Friendly, but fierce competition at Hawkeye Downs Speedway

CEDAR RAPIDS — It’s quite a juxtaposition atop the leaderboard in Hawkeye Downs Speedway’s Hornets Division.

Through a third of the weekly racing season, 22-year-old Corey Crispin leads 49-year-old Chad Vozenilek by six points (196-190).

The 27-year age gap doesn’t affect their competitive fire, nor does it prevent them from being cordial with one another, on and off the asphalt.

“It's kind of an odd couple,” Vozenilek said. “The wily old veteran and the tall, cool one.”

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“Having a competitor that you can talk to and not fight with is something remarkable,” Crispin said. “We give each other plenty of respect on the track. We're not hitting each other. We're just battling really hard, side by side.”

Crispin, the “tall, cool one,” has been red-hot this year with three first-place finishes and two third-place finishes through five races. The 2021 Hornets season champion attributes his early-season success to his knowledge of the track and a modified approach.

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“Since last year, they started putting that resin down on the top groove because it used to be whoever got to the bottom would win and people would try to push each other off the bottom,” Crispin said. “Having that second lane and being able to run kind of up top and around guys, that makes a huge difference.”

Vozenilek experienced electrical issues on opening night, resulting in a seventh-place finish. Since then, he’s been arguably the most consistent driver at Hawkeye Downs, finishing second in four consecutive races.

“Right now, I'm just trying to stay focused on finishing ahead of Corey,” Vozenilek said. “That's the only way I'm going to catch him after opening night. If we finish 1-2, 2-3, it's only a point gained every time, one way or the other.”

Crispin’s No. 17 car and Vozenilek’s No. 3 were neck and neck in what Crispin called “probably one of the best races at Hawkeye Downs in the last five or 10 years” on May 26.

Crispin narrowly edged Vozenilek.

“It was thrilling maybe for the people in the stands, but for me in a car that was very exhausting,” Crispin said. “That was like hitting every single mark and getting every thousandth of a second out of the car that I could because it ended up being less than a 10th of a second between us at the line. It was that close.”

“It's a nerve-wracking race when you can see somebody out the corner of your eye the entire race,” Vozenilek said. “It was just side-by-side, doorhandle-to-doorhandle.”

While fierce competitors, the two are far from foes.

On June 4, Crispin and Vozenilek joined forces for a fundraising event in support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) at Bushwood Sports Bar and Grill.

“The purpose of us being there was we both have a mutual sponsor that actually puts the event on every year,” Vozenilek said. “They've (Kurt and Laurie Gustafson) been doing it for the last 10 years. It's a good time. Live music. Silent auction. All the money goes to a good cause.”

The two even brought their Hornets cars and parked them out front for display.

“He's (Gustafson) actually my insurance agent and he's also Chad’s insurance agent,” Crispin said. “He sponsors both of us and he wanted us to bring both cars out, so it was really good to do that event.

“And to have the two quickest cars in the Hornets class right now being sponsored by the same guy, I'm sure he likes that, too.”

At Hawkeye Downs, both drivers have groups of fans in the stands — they also get along.

“What's funny is my section and Corey’s section sit side-by-side,” Vozenilek said. “It's a good, friendly thing.”

All pleasantries aside, winning still is at the forefront for both drivers.

“My goal is to get another championship,” Crispin said. “And, honestly, if I got to choose who was second place, I’d choose Chad.”

“Ultimately, I'd like to win the championship,” Vozenilek said. “But, if I have to finish second to Corey, hats off.”