Team & Car Info Team & Car Info
Team Car Number: 4z |
| Driver & Owner: Joel Lehman |
| email: zeal@execulink.com |
| Team: 'Chip', Bob, 'Herm', Mark, Brian, Wayne |
Team Achievements:
Car Information:
Sprint cars are the fastest race cars on dirt! Sprint cars primarily race on banked oval dirt tracks, ranging from 1/4 to 1/2 mile in size. Sprint cars can be run with or without wings and have a wheelbase of 83" to 87". Sprint cars are powered by fuel injected, methanol burning, 305 to 410 cubic inch engines, producing between 400 and 800+ horsepower, and are capable of speeds in excess of 150 mph. Sprint cars are one of the top four forms of auto racing in the US and is growing rapidly in Canada. Many Indycar, IRL, and NASCAR drivers started their racing careers in sprint cars.
History:
Family racing history spans as far back as days of Bridgeport & Grand River Speedway near Elora ON. This included asphalt racing at Flamboro, Cayuga, Sauble Speedway, Ottawa. Even occasional ventures to the dirt tracks of Brockville & Cornwall in the days when asphalt & dirt cars were the same except for tires.
Joel's first visit to a dirt track was about 1985, Merrittville Speedway in Thorold ON. In 1987 Joel bought his first DIRT sportsman racecar; a 1984 Tobias. From 1984 to 1988 the car was raced on and off at Merrittville Speedway. Between 1988 and 1991 Joel completed College (the racecar was parked!). The Tobias was outfitted with a new body during '93, and raced on occasion throughout the year. Following this, Joel worked as a crew member for the #3 DIRT modified of veteran driver Wayne Ashton. July '94 was the first time Joel drove a sprint car and he was addicted. Nineteen Ninety Five Joel ran in a few DIRT Sportsman races with a completely rebuilt 91' Bicknell; Joel also made his second drive in a non winged sprint car. With the ever changing DIRT rules a decision was made to park the car for 1996. He rejoined Ashton as a crew member during '96. During 1996 Joel heard rumors of an Ontario based sprint car group, which Jon Banas had started after years of trying. A deal was made during that winter for the 1993 Gambler which Joel began racing in '97. With reversed roles (Ashton as crew member and Joel as driver) and alot of support from friends and family, the new team captured two titles as listed above. The following year ('98) saw the team earn their first Sprint Car feature win at South Buxton Raceway and finish runner up in the season's points standings. Nineteen Ninety Nine was the first season's point championship win.