By Roby Helm
TAMPA, FL - Jason Wilson of Margaret, AL is the 2006 StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series West Region Championship. As Wilson prepares to be honored at the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series Awards Banquet at the Weston Hotel in Tampa, FL this Wednesday night, he will reflect on what brought him to the party.
This championship is more than a title; it is a tribute to his chassis builder, the late Tommy "Big-un" Kerr Sr.
The name "Big-un" Kerr might not be as familiar as Joe Garrison, Keith or Tader Masters, C.J. Rayburn, Sanford Goddard, Larry Shaw, or Mark Richards among chassis builders nation-wide. Kerr's Stinger chassis may not as popular as the GRT, Mastersbilt, Rayburn, Warrior, Shaw or Rocket brands across the country. But it got the job done for Wilson against some tough competition.
"Big-un" Kerr was the son of legendary East Tennessee dirt late model racer J.T. Kerr, who founded J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment in Rockford, TN in the late 60s, and still owns it today. "Big-un" fathered a son, Tommy Kerr Jr., who is one of the top East Tennessee dirt late model drivers today.
The Stinger Chassis was developed by "Big-un" in the early 1990s, and drivers such as J. T. Kerr, Tommy Kerr, Scott Sexton, Patrick Duggan, John Llewellyn, Anthony White, Shane Tankersley, and many others have had success in the chassis with race wins and championships.
In the summer of 2005, "Big-un" welded up a chassis just before he died on June 29, 2005. "Big-un's" son-in-law Travis Holbert finished the car for Wilson after Big-un's passing, and it was ready for the 2006 StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series. Before the race left the shop, Wilson had a decal made for the car, and placed it in the right-rear window of his #11 Peoples Racing Stinger.
"In Memory of BIG-UN Kerr" rode on the last car the gentle giant created. It was the car that would carry Wilson to the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series West Region Championship, and a fitting tribute to a man that knew his stuff when it came to dirt late models.
"Big-un looked like a big mean burly biker, but he was nothing like that at all," Wilson said. "He was always there to help out and do whatever he could to get us going faster. Whenever we had a question about a race car, even if it wasn't a Stinger chassis, Big-un always had an answer."
Since Big-un's passing, the J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment shop nettled in the foothills between Knoxville and Maryville, TN has discontinued mass production of the Stinger Chassis, according to company patriarch J.T. Kerr. Wilson's championship winning car is the last Stinger.
"Big-un was a friend, a neighbor, and a brother-in-law to me for six years, and a man I'll never forget," StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series President of Operations and Communications Roby Helm said. "Big-un had a heart bigger than his stature, and would do anything he could to help someone. When it came to race car building and fabrication, he was a master and did beautiful work. I'm glad Jason got that championship for Big-un, J.T., Travis, and the Kerr family."
Wilson had nine wins during the 2006 StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series season with five victories coming at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL, and four at Childersburg Speedway in Childersburg, AL. Along with the nine wins, Wilson turned in 23 top five finishes, and 27 top ten finishes in 28 starts, with 17 starts at Talladega Short Track, and 11 starts at Childersburg Speedway.
To make Wilson's championship even more notable, he did it with a GM Performance "602" Crate Engine.
The StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series rules allow two different versions of the GM Performance Crate Engine. There's the aluminum-head 400 horsepower "604" Crate Engine that can be bought for $5,000, and the steel-head 350 horsepower "602" Crate Engine that can be bought for $3,000. The 602 gets a 150-pound weight break over the 604.
"With the way the track conditions were this season at Talladega Short Track and Childersburg Speedway, the Stinger Chassis would really hook up being powered by the 602 engine," Wilson said. "It gave us all of the horsepower and torque we needed."
Wilson even made his mark against the traveling racers in the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Tour with the Stinger/602 combo. When the National Tour invaded Wilson's home turf on August 5, he finished sixth against some of the country's top drivers.
The StormPay.com Awards Banquet will honor the top six drivers in both the East and West Regions of the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series, and the top ten drivers in the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Tour. Almost $100,000 in cash and prizes will be handed out at the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series Awards Banquet.
The banquet on Wednesday night will begin four nights of activities for Wilson and the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series competitors. The action takes to East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL for two big events on Thursday night through Saturday night.
Wilson will be one of 84 invitees to the $3,000-to-win 40-lap StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series National Championship Race on Thursday night. The top six drivers in each StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series Region, and the top six drivers from the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series tracks have been invited to the National Championship Race.
If Wilson, or the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion Lucky Keeton of Toomsuba, MS, can win the National Championship Race, they will pick up a $1,000 bonus award.
The week's activities for the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series will conclude with the $10,000-to-win 100-lap 2nd Annual StormPay.com Crate Racin' USA World Championship Open Race at East Bay Raceway Park on Friday and Saturday night.
For more information call East Bay Raceway Park at 813-677-7223, or visit the track web site at www.eastbayracewaypark.com. For more information
about the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series visit the series web site at www.stormpayracing.com.
TAMPA, FL - Jason Wilson of Margaret, AL is the 2006 StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series West Region Championship. As Wilson prepares to be honored at the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series Awards Banquet at the Weston Hotel in Tampa, FL this Wednesday night, he will reflect on what brought him to the party.
This championship is more than a title; it is a tribute to his chassis builder, the late Tommy "Big-un" Kerr Sr.
The name "Big-un" Kerr might not be as familiar as Joe Garrison, Keith or Tader Masters, C.J. Rayburn, Sanford Goddard, Larry Shaw, or Mark Richards among chassis builders nation-wide. Kerr's Stinger chassis may not as popular as the GRT, Mastersbilt, Rayburn, Warrior, Shaw or Rocket brands across the country. But it got the job done for Wilson against some tough competition.
"Big-un" Kerr was the son of legendary East Tennessee dirt late model racer J.T. Kerr, who founded J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment in Rockford, TN in the late 60s, and still owns it today. "Big-un" fathered a son, Tommy Kerr Jr., who is one of the top East Tennessee dirt late model drivers today.
The Stinger Chassis was developed by "Big-un" in the early 1990s, and drivers such as J. T. Kerr, Tommy Kerr, Scott Sexton, Patrick Duggan, John Llewellyn, Anthony White, Shane Tankersley, and many others have had success in the chassis with race wins and championships.
In the summer of 2005, "Big-un" welded up a chassis just before he died on June 29, 2005. "Big-un's" son-in-law Travis Holbert finished the car for Wilson after Big-un's passing, and it was ready for the 2006 StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series. Before the race left the shop, Wilson had a decal made for the car, and placed it in the right-rear window of his #11 Peoples Racing Stinger.
"In Memory of BIG-UN Kerr" rode on the last car the gentle giant created. It was the car that would carry Wilson to the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series West Region Championship, and a fitting tribute to a man that knew his stuff when it came to dirt late models.
"Big-un looked like a big mean burly biker, but he was nothing like that at all," Wilson said. "He was always there to help out and do whatever he could to get us going faster. Whenever we had a question about a race car, even if it wasn't a Stinger chassis, Big-un always had an answer."
Since Big-un's passing, the J.T. Kerr Racing Equipment shop nettled in the foothills between Knoxville and Maryville, TN has discontinued mass production of the Stinger Chassis, according to company patriarch J.T. Kerr. Wilson's championship winning car is the last Stinger.
"Big-un was a friend, a neighbor, and a brother-in-law to me for six years, and a man I'll never forget," StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series President of Operations and Communications Roby Helm said. "Big-un had a heart bigger than his stature, and would do anything he could to help someone. When it came to race car building and fabrication, he was a master and did beautiful work. I'm glad Jason got that championship for Big-un, J.T., Travis, and the Kerr family."
Wilson had nine wins during the 2006 StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series season with five victories coming at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, AL, and four at Childersburg Speedway in Childersburg, AL. Along with the nine wins, Wilson turned in 23 top five finishes, and 27 top ten finishes in 28 starts, with 17 starts at Talladega Short Track, and 11 starts at Childersburg Speedway.
To make Wilson's championship even more notable, he did it with a GM Performance "602" Crate Engine.
The StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series rules allow two different versions of the GM Performance Crate Engine. There's the aluminum-head 400 horsepower "604" Crate Engine that can be bought for $5,000, and the steel-head 350 horsepower "602" Crate Engine that can be bought for $3,000. The 602 gets a 150-pound weight break over the 604.
"With the way the track conditions were this season at Talladega Short Track and Childersburg Speedway, the Stinger Chassis would really hook up being powered by the 602 engine," Wilson said. "It gave us all of the horsepower and torque we needed."
Wilson even made his mark against the traveling racers in the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Tour with the Stinger/602 combo. When the National Tour invaded Wilson's home turf on August 5, he finished sixth against some of the country's top drivers.
The StormPay.com Awards Banquet will honor the top six drivers in both the East and West Regions of the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series, and the top ten drivers in the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series National Tour. Almost $100,000 in cash and prizes will be handed out at the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series Awards Banquet.
The banquet on Wednesday night will begin four nights of activities for Wilson and the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series competitors. The action takes to East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL for two big events on Thursday night through Saturday night.
Wilson will be one of 84 invitees to the $3,000-to-win 40-lap StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series National Championship Race on Thursday night. The top six drivers in each StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series Region, and the top six drivers from the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series tracks have been invited to the National Championship Race.
If Wilson, or the StormPay.com Weekly Racing Series West Region Champion Lucky Keeton of Toomsuba, MS, can win the National Championship Race, they will pick up a $1,000 bonus award.
The week's activities for the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series will conclude with the $10,000-to-win 100-lap 2nd Annual StormPay.com Crate Racin' USA World Championship Open Race at East Bay Raceway Park on Friday and Saturday night.
For more information call East Bay Raceway Park at 813-677-7223, or visit the track web site at www.eastbayracewaypark.com. For more information
about the StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series visit the series web site at www.stormpayracing.com.
