‘Uncle Ronn’ has risen from rookie to man to beat

Ronn Lauritzen started racing seven years ago.

The Jesup native has said those early days weren't always ones to remember, with his driving abilities in their infancy. Fast forward to 2014, and 'Uncle Ronn” – as he's called by friends and family – is one to beat, pretty much everywhere he goes.

But that wasn't the case in the beginning. Lauritzen has had to earn the respect of his competitors by improving on the racetrack, and it's something he's proud to say he's accomplished.

'When I started racing these guys, I was probably in their way more than I was not in their way,” Lauritzen said. 'It just gets down to knowing how that guy drives, and he knows how you drive and you guys can race side-by-side for 10, 15, 20 laps straight and not touch each other. That's the fun part about it, it just took me a while to get there.

'To me, it's pretty awesome because I've come so far in that few of years. To be able to compete with these guys who have been racing a lot long than I have is awesome.”

Lauritzen gives most of the credit of that improvement to his car and crew.

Whether it's more car or driver is up for debate, but what's not are the results he's produced. Since the beginning of the race season in mid-April, Lauritzen has collected top-fives or a win every weekend he's raced. Barring mechanical failures, like plagued him on Sunday at Benton County Speedway after winning his heat race, he's a sure bet for a top finish.

He's had to do it starting from the back most places, too.

Typically, at area dirt tracks, it's policy for points leaders to start in the bottom half of the lineup. Lauritzen has used patience and focus to avoid trouble and navigate his often-times well-handling IMCA Modified to the front.

'It takes quite a bit of nerve, actually, to know if your car is going to stick here, or if you're better than that guy there – it's all part of it,” Lauritzen said. 'If you know your car's good, you can pretty much pick them off. You've just got to take your time doing it and get them at the right spots.”

That nerve got him an IMCA Hawkeye Dirt Tour championship last season, a feat he's set out to repeat in 2015.

The campaign didn't start out stellar, with an 11th-place finish at I-35 Speedway in Mason City – though he started 24th – in the rain-shortened main event May 26. Despite that, Lauritzen is confident he can be a factor again when the tour rolls into Cedar County Raceway in Tipton on Tuesday.

And no matter how many wins he has on the Hawkeye Dirt Tour or at his regular tracks of Marshalltown, Independence and Benton County Speedways – one at Marshalltown, three of the six at Independence this year – the defending Hawkeye Dirt Tour champion remains humble.

'I'm not one to give myself a lot of credit,” Lauritzen said last Saturday night after winning at Independence Motor Speedway. 'I give a lot of credit to the car, more than me. I've still got to drive it, but when it's set up, it's like a Sunday drive.

'I can pretty much put the car anywhere on the racetrack and it sticks and it's good. I think that's a lot of it.”

FREE TICKETS TO HAWKEYE DOWNS

As Hawkeye Downs Speedway rolls on with its sixth race of the 2014 season, the annual KKRQ 100.7 Free Race Night kicks off racing action for June.

Fans can get tickets for free admission at eastern Iowa DuPaCo locations, the KKRQ Studios in Iowa City and at MopedU in Iowa City. In addition to getting in free, fans 14 years old and older will be entered into a drawing for a moped from MopedU, to be given away Friday night.

Five of the six divisions will be in action Friday, with Hornets, Legends, Hobby Stock, Sportsmen and Late Models all racing on the half- and quarter-mile tracks. The Modified division is on hiatus.

THINK PINK AT INDEPENDENCE

Another annual event will take place this weekend at Independence Motor Speedway, as the tradition of opening the month of June with a splash of pink continues with the Relay for Life Cancer Awareness Pink Night.

Independence Motor Speedway officials are encouraging fans to wear pink to the races Saturday night to help promote cancer awareness. Members from the area chapter of Relay for Life will be on-hand selling merchandise to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

As part of the evening, the annual helmet drive will be held once again. Drivers will make their way through the grandstand during intermission to help raise money for the cause.

An added bonus to Pink Night is the first Fan Appreciation Night. A packed grandstand weathered two lengthy rain delays last Saturday night while track workers and racers helped dry the track and re-work the surface to make it raceable. Promoters Darin Burco and Todd Summers made the decision during that event to cut the June 7 admission price in half, making tickets $5 for everyone Saturday night.

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