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LIMA — Sometimes long seasons can be a grind. Even though individual races are sprints, the complete racing season is a marathon. For Jared Horstman, racing well the whole season is something he takes pride in.
Horstman and the rest of the K&L Ready Mix NRA Sprint Invaders took the track at the Open Wheel Shootout on Friday night at Limaland Motorsports Park.
Horstman has not won a race yet this year. Even though he has not grabbed the checkered flag, he still found himself in second place in the points standings entering Friday’s races. Max Stambaugh was in first place in the K&L Ready Mix NRA Sprints with 870 points, Horstman was second with 840 points and Kyle Sauder was third with 812 points.
Family support and complete concentration are two key components that Horstman attributed to his success thus far.
“These guys here at home are working on my car every week,” Horstman said. “My dad has been working week in and week out. Staying focused in the racecar is another key, making the right decisions at the track. Those are key to a great season.
Ever since Horstman was a young boy, he knew he wanted to be involved with racing.
“I started racing go-karts at the age of seven and at 14 I started doing mini-sprints,” Horstman said. “At the age of 17 I made my sprint car debut at Limaland. I love the thrill of the sport. I’m an adrenaline junkie. Every time that I strap in, my heart is about to pop out of my chest.”
Limaland is a track that fans enjoy going to. The fans are not the only ones who enjoy it though.
“(Limaland Motorsports Park President) Dr. Jeffrey Jarvis has a really nice facility,” Horstman said. “You want to talk about something like a NASCAR track, there are booths everywhere selling shirts and fans from all over coming to watch some great racing. They also do a great job taking care of the track itself. It gives you a lot of options on where to stick the car.”
Even though Horstman has had a successful season so far, he still isn’t satisfied.
“I’m still waiting for my first win this season,” Horstman said. “The competition is so tough. I think there have been five different winners in the first six races this season. Anybody out there is capable of winning. Everybody is chasing the points championship.”
Learning from local racers as well as racers from afar is something that Horstman tries to do each week.
“There are ten guys that are able to win,” Horstman said. “Some guys come from out of town. They try different stuff, which will make you a lot better. I’m in my ninth season (at Limaland) and we’ve now gotten a hold of a lot of people who can help us. It’s almost like trial and error out there sometimes. You see what works and what doesn’t. You take notes and learn from those things.”
