There is no shortage of family-oriented teams at Lernerville Speedway or the surrounding tracks. Now that they have been around for a few years, V-8 Modified driver Jeremiah Shingledecker and his family can be included in the mix.
"It's basically my dad (Mike), my brother Travis, mom (Patty), sister-in-law (Mandy) and my wife Lex and me," Shingledecker said. "My dad ran for a week or two, but my brother, Travis, 25, is basically my crew chief. He really helps me with the setup. He ran for a couple of years, too. My uncle Terry Wheeler has run the 6-cyl(inder) for a long time; my grandfather raced, too, so basically we are about as much of a racing family as you can get."
There is, unfortunately, one other Shingledecker not around anymore to take part as either a driver or part of the pit crew. Shingledecker's brother Michael died when he was 18. The MD incorporated into Jeremiah's No. 37 race car stands for "Michael's Dream." The 37 comes from the demolition derby car Michael drove before he died.
So while the team and the family had to overcome pain, it has developed into one of the area's top "young" Modified teams. That doesn't mean the progression has been easy.
"Definitely there were differences from the small-block to this car," Shingledecker said. "I had to get used to the horsepower and the competition. A lot of that was trying to get the car ready to handle that change. I also had to learn to stay off the gas on a slick track. I think when I first started in the Big-Block, the tracks were a little different. They were heavier the first couple of years. Now the tracks seem to slick off more, and that took some getting used to."
Shingledecker is competing at Lernerville and Tri-City Speedways this season. Last week, Shingledecker picked up his third feature victory of the season at Lernerville. He has three this season and eight in his career at Tri-City.
"This year we are doing Lernerville, Tri-City and the BRP Tour," Shingledecker said. "Those BRP races are definitely more difficult to win because you have three tracks that send cars -- Lernerville, Tri-City and Sharon -- and then some guys from New York. This past Sunday at Tri-City, I finished second in the BRP Kodiak; I led all but three laps. The race was 30 laps, and we are not used to that, and I burned the tires up."
Even if a driver is racing at just one track each week, there are differences in setup from week to week. That work is compounded when the driver goes to one or two more tracks each weekend.
"You definitely have to make some changes when you prepare for a different track," Shingledecker said. "In reality, I have more trouble burning the tires at Lernerville than I do at Tri-City. I just don't seem to have the setup right there. I don't think the track agrees with me, but part of it could be that I have a lot more experience at Tri-City and I know better how to get around the track.
While Shingledecker's season appears to be a success, drivers can sometimes be their own toughest critics.
"I would have to say we are close to our goals for the year," Shingledecker said. "I know we are definitely having our best year ever. I look at the budget we are on, and you can see from our standpoint, while we are in the garage that if we had a little more money to throw around, we could do some better things.
"We have had a couple DNFs that took us out of the points race at Lernerville," Shingledecker said. "There were two mechanical and one where I had my helmet on too tight; I was racing for the win at Tri-City and I got into the water barrels."
This past week, Shingledecker and Del Rougeux Jr. battled in the Modified feature with Shingledecker claiming his third feature victory. The work he had to put into that race, which included a physical move in turn one, compensated for his first win of the year that sort of fell right into his lap.
"After that win we certainly had high expectations," Shingledecker said. "We put a little extra money into the engine this year with some better parts. We just sort of lucked into the first win at Lernerville. Swartzlander and Weller were battling for the lead. They had a big lead over the rest of the field, and then they got together, and it fell to us."
The move Shingledecker used on Rougeux last Friday was similar to the one Bolland put on him earlier in the season. The difference was that both cars kept going. That earlier incident lit up the Internet message boards, but Shingledecker has put it behind him.
"We have certainly talked about it since it happened," Shingledecker said. "But you just can't let stuff like that get to you. It happened, that's it. I certainly didn't agree with it, but it happened, and there is nothing I can do."
It could be argued that the V-8 Modifieds are as competitive as the Late Model division at Lernerville and, for that reason alone, Shingledecker's fans should be glad he has no plans of changing divisions.
"The first thought I had in a race car was that I was going to have to spend a lot more time figuring out how to make this thing turn," Shingledecker said. "We have been in the Big-Block for about four or five years and the last two years regularly at Lernerville. I rather enjoy the Modifieds and as far as another division I am not sure we would ever just run out and buy a different car."
Additional Information:
Jeremiah Shingledecker file
Car No.: 37mdHometown: Stoneboro
Main sponsors: Quaker Steak & Lube, Lou Huet & Son Excavating, Car Mate, Fastenal, Shingledecker Welding, Emlenton Water Bottling
Highlights: Last week Shingledecker won his third Lernerville V-8 Modified feature of the season. He has five top-five and eight top-10 finishes this year and is eighth in points. Shingledecker is fourth in points at Tri-City Speedway and fifth in the BRP Modified Tour.
Engine: MD Racing Engine
Chassis: Bicknell
