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Thanks Robert! Let's flip the switch and
get after it!
Ballou: Thanks for this opportunity Gary.
Your father John has obviously been a huge
piece of the puzzle in regards to your career. Can you
share what his background is in racing?
Ballou: My dad raced Quarter Midgets for a
couple of years, and has always loved to watch all forms
of racing. My dad also raced Chuck Gurney Jr. in my
sisters Quarter Midget one year and Chuck won the
Championship. The other parents were pretty upset about
that.
From 1994 to 2002 you had some extremely
successful years running 1/4 Midget's and Kart's...
Ballou: Yes, in 1/4 Midget's I won 21
Championships, and 2 National Championships. Much of my
1/4 Midget success would not have been possible without
the support of Tad Fiser Racing, and my parents. My stint
in Kart's was shorter, but I obtained 3 Championships and
2 Rookie-of-the-Year honors in 3 years.
You went out of state and were successful
out on the road too....
Ballou: Yes, in 1/4 Midget's I traveled all
over the United States and Canada. Fiser would bring his
race cars to various tracks around the country, and my Dad
and I would fly in for the events. One of my National
Championships was won at a track in Xenia, Ohio. I also
lost a National Championship on the last lap in Colorado,
after having lapped everyone but 2nd place. That was a
heart breaker!!! I had many track records, and wins out on
the road.
In 2003 you raced 10 times at California's
Petaluma Speedway. You got in a little trouble didn't you?
Ballou: Actually, my trouble came in
Medford, Oregon. This was a week shy of my 14th birthday,
and the only time anyone ever asked to see proof of my
age. They didn't let me run the feature that night, but an
official called my dad the following week and said they
wanted me to come back. We never did go back because we
ran at Petaluma the following week and no one questioned
my age, and it was several hundred miles closer to home. I
did get some smack for being a little too aggressive. I
enjoyed racing at Petaluma, and had some good runs. It was
cool getting my 1st win at Petaluma in 2005.
What was it like at such a young age
running one of those beast's for the first time?
Ballou: It was a lot different from the
Kart's because the suspension and power steering produced
such a different feel. The biggest difference was finding
the 4 corners of the race car with the Sprint Car being so
much bigger!
It's not like you're old now. You're only
16!
Ballou: Yeah, I will actually be 17 on
March 29th. Even as far back as 1/4 Midgets no one could
keep track of my age because I have always raced against
kids much older than I am. I remember one year in Outlaw
Karts they listed me as 10 years-old in the program and I
was actually 12!
Racing is such a time consuming sport as
you know. But to be on top of your game, you have to
dedicate yourself whole heartily. How do you maintain
focus at such a young age?
Ballou: Since I have been racing since 5, I
really don't remember life without racing. Racing is
second nature to me. Racing has always been the main event
in my family for as long as I can remember. My sister and
I both raced 1/4 Midgets and my parents and grandparents
took us every weekend to the track 10 months out of the
year. The majority of my friends were at the race track,
not in the neighborhood. The birthday parties were at the
track with the other racing families. After homework, the
focus was always on getting the car ready for the next
race. I tried other sports, but really didn't have the
time to focus on anything but racing.
I would like to know how a 16 year old kid
has developed such a competitive desire to win?
Ballou: I have basically been racing my
whole life, and the desire to win is like a fire burning
inside that I just can't get enough of. If we hit a dry
spell my dad and I sit and talk for hours about what we
can change on the car or what I can do as a driver to turn
things around. I have to say I get the competitive drive
from my dad.
In a short period of time running sprint
cars, it's amazing what you have accomplished at this
point in you career. For instance: In the 2005 season you
finished a stout 3rd place in California's sprint car
Civil War Series behind hard charging veterans Greg
DeCaries and Colby Weisz. In addition you took home Rookie
of the year honors for the 2005 Civil War season too!
Ballou: Yeah, 2005 was a great year, and I
could not have done any of this without the support of my
family and the sponsors. Part of our success in 2005 was
with the help of Clark Riolo as my Crew Chief. It was good
to have someone besides dad to do some of the critiquing.
You picked up a win on round #4 Civil War
Series action at Twin Cities Speedway in Marysville, Ca.
That's a tough joint to win at....
Ballou: It is a very small bullring track,
but I like the wheel to wheel action.
Let's back peddle a bit and travel down the
road to King's Speedway in Hanford. In the 2004 season,
you were Rookie of the year, and finished a respectable
5th in points!
Ballou: That was my first full year racing
a Sprint Car. I gained a lot of experience racing every
weekend.
Do you realize you may have won the last
sprint car race there? That win came on Saturday, August
6th 2005..
Ballou: I hope someone takes the track over
because California can't afford to lose another track.
OK, let's head back up to the bullring at
Placerville. You set a NTR of 10.291, that's damn fast! On
top of that, you are the 2005 Rookie of the year there
too!
Ballou: Again, I really like the bullring
action, and how there is a cushion every night. I actually
didn't know that I was Rookie of the year until it was
announced at the Awards Banquet.
Yourself and BK put on a helluva show there
for the final Civil War show there. You were up top just
banging the rim! What a feeling it must be to be racing a
guy that you have so much respect for...
Ballou: Yeah it was awesome racing against
Brent because he's the best in the West, and he is someone
I look up to. He has also helped me with the driver's side
of racing, so it was cool running upfront with him.
You won against the big dogs of the Golden
State Challenge Series at Antioch. Not only was it a big
win, but you became the youngest driver in the history of
the club to win a race!
Ballou: Antioch was only my 3rd 410 start,
so I was pretty excited. I didn't realize at the time that
I was the youngest driver to win a race in this series.
I need to mention the show you put on at
Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Ca. It was at the
"Pacific Sprint Cup Invitational", the night
before the Gold Cup kicks off. You came from 15th to 7th
on basically a one lane deal. You also won your heat that
night too. Some may say, well big deal, but you drove your
ass off!
Ballou: Yeah, we got behind a little bit in
qualifying, but I never gave up trying to go forward.
With you doing the full GSC deal for the
first time this year, what are some of the things that
concern you?
Ballou: CONSISTENCY is a must to be
successful in this series.
Let's bring the RPM's down a bit. I hear
you may take the wing off for a few shows this year....
Ballou: Yes, when Golden State is done, I
am planning to race USAC/CRA. I have been working on my
dad to take this step for awhile, and he is finally ready.
Brent Kaeding, "The Hogs", and
Kaeding Performance have been extremely helpful to you.
Can you explain in what ways?
Ballou: Yes, Brent, "The Hogs",
and Kaeding Performance as a whole have been extremely
helpful to both me and my dad. Brent has coached me on
various tracks, and "The Hogs" are always around
to chip in with assistance on the car. I would also like
to thank Brian Matherly for his help and support.
You're using the ultra potent Don Ott
racing engines out of Pennsylvania. I hear they are pretty
good to you guys....
Ballou: Yes, we got hooked up with Don
through Terry Cowan when he owned the 7T Sprint Car. Don
has been very helpful with anything we needed and has
provided great service.
You're heading out of state this year to do
some sprint car racing....
Ballou: Yes, if everything works as planned
we will be at Skagit for the Dirt Cup, and then in
Knoxville for the Nationals.
So where do you hope your career ends up
Robert? Where do you hope to go?
Ballou: I would like to race some pavement
midgets and sprint cars, and hopefully move on from there.
I have an open mind and anything is possible.
I wish you the best in 2006. Is there
anything else that you would like to say? Anyone that you
would like to thank?
Ballou: Thanks again Gary for this
opportunity and your well wishes for 2006. I would also
like to thank all of my sponsors: Gardemeyer Finish
Carpentry, THR & Sons, Gliko Hardware &
Constructions, MPD, Kaeding Performance, SCHLAGE, Swimming
Pool Perfections, A1A Performance Muffler, Don Ott Race
Engines, and Papa.
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Be sure to follow the Ballou Motorsports
team at www.BallouMotorsports.com
All pictures courtesy of John's Racing
Photos www.JohnsRacingPhotos.com
gary_costa1@yahoo.com
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