RENO, NV (Dec. 10) – When the final checkered flag waved ending the Nevada Pro Stock Association’s season the champion was Jay Sears. It was a long 11-race schedule that took the series east to Winnemucca and north to Cedarville, California.
At the NPSA banquet Jay Sears received the champion’s trophy from association President Travis Petersen (L) and VP Mike McMordie.
At the end Sears bested duo of Robert Miller/Travis White by just nine points while further down the list was third place Bill Pearson.
Like many racers he got an early start in the sport.
“I grew up in Hawthrone, Nevada racing on that track,” he said. “Started there just before I had a driver’s license at 15. Been racing every since, only not raced one year and that’s when I spent a year in Iraq.”
He was in the Army at that time.
Over the years he won two championships in Hawthorne, and won Rattlesnake Raceway points championship driving a Pro Stock but he forgot the exact year.
“I raced Pro Stocks for Travis (Petersen) before I raced Modifieds,” Sears said.
Then he switched classes and raced an IMCA Modified for several seasons.
“It was a long time ago,” he said. “I won Rookie of the Year, first year in Modifieds so think I got three points championships and this one will be the fourth.”
Around 2014 Sears had a growing family, now three children, and felt being a father and husband came first. Although he thought this might end his racing career things turned out differently than expected.
“I ended up selling the Modified,” he said. “Then Travis called me up and wanted to know if I’d wheel the car a few times. So I wound up doing that.”
Jay Sears at speed this past season.
When he first started racing for Petersen they would win two or three races a year. But going into this season things changed.
“This year is the first year we dedicated ourselves to running for points,” he said. “All the other years we didn’t even make all the races. Our goal this year was to win the points championship and we did it. So it was great.”
A championship run is not just about winning but being consistent through out the season. In 2018 Sears won four races had three second place finishes and one each third and fourth place. He also had a ninth place finish and a DNF due to mechanical issues in the final race at Rattlesnake Raceway.
Jay Sears (56) gets the jump on Robbie Grace during a restart at the NPSA’s second time at Fernley 95A Speedway.
“We had our ups and downs with the car, did a lot of changes especially for making the car more for me cause it was mainly Trav’s car so we drive differently,” he said. “Now the car’s kind of set up and I feel like I’m at home now. We kind of revamped everything on the car and set ourselves to win the points championship.”
Knowing when a title is sewn up can be a roll of the dice. Sometimes a season goes down to the wire while other times a team and driver know they have the title before the final race.
“It was probably when we won Fernley again. We won Fernley’s first race and it was still a neck-and-neck battle but I knew like it would be tough for Travis White unless we had an accident or the car broke,” he said. “I knew we were a top three car every night pretty much and for Travis to be able to gain that many points he needed for us to have a wreck, break or something like that.”
He added that after the first race at Fernley, which he won, Sears felt if they went out and turned laps they would have the title.
Jay Sears celebrates his victory at the second NPSA race at Fernley 95A Speedway.
However the finale didn’t go so good at Rattlesnake Raceway.
“That last race we kind of knew we wrapped it up so the seriousness was gone and we were just going to have fun,” he said. “Yes we ended up breaking a tube and pulled the drive line out as it sheared a bolt off in the back, it was just a fluke deal.”
Fortunately the title was his by then. Of course any championship means a lot to a driver as well as to his or her team and each has a special meaning.
“I would say this one ranks right up there with probably my favorite championship. And it’s not just because of winning a championship, that really has never been my goal set but it’s the group of guys I’m with, they’re awesome,” he said. ” It makes going to the track a blast. Trav’s great to race for, I mean just anything you need he makes it happen. I was more happy about winning the championship for those guys than I was for myself.”
Although the driver is out on the track by themselves racing is very much a team sport. If the racer doesn’t have the support is virtually impossible for them to really have a good finish.
That support group includes family members, the car owner as well as the crew that labors long and hard to give their driver the best equipment they can have.
“Of course I’ve got to thank my wife Jamie especially as she’s the one at home with the kids when I’m out playing around with the race car. And of course Travis and his wife Angelique as that’s huge because without them I probably wouldn’t be out racing.”
Another special mention went to a team member that joined the group this year.
“Of course Carlos Funes came on board this year, he’s helped out a lot, got a lot of knowledge and is a great guy,” he said.
In addition there is a list of very appreciated sponsors that helped the team and they gave a special thanks to Bruce Rayburn Racecars. Other sponsors are Reno Tahoe Auto Group, Rini Insurance Agency, Superior Machine, CS400, Eternal Image, Team no Respect 56, Beatitnerdakatucker, ##cancercocostrong, Vatos Locos Performance, Competition Carburetion and Reno Buick GM Cadillac.
Now the season is ended, Sears and the rest are celebrating the holidays. Soon enough however they’ll start looking ahead and preparing for the 2019 season.
Asked if they’d try for a second title Sears said, “Absolutely, I think that will be our goal again to try and repeat,” he said.
Next year will be a bit different as the NPSA is also going to be part of another series.
“I think with the Tri State Pro Stock Challenge coming up that adds something a little bit different,” he said. “We’re super excited about a bunch of different cars, you get a lot more competition out there, running tracks we don’t ever get to run like Stockton, which is going to be great to run. I’m excited for that, it’s going to be big money races, lots of fast cars. I think a lot of guys that don’t normally run pro stocks will be putting pro stocks together. It will be fun to run that Tri State Challenge and of course try to repeat the NPSA would be a great accomplishment.”
For now it’s time for the team to savor the championship and celebrate the holidays. Soon enough however the serious work of getting prepared for the 2019 campaign will start.
For further information on NPSA check out their Face Book page at www.facebook.com/nevadaprostocks. For the Tri State Prostock Challenge check, www.facebook.com/tri-state-prostock-challenge.
OTHER RACING NEWS:
- This Tuesday from 2 until 3 p.m. is when Teresa’s Garage Radio Show is on. Be sure to listen, stream or see it live on Face Book as this week we have a special guest, racer Sevannah Lovee.
Teresa’s Garage Radio Show poster with this week’s special guest Sevannah Lovel.
I have a preview that comes on at 2:15. Hope you will check the show out as it covers all things automotive.
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