Racing: Plummer enjoys latest role

CEDAR RAPIDS - From behind the wheel to behind the scenes.

Tim Plummer has changed his responsibilities on Friday nights, and he doesn't mind it.

The 28-year-old eight-time season points champion has served as a crew member to teenager talent Jake Griffin at Hawkeye Downs Speedway, which has limited his time on the asphalt track.

Plummer, of Norway, won seven straight modified division titles from 2004-10, winning 46 modified features the previous eight seasons. He also has seven feature wins since 2009. In 2010, Plummer became what Hawkeye Downs officials believe to be the first driver to win multiple season-points titles on the half-mile track.

Griffin, a 13-year-old from Quincy, Ill., is in his first season racing at the asphalt track and is fourth in the modified division with a feature victory and fifth in late models, eight points back of fourth.

"It's been fun, trying to help him," Plummer said. "It is kind of neat. He does  a pretty good job for how young he is."

Plummer mentioned that a post-race technical issue negated one feature win, and last week he led on the final lap when he was a casualty of a wreck involving lapped cars. He praised Griffin's ability to handle those situations on and off the track, even though they were tough on Plummer.

"That part is hard," Plummer said about the disappointments. "The other thing is, for a 13-year-old to handle it and take it better than the rest of us adults is pretty good."

Griffin's father, Dan Griffin, contacted Hawkeye Downs Wall of Fame member Johnny Spaw to be a part of the crew. Spaw reached out to Plummer to gauge his interest in helping the younger Griffin with his modified ride. Plummer joined the team and lent out his championship car. With increased participation in late model racing, Plummer didn't mind sacrificing the modified competition, which he has dominated for years.

"I'd like to go the late-model direction more than the modified," said Plummer, noting modified racing is more fun. "I like the challenge of the late model class."

Plummer, who has driven a late model owned by Dudley Fleck, competed in his first late model race, finishing second in a shortened feature contest. He expects to race more in that division the rest of the season, trading off with Fleck and even going to some tour events.

"We just got the car put together...Now we're racing on and off with that," Plummer said. "In a way it's kind of fun, too, that nothing's very serious, and if something happens we can put it in a corner and let it go for a week or two to do what we want."

Fleck will drive the late model Friday as the weekly points races will include two late model features, including a make-up from a rain-shortened schedule June 15. All other five classes will compete. Heat races begin at 7:30 p.m. with pre-race ceremonies at 7:15.