-
Victoria Owens (Dec. 30, 2008)
A
note from Vicki:
"One
thing, Mr. Joe Whisler, definitely a colorful personality on and off
the track. His quick whit constantly keeps you in a state of smiling/laughing.
Always one to slip in a joke here and there, and give a good ribbing,
Joe is the life of the party. Joe has earned the respect and friendship
of a lot of fellow race car drivers and a lot of fans.
And,
guess what girls, he is single.
Joe
usually could be found in his cool blue and white superstock at LPS,
but ventured to Bloomington a few time in 2008. Joe has had the pleasure
of standing in victory row a few times, so he is no stranger at winning.
I have had the pleasure of getting to know the 'guy' behind the wheel,
and his heart is a good one. He is currently in the superstock class,
but his dream is to get in to sprints. He follows them religiously.
I
would personally like to thank Joe for being a loyal Dirt Scoops member,
and to wish him the best of luck in 2009, and in what ever racing
brings him!
Now,
on to the interview!"
Quick
Facts:
Name:
Joe Whisler
Car Class: Indiana Super Stock/U.M.P. Sportsman
Where is Joe From?
"I was born in Nuernberg, West Germany when my dad was in the
army. My hometown is Plainfield, IN
Joe
comments on the photo above, "Here’s one from 1977! It’s Joe
Starks in the #17, and my dad in the #18. Dad’s original #18 that
matched Starks’ had already been destroyed after 2 separate flips
and another wreck. This is where it began."
One of Joe's older cars
Tell us how you got interested in
racing:
"In 1976, a neighbor of ours started racing at Lincoln Park Speedway
in Putnamville, IN. My dad, Garry, and our other neighbor Joe Starks
helped him where he won the street stock championship. As we know
can happen, the bug bit them. In 1977, both Joe Starks and my dad
had matching 1965 Chevelle SS's. They were numbers 17 & 18. I
grew up watching them race at Indiana dirt tracks like Lincoln Park
Speedway and Paragon Speedway."
"It's pretty cool to think of all of the kids that sat in those
stands back then are the same ones that we race against today. Joe
Starks' sons Jeff and Kris and I are still great friends today."
Joe
in action on the track
Tell us about your family:
"I
am single, never married. My dad, Garry, is still a big part of my
racing. He is my crew! You can usually find him somewhere close to
the car anytime we're at the track. My mom's name is Becky. Racing
has always made Mom nervous, so she doesn't go to the track very often
anymore. She always calls to wish me luck on race days, and calls
on Sunday afternoon to see how we did. I have one sister named Jennifer,
and one brother named John. "
List
your career high lights:
2008 - 25 Races
1 Feature win (7/19/08 @ LPS)
8
Top 5's (four 2nds)
19
Top 10's
2
Heat wins
4th
in BOSS Series points
9th
in LPS points(missed 3 nights)
49th
in U.M.P. National points
2007 21 Races
2
Feature wins (4/28/07 & 9/15/07 @ LPS)
12
Top 5's (four 2nds, three 3rds)
19
Top 10's
5
Heat wins
3rd
in LPS points
8th
in U.M.P. Indiana state points(16 races)
2005 8 Races
6
Top 10's
1
Heat win
1
B-Main win
2004 13 Races
1
Top 5's
1
Top 10's
1
Heat win
2002 22 Races
3
Top 10's
1
Heat win
1
B-Main win
2001 4 Races
Stats
Incomplete
Which
one of your races stands out the most in your mind and why:
There are a lot of individual moments that stand out. I remember the
first time I pulled on the track for hot laps at Paragon Speedway.
I pulled along side Kris Starks, and I know he could see the huge
grin on my face through my helmet. The first time on the track at
the Terre Haute Action Track was pretty special knowing the history
and how many of our heroes have turned laps around that place over
the years. I remember losing what would've been my first heat win
and my first feature win and what I did wrong. I remember who won
them, too.
But two races that stand out are my first and second feature wins.
To finally get that first win, you'd have thought I just won the Knoxville
Nationals. I just about knocked my dad down with a bear hug! The second
win was pretty special, too. My mom, brother, sister, and niece were
all there that night. I had come from 9th, and we had a yellow with
two laps to go. There was a lapped car between me and the leader.
I threw a slide job on the lapped car in three coming to the white
flag and passed for the lead coming out of two on the last lap. When
I came back around, I saw my family jumping up and down at the fence.
That was a pretty awesome feeling!
We all know it takes more than one
person to be successful in racing, who do you feel contributes to
your career sucess?
There are quite a few people that have helped and continue to help
me in one way or another. Obviously my family is always there. My
chassis builder and friend Bob Franklin has been a huge factor in
getting me where I need to be. If it weren't for Bob, we'd still be
running mid-pack every week. I owe him a lot!
The Starks family, Humphrey Brothers Racing, Wade Burton & Randy
Kinser & Steve Kinser Racing, "Bubba" Coomer (RIP),
Quinlin Automotive Machine, Williams Precision Engines, Townsend Transmission.
All of those people have been great! And my two racing heroes: Garry
Whisler and Bob Kinser!
What tracks do you race at?
To date, we've raced at:
Paragon Speedway, Bloomington Speedway, Brownstown Speedway, Terre
Haute Action Track, Lincoln Park Speedway, Kamp Motor Speedway, Lawrenceburg
Speedway, Twin Cities Raceway Park, Kokomo Speedway, and Vermillion
County Speedway
Joe's sponsors:
Franklin Race Cars
Premier
Fabricating
40 Minute Cleaners
Gallagher's
Pizza Express
Precision
Property Services
Powder
Pro Coating Service
Hoosier
Hydro
PPG
(Porter
Paints, Pittsburgh Paints)
Any special events or news for the
upcoming season you would like to share with your fans?
Nothing new to report at the moment. We are looking to sell our Stock
Car operation and move toward Sprint Cars. If that doesn't happen
for 2009, we'll be back in the Franklin Race Cars sponsored Super
Stock.
Joe
in action on the track in his 2008 Superstock Car!
Do you have a website so fans can keep
up on your progress? If so, what is the url?
http://www.WhislerRacing.com
Closing thoughts?
"I'd just like to thank everybody that supports our racing. Whether
it be Vicki Owens at Dirt Scoops, who gives us a venue to promote
what we do and bench race a bit. The Ma Nunn's who take it upon themselves
to do something for the racers. Whether it be the people I work with
that bend the schedule so I can make it to the track. Family and friends
that are there to cheer us on and the fans I haven't met yet. The
D.O. Laycock's, the Dean Mills', and Jody Shannon's, the Carey Fox's
& Scotty Miller's, the Kevin Oldham's that document our racing.
And the businesses and sponsors that we partner with. There are few
things that bring a passion so strong as racing. The highs that make
us smile for a week at a time, and the lows that make us want it even
more. I don't know what I would do without it! "
