for the rest of the year. "It happened so fast I don't remember it," said Rolston. "The crash broke our radiator support bars, bent the frame of the car on the left side, smashed the hood straight up and broke the rear end housing." Rolston and Hoyt would like to thank their sponsors for the support they have given them over the season. A special thanks goes out to Marvin Grout Trucking, (grandpa of Rolston), Hoyt Farms (Hoyt's family owned business), Allen Farms, Radio Shack of Tillamook, Tillamook Tire, Strong Metals, Pingel's Muffler Shop in Tillamook and Extreme Air in McMinnville. "It was a really good learning season," said Rolston. R & H Racing will be waiting for the green flag when next season starts. "Each year we learn from our mistakes," said Rolston. "With experi ence, determination and dedication, we will rise to the top." si i E E 8 5