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The Only Race That Matters
Though Keenan Simmons and his brother Jason hail from Phialdelphia, they travel down to Virginia to race at Old Dominion Speedway.
(Toni L. Sandys - The Washington Post)
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"Even the situation with me and my brother, we have people from NASCAR following us," Jason said. "I believe they're doing everything they can with the money they're [providing for] the Drive for Diversity program and the racing schools."
Students in the program learn about racecar mechanics, as well as NASCAR and its history. They also write essays, study driving techniques and race go-karts.
"What you learned in the classroom you eventually got to practice on the track," Keenan said. "If it wasn't for the school, we probably wouldn't be where we are."
Since 2000, they have strapped themselves into mini cup cars -- stock cars built on a miniature scale -- and go-karts at tracks such as South Boston Speedway in southern Virginia, Arnold's Formula "E" Karting Center in Oaks, Pa., and Wall Township Speedway in New Jersey.
The brothers rented a trailer each weekend, loaded up their car and drove to the races. Two years ago, they met the man they rented the trailer from, John Freeman, a former drag racer and mechanic who once worked for legendary race team owner Roger Penske.
Freeman and his wife, Connie, were so impressed with Keenan and Jason they decided to help them. They bought Keenan a 1934 Ford Legend for $10,000 -- so the brothers no longer had to share a car -- as well as $5,000 worth of parts and tools. The Freemans cover roughly half of the $60,000 that it costs to fund each racing season; the brothers' family pays the other half. Freeman also is Keenan's crew chief, and Freeman's cousin, Harry McCall, oversees Jason's car.
"If me and their dad don't pay for it, who's going to?" Freeman said. "When I met them, they sold me. They sold the whole deal, by their personalities, by the way they were dressed, by the conversations they had with me."
One of the biggest hurdles facing the brothers is a common one for drivers at the lower rungs of racing -- finding sponsorship to propel their careers. Their father, Leon, makes pitches to Philadelphia area businesses regularly, but to date there have been no takers.
"I'm used to uphill battles," Freeman said. "If you're good at what you do, your work will speak for itself. Eventually, someone's going to notice you, and that's your break. But in order to get your break, we have to be out here."
The brothers are showing signs they may be nearing that break. Last weekend, both Keenan and Jason turned in their fastest qualifying times at ODS, with Keenan starting his Legends race on the pole. Jason finished third -- his best showing to date -- but Keenan failed to finish after being involved in a nasty wreck on the eighth lap.
"All we can do is just keep fighting hard," Jason said. "We're definitely on a mission. We've put too much into this to stop now. All we can do is keep pushing forward, and hope for the best."
