Petrzelka looks for early birthday present by winning season opener

CEDAR RAPIDS - Matt Petrzelka is approaching a memorable event in his life.

The young race car driver would like to start the celebration a little early.

“I will be 21 on Monday,” Petrzelka said. “I would be a good birthday present if I won Friday.”

It would also be a good way to follow the most successful season of his short racing career. Petrzelka will attempt to defend his hobby stock season points championship at Hawkeye Downs Speedway when the 2012 season begins Friday night at the asphalt track. Gates open at 6 p.m. with hot laps at 6:35 and racing at 7:30.

Petrzelka earned eight feature victories last season, winning the hobby stock division by 56 points. A conservative approach to start paid dividends as Petrzelka gained experience as the season progressed.

“It was a big deal,” Petrzelka said of the points title. "It was just a lot of hard work, a lot of practicing, staying out of trouble and keeping the car in one piece. About the middle of the season I started to know what I was doing. I learned a lot more as far as springs and set-up."

The learning curve is still steep for a driver with a little more than two years at the 1/4-mile oval. Petrzelka received some guidance from the car's previous owner and racing veteran Tim Dains, who helped Petrzelka set the car and continued to help him last year. He also praised his parents, Bruce and Virginia Petrzelka, for their support. They provided a shop for him to work on his car, while Bruce's business, Dirt Works, is a sponsor.

But, it was Dains who lured Petrzelka to Hawkeye Downs. Dains had the car on the market when Petrzelka visited the track as a fan on race night. It captured his interest and he started running there in 2009.

“I came out one night, watching the racing, and seen the car,” said Petrzelka, who had done some demolition derby and raced two-man cruisers on dirt tracks. “They had a ‘For Sale' sign on the side of the car. I came back, talked to him, got to know him better and bought it. He came out every Wednesday with me and helped me out.”

The transition to a new class took some class, but the move from a dirt track to asphalt wasn't as drastic for Petrzelka. He said he might have benefitted from the start on dirt.

“You get more feel on dirt,” Petrzelka said. “So when you come to asphalt you have more of an advantage, I think.”

Petrzelka has had to balance racing with the rest of his life. He just bought a knew home between Amana and Norway, works about 50-hour weeks at Wendler Engineering and devotes numerous hours a week to racing.

“That's been a big process trying to keep up with things and racing during the summer,” Petrzelka said. “It's fun.”

Perseverance and a strong competitive streak help as well. It is what helped him finish seventh in a 50-lap feature during an offseason race at Rockford (Ill.) Speedway in 2010, where he rolled his car in practice. Winning is not everything to Petrzelka, but he certainly won't settle for anything less.

“Either way it's big motivation,” Petrzelka said. “If you get second and third, you want to work harder at it and do your best for the next week and hope you come out on top of that in the season.”

This year's success will rely on the blueprint created last season. Petrzelka said the key is to race smart and avoid trouble on the track. The title of defending champion comes with a target placed on his back. He is not bothered by it.

“There's a little bit of pressure,” Petrzelka said. “I feel comfortable about it.”

If Petrzelka continues to have success, he will look to move to an advanced division. He owns aspirations of ascending the auto racing ranks.

“We'll see what happens after this year,” Petrzelka said. “It would be nice to move up.”

Last season, Brad Osborn claimed the season points title in late models, and Cory Houdek won the Sportsmen, including eight features. Matt Petrzelka also had eight feature wins to win his first hobby stock points championship. Ryan Luedtke was the modified champion, while Matt Blake won the legends division in his rookie season. Brad Chandler recorded a series best nine feature wins to capture the hornets title.

Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for senior citizens and $5 for students. Children 12 years old and younger are free.