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Geoff Dodge Starts a New Path to Indy |
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 Photo Credit: Ron McQueeney, IRL
With the Knoxville Nationals on August 10 – 14, it was disclosed that a
“Knoxville Nationals Rookie of the Year Fast Track to Indy” program
would be initiated.
The winner of this program would be the rookie [18 years or older] who
had the most number of points at the Nationals. That rookie would
be awarded a test in an IRL Pro car. If that driver passes
the test, the IRL and Knoxville Raceway will work together to provide
sponsorship for that driver to compete in a minimum of six Pro Series
races in 2006, including the Futaba Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis
Motor Speedway.
Now, before you make any judgments about this program or jump to a
conclusion, we’d best tell you why this is a really cool deal.
First off, the annual Knoxville Nationals is the premier sprint car
race held in America. About 130 of the best sprint drivers in the
world show up! Second, 17 drivers who’ve run in the Nationals
have raced in the Indy 500. Several names that you will know are,
Al Unser Jr. [17 starts, a pole sitter and two time Indy 500 winner,
plus an Indy car championship], Billy Boat, [7 starts, a 500 pole
sitter], Sarah Fisher [five Indy 500 starts], and “Outlaw” Steve “The
King” Kinser [one start, and a winner of over 500 sprint car races].
Three other veterans of the Knoxville Nationals have already raced in
the Pro Series, Craig Dollansky [2003], P. J. Chesson [2004, 2005] and
his brother, James Chesson [2004]. P. J. has won three Pro races
and James one.
Third, in this year’s Pro Series, two rookies, Travis Gregg and Jay
Drake, are showing that guys coming out oval track sprints can hold
their own very well against the five rookies coming out formula car
road racing. And all of these very highly talented, competitive
rookies want to get to the Indy 500, and all seven may be good enough to
realize their dream.
Now we can introduce you to 21 year old Geoff Dodge, the first winner of the award and tell you what he is about to experience.
Geoff is a 21 year old native of Colorado Springs, CO. He comes from a
racing family and grew up in the shadow of the state’s 14,110 foot
Pikes Peak, better known in the racing world as the site of the famous
Pikes Peak Hill Climb race every year. His Dad, Dick, has been an
entrant in the Hill Climb, as well as being a sprint car driver.
[Since the Unser name will come into this story a bit later, we should
mention that in past years the Unser family has “owned” the Pikes Peak
Hill Climb for over three generations – 24 wins.]
Geoff started out his racing career in 100cc Yamaha class go-karts in
1998, when he was 15. Not only did he win numerous races
during his years karting, but also ran in the USA (SKUSA)
Supernationals, finishing 16th in their finals.
Three years ago, Geoff decided it was time to move up in the racing
world. But would it be to Formula cars or Sprints? Cost and
other factors led him to sprints, and in 2002 he ran in the Colorado
Outlaws Series for 1200cc mini sprints. In that series, he was
the Rookie-of-the-Year. 2003 saw him graduate to 360 sprint
cars. Now with a car turning out about 650 bhp, he raced in the
ASCS Rocky Mountain region and won their Rookie-of-the-Year award.
Last year saw Dodge was running a 360 sprint again, and it looked like
this year might only be a continuation. Geoff started driving a
360 for Larry Haneborg, who is based in North Platte, Nebraska, but as
it turned out, Larry also had a 410. These babys turn out about
850-900 bhp. Put wings on these and run them on dirt and you are
about to find out how good of a sprint car driver you really are.
Haneborg put Geoff in the 410 earlier this summer. Geoff looked
pretty good. After only five 410 sprint car races he entered
Geoff in the August Knoxville Nationals, where he would be competing
against 130 other drivers, including World of Outlaws’ super stars like
Steve Kinser and Danny Lasoski. After the five-day event was
over, and he had run in three races, Geoff Dodge had made a name for
himself as the rookie with the highest number of points.
As a little kid growing up around a father who was a driver, Geoff
dreamed of driving in the Indianapolis 500. Now, unbelievably, he
had just become the first driver to step onto a new track to Indy.
His test will be in September or October in a Brian Stewart Racing car,
possibly at the 1.5 mile, D-shaped tri-oval Chicagoland Speedway, under
the watchful eyes, and coaching, of Pro Series Driver Coaches,
Rick Mears and Al Unser Sr. [Al won the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in 1964
and ’65.] Johnny Rutherford will perhaps also be there to share his
experience.
Perhaps not too surprising, Geoff was at last weekend’s IRL event at
his local track, the Pikes Peak International Raceway. In fact,
Geoff had been at the first IRL event held there in 1997. That race was
won by a former sprint car super star, Tony Stewart, who went on to win
a few other things!
fromthetrack.com had an opportunity to catch up with Geoff at PPIR and get his personal thoughts about his award and upcoming Pro test.
Geoff, what were your feelings and emotions about this? “You
know, it was tough to beat the elation of just running at Knoxville and
making it through the week and being successful there, and then this
was icing on the cake! I think it’s a good opportunity to get
some seat time in a Pro Series car and they’ve talked about trying to
get a six race deal together for next year, so you can’t beat that.”
Have you run rear engine cars before? “No, I ran go-karts on road
races growing up and then [in sprints] we got on dirt ovals.
Other than that, that’s about the extent of my experience, so this is a
new thing for me and I’m really excited to learn.”
We asked Geoff how he familiar he was with the Pro Series. He
said he has followed the IRL some and knew about the Pro Series, adding
that he knows P. J. Chesson, and that he came into the Pro Series and
did pretty well [see above about P. J.] But, he went on to say,
“I knew that the Pro Series was coming into the deal [the Knoxville
Nationals] and that was part of what made me so excited to get the
opportunity [to run at Knoxville], especially because it is an avenue
to get to Indy.”
As for the rest of Geoff’s year, beside his Pro test, he will run a
minimum of about six more sprint car races. And after that….
“We’re planning to run a sprint car next year, whenever we’re not
running in the Pro Series.!”
We liked Geoff Dodge’s attitude and positive outlook. He’s
already proven that he knows how to take advantage of opportunities in
open wheel racing. We wish him the very best, and will let you
know how his test goes.
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