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It will be a night to remember for 16-year-old Joey Tanner. The friendly and outgoing young man from Portland, OR, a rookie in dirt Late Model racing this season, scored his career first feature win on Saturday August 20 and to make it even sweeter it was a victory in a race sanctioned by the Pacific Coast Xtreme Dirt Car Series (PCXDCS) at Skagit Speedway in Alger, WA. The leading rookie of the year contender on the PCXDCS tour, the second-generation driver has been getting closer and closer to a win all season and finally pulled it off after starting fourth and taking the lead with eight laps to go in his CJ Rayburn Race Cars #1 sponsored by Eastside Paving, Jody's 'Nothin' But Fun', Walters Racing, Waltersracing.com, ABC Restaurant Repair and Iron Tech Welding & Supply.
"It was awesome!" understated the personable Young man. "I mean I've been hoping and dreaming for this my whole life, I thought it would happen a little earlier but bad luck has come my way all years so its awesome to get the monkey off my back and finally win one!"
So what went through Tanner's mind as he approached the waving checkers on the final lap?
"As I approached the checkered I was thinking of what was going to happen now that I won a race!" exclaimed Tanner. "What was I going to do for a celebration? I was also thinking maybe this is what I needed to get noticed, and how awesome it was to win my first Xtreme race against the guys I grew up watching and admiring. For the last seven laps I led all that went through my mind was don't mess up and hit my marks so I can win."
One old saying in racing, and it may be a cliché, is that the first win is the hardest to get and the rest come a bit easier. Tanner was asked if he thought there was any validity to that. "Yeah I do believe that because after your first win you become more confident in yourself as a driver knowing you can win," responded Tanner. "Of course your always wanting your first win whenever you race and sometimes you try too hard and don't get it so winning a race for the first time definitely calms you down so its a little easier."
Tanner is a young, talented,
personable young man who appears headed for bigger and better things in
the seasons ahead. "Joey drove his best race to date and I expect
this win will give him knowledge and the confidence to win many more races,
it was very exciting for me to be part of his first win on the series,"
commented Steve Reeck, P.R. Director for the PCXDCS. "Joey is destined
for much greater things than racing on the west coast, with his talent
in the racecar and his excellent personality out of the car, it's just
a matter of time before Joey is picked up by some big league racing team."
Reeck also feels that Tanner is an excellent representative for the PCXDCS.
"Yes, Joey is a natural when he is out of the car, his good looks
and personality will carry him along way in this sport," stated Reeck.
Tanner is also leading by a healthy margin the 2005 PCXDCS Rookie of the
Year standings with a 106-point margin over his closest competitor in
the 14 car rookie contingent. As for the PCXDCS tour there are only two
more remaining events, the T & G Thriller event at Sunset Speedway
in Banks, OR on Saturday August 27 and the season finale on September
17 at Madras Speedway in Madras, OR. But that may not be the end of Tanners
'05 season.
"Definitely going to the (Lucas Oil) Knoxville (Late Model) Nationals
but I'm not sure of anywhere else because of our racing budget this year
but hopefully some more wins will help and hopefully I can go into Knoxville
with a little more confidence," stated Tanner.
©2005 Doc Lehman/Dirt America
