By Doc Lehman
Consider the case of Randy Korte.
The Highland, IL dirt Late Model racer, not that long ago, was about to hang up his helmet. After years of racing locally in his region, Korte was just about done with the sport as an owner-driver until one of those proverbial “deals of a lifetime” came along in the guise of Don Goddard, a prominent car owner, who offered Korte the seat of his car and a chance to go national with the (UDTRA) Xtreme Dirt Car Series.
Since that time Korte, with renewed hunger, drive and resolve, has vaulted past his regional star status to become a national star and contender in the world of dirt Late Model racing. And not only a contender, but a winner as well.
Korte, who could best be representative of “everyman”, is one of those drivers who you can’t help but root for. Humble, down-to-earth, the devoted family man is all substance and talent, but you won’t find an egotistical chump. Korte is a decent, reserved even, husband, father and racer who wouldn’t toot his own horn under threat of gunfire.
<img src="http://www.stlracing.com/racepixs/image002.jpg">
But he’s all racer, that’s what he likes and what he does well. Exceptionally well. And he’s found a home on the Xtreme Dirt Car Series traveling road show that crisscrosses the country. With a excellent 2002 season behind him (he scored two Xtreme wins, four top 5’s, seven top 10’s, two poles and seventh in final point standings) Korte looks ahead anxiously to the 2003 season, his third “on the road” with the series.
“We’re going to run the Xtreme series and then just jump around when they aren’t running and try and run some other races,” explained Korte, 37. “I really like the series. I’m not a real big fan of running for points but I do like running with the series because I think the way they do things and the way they run the deal, it’s the best one out there.”
“I feel like right now they are the only ones out there trying to somewhat fight the traction control stuff. I don’t know if they are getting anywhere but at least they are making an effort where all the other series are basically making it legal and I think that’s kind of taking the racing from the drivers anymore. The other ones, like Southern Allstars and UMP, it’s basically legal and at least these guys are trying to make an effort to do something about it.”
Even though 2003 is underway, Korte was asked about his 2002 season.
“That made us feel great,” responded Korte when quizzed on his successful ’02 season. “It was a relief. From where I came from I didn’t know what to expect because I didn’t do a lot of traveling. I just ran local all the time so doing the series was a whole new different deal as far as new tracks and what have you. It all came around in time, it just took a little while.”
Korte has no problem with going to new tracks and facing local competition as well as the challenge of mastering new tracks and surfaces, but he does find one drawback to it.
“I enjoy going to new tracks and stuff but I don’t enjoy being away from the family,” revealed Korte. “I get pretty homesick pretty easy. I’ve got two boys, one 14 and one 10, and then my wife, and it gets hard if I’m gone for a long period of time. Luckily I have an owner that if I want to drive home even though it costs a little bit more money rather than staying somewhere, he doesn’t care. So that works out pretty well.”
Korte makes no secret his admiration and appreciation for Goddard.
“Actually he had some surgery today,” said Korte. “He had some back problems so they had to go in there with a laser and do something with his nerves. But he called me today and said everything went real well. But he’s a good guy. He loves the series and he enjoys running for points. He’s just a super guy and he loves racing and thinks about it night and day. He just wants to race.”
Korte also gives high marks to his crew, which consists of Barry Quade and crew chief Walter “Gator” Branum.
<img src="http://www.stlracing.com/racepixs/image003.jpg">
“(Laughs) Gator, he’s a good old boy!” chuckled Korte. “He’s improved my program 100%. He came over here and I was trying to run the normal Rocket setups and it just wasn’t working for me and he made some changes to tighten them up and do some things to them and they have been good ever since. I wouldn’t have done what I did last year without him, there’s just no way.”
Korte will attack the ’03 Xtreme schedule in his Rocket Chassis by Larry Shaw/RaceTek Racing Engines #00 that carries sponsorship support from Mid-Continental Fuels Inc, Johnson City IL, TMCI, Highland IL, Biscotti's Restaurant, Conneaut OH, Rocket Chassis, RaceTek Racing Engines, Penske Shocks, Turbo Blue Fuels, Mason Starters and Hoosier Tires.
Korte won’t trumpet his own horn, it’s not in his nature, but there are plenty of others who will.
“Randy Korte has very methodically become a title contender in the Xtreme DirtCar Series,” commented Roby Helm, Public Relations Director and series announcer for the Xtreme Dirt Car Series. “I really think Randy came into his own last year with car owner Don Goddard and crew chief Gator Branum. Don gave the team what they needed, and Gator gave Randy a lot of confidence while putting a good race car under him.”
“They started the season off middle of the pack, and then they started turning in some top ten finishes. Randy then had a fast time, and followed that up with a top five finish. By the time we got to West Virginia Motor Speedway in July, Randy saw something he said he needed to take care of.”
“Before each race, I post the point standings with different statistics that include wins, top five, top tens, and fast times. Randy saw his name on the sheet, began reading the numbers to the right of his name, and one column was missing a number. Randy had a number in every column except the win column. Randy said that gap on the sheet didn't look to good, and that he needed to put a number in the win column to fill it in.”
“Randy went out and won the race that night, and I don't think there was a driver in the pits that wasn't happy for him. Just about every driver in the pit area came down after the race to congratulate Randy. To prove that the WVMS win was no fluke, he came back to win another race in Hagerstown, MD the next month.”
Helm also echoes what many others say about Randy Korte the man and driver.
“Randy has a very laid back attitude out of the race car, but once he straps in, he gets very competitive with a little bit of an attitude added in that makes him very fun to watch.,” observed Helm. “When Randy gets upset about something on the track, he lets you know what's on his mind, but by the time we get to the next race, the slate is clean in his mind.”
“Last season with those two wins gave Randy a new confidence for this season. Now that he knows he can win, that is what he wants to do at each race.”
Whether he will ever admit it or not, Korte is now a national presence on the dirt Late Model arena and regardless of his standing, his racing program has taken a giant leap forward in recent seasons.
“I’m not much of one to get into all the hype of it,” said Korte. “Like I told Gator, you can have all the credit in the world for all of this. I’m not in it for the credit. I do want to win races. I’m more in this because I want to run well because the better I run the more I make which I can better provide for my family. And they (family) are the ones who allowed me to do this and wanted me to go do this.”
“I was driving truck for a living when Don called and I had basically given up on racing. I was tired of it and burnt out and he called and offered me this deal and I didn’t want to do it. And the wife and kids told me this is what I always wanted and not to pass it up, so I did it. And now I feel like I owe it to them to do my best, which I would do anyway, but I really want to do well for them.”
Have a conversation with Korte for any length of time and the subject of his family comes up often. He makes no bones about the support his wife, Lori, and children, Dustin (14) and Dale (10) give him.
<img src="http://www.stlracing.com/racepixs/image005.jpg">
“She (Lori) means everything,” stated Korte sincerely. “She’s been with me the whole way. She’s my high school sweetheart and we’ve been together ever since I started racing. It used to be me and her going to the track and we did everything together. She used to be my pit crew. She’s been though it all with me. She has the boys to take care of while I’m gone so she doesn’t get to go as much as she used to but every chance I can get her to go I try to because I enjoy having her along.”
As a racer Korte relishes the competition and feels fortunate to be able to compete week in and week out with professionals like Rick Eckert, Steve Francis, Scott Bloomquist, Dale McDowell and all the rest.
“I love racing with those guys,” proclaimed Korte. “And I say this to other people, too, and I don’t want to say this in a bad way about local drivers but, you know you can race side by side with these guys as hard as you can and you’re not going to get run over. A lot of guys, when you run local, and it’s not that they are bad drivers, it’s just one of those things where you don’t know them well enough to know if you can drive into that corner alongside of them or not.”
“But I enjoy those guys. Rick Eckert, I love that guy to death. He’s a good guy. I don’t care where you’re at or whether he’s in a good mood or a bad mood, you go up him and have a question for him or want to talk to him, and he’ll tell you. And he’s not going to say it in a bad way or anything. He’s just a super guy.”
So with three Xtreme races in the books already for 2003, and a long road ahead, Korte was asked what would make it a good year.
“I want to win five to ten races, that’s my goal for this year,” answered Korte. “My owner’s goal is to win the championship and I’m not saying it can’t be done but I just don’t look at my season that way. I look at it as every race I go into I want to win and the points will turn out the way they turn out. I don’t like to look at points every week because that will drive you crazy. If I win five races this year, I’ve done what I wanted to do.”
And finally, already assuming the answer, a reporter asks Korte which high-profile, national event he would most like to win this year.
“I’m a big fan of Eldora,” said Korte. “I love that place to death. I don’t seem to have a lot of good luck there. We’ve been fast there but it seems like we always get ourselves in a situation where we don’t have any luck. I’d say probably the WORLD 100 is the one race I would want to win the most. And everybody out here will tell you that.”
“But every race is important to me. I don’t care if it’s a $1,000 to win up town here, I want to win every race and I feel that’s how you have to go about racing.”
Make no mistake, Randy Korte is all racer, and still carries the hunger to win.
©2003 Doc Lehman/Dirt America
<img src="http://www.stlracing.com/racepixs/image007.jpg">
Visit the RANDY KORTE website at: www.randykorte.com
Consider the case of Randy Korte.
The Highland, IL dirt Late Model racer, not that long ago, was about to hang up his helmet. After years of racing locally in his region, Korte was just about done with the sport as an owner-driver until one of those proverbial “deals of a lifetime” came along in the guise of Don Goddard, a prominent car owner, who offered Korte the seat of his car and a chance to go national with the (UDTRA) Xtreme Dirt Car Series.
Since that time Korte, with renewed hunger, drive and resolve, has vaulted past his regional star status to become a national star and contender in the world of dirt Late Model racing. And not only a contender, but a winner as well.
Korte, who could best be representative of “everyman”, is one of those drivers who you can’t help but root for. Humble, down-to-earth, the devoted family man is all substance and talent, but you won’t find an egotistical chump. Korte is a decent, reserved even, husband, father and racer who wouldn’t toot his own horn under threat of gunfire.
<img src="http://www.stlracing.com/racepixs/image002.jpg">
But he’s all racer, that’s what he likes and what he does well. Exceptionally well. And he’s found a home on the Xtreme Dirt Car Series traveling road show that crisscrosses the country. With a excellent 2002 season behind him (he scored two Xtreme wins, four top 5’s, seven top 10’s, two poles and seventh in final point standings) Korte looks ahead anxiously to the 2003 season, his third “on the road” with the series.
“We’re going to run the Xtreme series and then just jump around when they aren’t running and try and run some other races,” explained Korte, 37. “I really like the series. I’m not a real big fan of running for points but I do like running with the series because I think the way they do things and the way they run the deal, it’s the best one out there.”
“I feel like right now they are the only ones out there trying to somewhat fight the traction control stuff. I don’t know if they are getting anywhere but at least they are making an effort where all the other series are basically making it legal and I think that’s kind of taking the racing from the drivers anymore. The other ones, like Southern Allstars and UMP, it’s basically legal and at least these guys are trying to make an effort to do something about it.”
Even though 2003 is underway, Korte was asked about his 2002 season.
“That made us feel great,” responded Korte when quizzed on his successful ’02 season. “It was a relief. From where I came from I didn’t know what to expect because I didn’t do a lot of traveling. I just ran local all the time so doing the series was a whole new different deal as far as new tracks and what have you. It all came around in time, it just took a little while.”
Korte has no problem with going to new tracks and facing local competition as well as the challenge of mastering new tracks and surfaces, but he does find one drawback to it.
“I enjoy going to new tracks and stuff but I don’t enjoy being away from the family,” revealed Korte. “I get pretty homesick pretty easy. I’ve got two boys, one 14 and one 10, and then my wife, and it gets hard if I’m gone for a long period of time. Luckily I have an owner that if I want to drive home even though it costs a little bit more money rather than staying somewhere, he doesn’t care. So that works out pretty well.”
Korte makes no secret his admiration and appreciation for Goddard.
“Actually he had some surgery today,” said Korte. “He had some back problems so they had to go in there with a laser and do something with his nerves. But he called me today and said everything went real well. But he’s a good guy. He loves the series and he enjoys running for points. He’s just a super guy and he loves racing and thinks about it night and day. He just wants to race.”
Korte also gives high marks to his crew, which consists of Barry Quade and crew chief Walter “Gator” Branum.
<img src="http://www.stlracing.com/racepixs/image003.jpg">
“(Laughs) Gator, he’s a good old boy!” chuckled Korte. “He’s improved my program 100%. He came over here and I was trying to run the normal Rocket setups and it just wasn’t working for me and he made some changes to tighten them up and do some things to them and they have been good ever since. I wouldn’t have done what I did last year without him, there’s just no way.”
Korte will attack the ’03 Xtreme schedule in his Rocket Chassis by Larry Shaw/RaceTek Racing Engines #00 that carries sponsorship support from Mid-Continental Fuels Inc, Johnson City IL, TMCI, Highland IL, Biscotti's Restaurant, Conneaut OH, Rocket Chassis, RaceTek Racing Engines, Penske Shocks, Turbo Blue Fuels, Mason Starters and Hoosier Tires.
Korte won’t trumpet his own horn, it’s not in his nature, but there are plenty of others who will.
“Randy Korte has very methodically become a title contender in the Xtreme DirtCar Series,” commented Roby Helm, Public Relations Director and series announcer for the Xtreme Dirt Car Series. “I really think Randy came into his own last year with car owner Don Goddard and crew chief Gator Branum. Don gave the team what they needed, and Gator gave Randy a lot of confidence while putting a good race car under him.”
“They started the season off middle of the pack, and then they started turning in some top ten finishes. Randy then had a fast time, and followed that up with a top five finish. By the time we got to West Virginia Motor Speedway in July, Randy saw something he said he needed to take care of.”
“Before each race, I post the point standings with different statistics that include wins, top five, top tens, and fast times. Randy saw his name on the sheet, began reading the numbers to the right of his name, and one column was missing a number. Randy had a number in every column except the win column. Randy said that gap on the sheet didn't look to good, and that he needed to put a number in the win column to fill it in.”
“Randy went out and won the race that night, and I don't think there was a driver in the pits that wasn't happy for him. Just about every driver in the pit area came down after the race to congratulate Randy. To prove that the WVMS win was no fluke, he came back to win another race in Hagerstown, MD the next month.”
Helm also echoes what many others say about Randy Korte the man and driver.
“Randy has a very laid back attitude out of the race car, but once he straps in, he gets very competitive with a little bit of an attitude added in that makes him very fun to watch.,” observed Helm. “When Randy gets upset about something on the track, he lets you know what's on his mind, but by the time we get to the next race, the slate is clean in his mind.”
“Last season with those two wins gave Randy a new confidence for this season. Now that he knows he can win, that is what he wants to do at each race.”
Whether he will ever admit it or not, Korte is now a national presence on the dirt Late Model arena and regardless of his standing, his racing program has taken a giant leap forward in recent seasons.
“I’m not much of one to get into all the hype of it,” said Korte. “Like I told Gator, you can have all the credit in the world for all of this. I’m not in it for the credit. I do want to win races. I’m more in this because I want to run well because the better I run the more I make which I can better provide for my family. And they (family) are the ones who allowed me to do this and wanted me to go do this.”
“I was driving truck for a living when Don called and I had basically given up on racing. I was tired of it and burnt out and he called and offered me this deal and I didn’t want to do it. And the wife and kids told me this is what I always wanted and not to pass it up, so I did it. And now I feel like I owe it to them to do my best, which I would do anyway, but I really want to do well for them.”
Have a conversation with Korte for any length of time and the subject of his family comes up often. He makes no bones about the support his wife, Lori, and children, Dustin (14) and Dale (10) give him.
<img src="http://www.stlracing.com/racepixs/image005.jpg">
“She (Lori) means everything,” stated Korte sincerely. “She’s been with me the whole way. She’s my high school sweetheart and we’ve been together ever since I started racing. It used to be me and her going to the track and we did everything together. She used to be my pit crew. She’s been though it all with me. She has the boys to take care of while I’m gone so she doesn’t get to go as much as she used to but every chance I can get her to go I try to because I enjoy having her along.”
As a racer Korte relishes the competition and feels fortunate to be able to compete week in and week out with professionals like Rick Eckert, Steve Francis, Scott Bloomquist, Dale McDowell and all the rest.
“I love racing with those guys,” proclaimed Korte. “And I say this to other people, too, and I don’t want to say this in a bad way about local drivers but, you know you can race side by side with these guys as hard as you can and you’re not going to get run over. A lot of guys, when you run local, and it’s not that they are bad drivers, it’s just one of those things where you don’t know them well enough to know if you can drive into that corner alongside of them or not.”
“But I enjoy those guys. Rick Eckert, I love that guy to death. He’s a good guy. I don’t care where you’re at or whether he’s in a good mood or a bad mood, you go up him and have a question for him or want to talk to him, and he’ll tell you. And he’s not going to say it in a bad way or anything. He’s just a super guy.”
So with three Xtreme races in the books already for 2003, and a long road ahead, Korte was asked what would make it a good year.
“I want to win five to ten races, that’s my goal for this year,” answered Korte. “My owner’s goal is to win the championship and I’m not saying it can’t be done but I just don’t look at my season that way. I look at it as every race I go into I want to win and the points will turn out the way they turn out. I don’t like to look at points every week because that will drive you crazy. If I win five races this year, I’ve done what I wanted to do.”
And finally, already assuming the answer, a reporter asks Korte which high-profile, national event he would most like to win this year.
“I’m a big fan of Eldora,” said Korte. “I love that place to death. I don’t seem to have a lot of good luck there. We’ve been fast there but it seems like we always get ourselves in a situation where we don’t have any luck. I’d say probably the WORLD 100 is the one race I would want to win the most. And everybody out here will tell you that.”
“But every race is important to me. I don’t care if it’s a $1,000 to win up town here, I want to win every race and I feel that’s how you have to go about racing.”
Make no mistake, Randy Korte is all racer, and still carries the hunger to win.
©2003 Doc Lehman/Dirt America
<img src="http://www.stlracing.com/racepixs/image007.jpg">
Visit the RANDY KORTE website at: www.randykorte.com
