Quick Facts:
Name: Greg Owens
Class: Superstock
Chassis: GUMM
Engine Builder: Right Auto Parts and Machine Shop in North
Vernon
From: North Vernon, Indiana
Tracks Raced at: Brownstown Speedway, Twin Cities Raceway
Park, Lawrenceburg Speedway, Union County Speedway, Moler
Raceway, LPS
Sponsors: Dirt Scoops, Right Auto Parts, UV Beach, Wilson
Family Insurance, Kewl Threadz, GUMM chassis, PS Graphics,
DASCO, R2C, SCP, Las Chalupas Mexican Restaurant
Keep up with Greg here at his Website: gregowensracing.com
(2010 Superstock) Greg in action March
20, 2010 at Brownstown Speedway
Greg during his heat race March 20, 2010
at Brownstown Speedway
 A
little about Greg Owens, who drives the #18 Dirt Scoops
Superstock:
Greg grew up in North Vernon, Indiana.
He currently resides with his wife, Victoria
(Short) Owens in North Vernon, Indiana. Greg has two children,
Bradin and Natalie, and two step-children, Briana Barger
and Evan Barger.
When asked what got him in to racing, he
just responded that his brother-in-law, Colin Vaughn was
always in racing, and he usually helped in some way or
another. He wanted to race him self.
At age 18, Greg got his first racecar, a
ministock. He raced a mustang. He was hooked.
He raced for a few years in the ministock
class, then graduated to purestocks.
"Having a baby kinda put the brakes
on racing for awhile", he states. "Money was
an issue".
Rick Gumm (Chassis builder) and Greg Owens standing in
front of the 2009 Dirt Scoops Superstock
Why Racing?
When asked about how he learned what he
has, he just indicated by watching Colin and Tim Clark,
and a lot of his friends in racing. He picks up knowledge
by watching and asking questions. "You are constantly
learning, even when you think you know something, you
learn something new. I just remember it. "Colin Vaughn,
Ricky Applegate and Tim Clark has really taught me a lot.",
he adds. Now I am learning from fellow superstock drivers
and crews. Most fellow race drivers are there to help.
They are competative, but off the track, it is different.
They want to help, it is part of it. I do the same now,
for others. What I can, anyway."
When asked why he got back in to racing
after he briefly quit, he just laughed and said it was
in his blood. He can't stay away. When he was out for
awhile, he and Rick Applegate were talking, and the next
thing he knew, he was back in racing, in the purestock.
"Rick had a chassis, I had a motor. I did have a
car, a camaro, but they were banned by the unibody rule
at the tracks around here.", Greg commented, "We
put it together, slapped some paint on it, and I was back
in."
Greg driving one of the ministocks he raced in the past.
(This picture was at Twin Cities)
He said his favorite thing about racing
is 'trying to control something that could potentially
be out of control in a second', it is like being on a
roller coaster except 1000 times more exciting!'.
Greg and Victoria Owens
Greg met his now wife, Victoria, who he
found shared his love for racing. She grew up around racing,
and it seemed like a natural fit. He raced Ricks car another
year, and he and Victoria decided to get his old camaro
race ready and head to Lawrenceburg where they allowed
camaros to run. That was to be his home track in 2007.
Greg has a knack at doing body work, shown
above, the before and after photos of the purestock camaro
he rebuilt for the year 2007.
Greg has won several awards in the past
racing, several for the Hoosier Hills ministocks, and
in the top 10 and 20 in the points championships at Twin
Cities in both ministocks and purestocks. He also won
a most improved award in the ministocks. He has won several
features, consi's, and quite a few heats in the past.
One of Greg's Feature wins at Lawrenceburg
in 2007
In the year 2007, he ended up 2nd in the
points championship at Lawrenceburg and won a sportman
of the year award.
After the year 2007, Victoria (Greg's wife)
saw that a lot of the local publications did not focus
on the smaller tracks or local drivers. To help support
her husband and friends in racing, she started doing showcases
and driver websites for them. Then, she started a website
called "Indiana Dirt Scoops", which later grew
into just 'Dirt Scoops'. She thought she would help contribute
news about tracks and drivers to fans and other drivers,
kind of like a one stop place on the net for racing news,
that not only focuses on big names but the smaller names
as well. The site now has grown from about 2000 hits per
day to 45,000 hits per day.
With how the economy was going, Greg decided
to try to race a bit closer to home after the year 2007.
At first, he kicked around building another purestock,
since he could not use the camaro at any close track where
he lived, but after checking in to the financial part,
he decided to put money into a new superstock instead
and go up another class. He had been successful in the
last two changes, so he thought, heck, why not try another
class up again?
The Owen's invested in a new GUMM chassis,
which seemed to be the chassis of choice for 07. The chassis
was finally done in 2008, and the rest of the year was
spent building the car. Finally in 2009, he was working
out the bugs and getting seat time in the car. He is now
driving the "Dirt Scoops Superstock", in support
of his wife's site.
"There is a huge learning curve for
me from purestock/ministock to superstocks. Everything
is different on them. Usually at home, I have just me,
and sometimes my new neighbor, Jon Tyler, to work on the
car, so it really pushes my knowledge to the limit. At
the track, however, I have got a lot of help from seasoned
drivers, like Tim Clark and his crew, Troy Clark and his
crew, and the 7m crew (Kevin and Alan), Jr. and Mark Hines
family, and always Colin Vaughn. I have learned quite
a bit over the past year and using that advicemy advantage,"
admits Greg.
2010 promises to be an exiting year for
Greg and Wife Vicki.
Greg will mainly race at Brownstown Speedway
and Twin Cities Speedway, but will visit a few others
duing the season.
Over all, he credits his wife, Vicki, mom
and dad, and kids, and the Vaughns for being able to continue
to race. "Without their support, it would be impossible.
Not only the money, but just being there and being supportive.
Racing takes a lot of time away from them and financially
too. We all see racing as a family sport and it has seemed
to bring us all together on weekends, we all love it.
I think my wife loves it as much as I do, and is disappointed
if I can't race on a weekend", he laughs.
A big thanks as well to my sponsors for
their support:
- DIRT SCOOPS
- Dave's Parking Lot Maintenance
- Wilson Family Insurance
- Right Auto and Machine Shop - for their
support and building the engine and parts
- Las Chalupas Mexican Restaurant
- UV Beach Tanning Salon
- PS Graphics (Mike Puckett)
- Rick's Fabrication - Rick Applegate/Robert
Deppe for body work on the car
- Kewl Threads
- GUMM Chassis - chassis builder and support
- SPC
(Speed Custom and Performance)
- R2C
Performance Products
- DASCO Race Supply - support and parts
When asked what his most favorite win was
since he has been racing, he replied, "My first feature
win. It was at Osgood!"
He would love to race at Eldora and Knoxville
someday.
Greg's other passion when not racing? HUNTING!
And yes, that is in capital letters! He has several trophy
bucks and turkeys on his wall, and continues to add to
his collection. His favorite is bow hunting.
Greg shown above with (3) of his trophy bucks he has harvested
in the past.
When asked what advice he would pass on
to someone new and just getting in to racing, he laughed
and said, "To race and keep their driving clean,
and to be nice to everyone, that will get you farther
than anything in racing!'.
Greg standing in front of 2007 Purestock
Carmaro and
some of his trophies he has won through his racing career.
Greg in action in his 2009 superstock
(photo by Mark Schaefer)
Keep up on Greg's progress on his website
at :
http://www.gregowensracing.com/
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