Everett, Wash.
Published: Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Community sports

'One of the young lions' in racing

Having already dominated mini-sprints, Peterson, who just turned 16, is well on his way to his dream of becoming a professional race car driver

By Scott Whitmore
Herald writer

 STANWOOD — Shortly after Jared Peterson won Deming Speedway's Clay Cup, he did something less challenging but just as important to his sprint-car racing career.

He got his drivers license.

"It was the biggest mini-sprint payout on the West Coast," Peterson said of the $5,000 he collected for driving a 600 mini-sprint car to victory at the Clay Cup Nationals on July 14.

Peterson turned 16 on July 29, the day after he raced against some of the best sprint-car drivers in the region at Skagit Speedway in the feature event of the 360 Nationals.

Sixteen is the minimum age at most tracks for driving 360 sprints — the West Coast's most common full-sized sprint car ­— but Skagit owner Steve Beitler made an exception for him this season based on Peterson's driving history.

"He's what you'd have to call one of the young lions at Skagit Speedway," Beitler said. "He straps on a helmet and gets in a race car and gases it — he's a natural talent."

By getting his drivers license on Aug. 1, Peterson can now compete in 360 races at more tracks and could join the Northwest Sprint Challenge Series (NSCS) next season. The NSCS is a 360 sprint car touring series whose drivers Peterson raced against at the 360 Nationals.

"Everyone dreams of being in a racing tour series for a living," Beitler said. "That's what you shoot for."

Peterson held his own against the NSCS drivers at the two-day 360 Nationals, finishing 14th out of a field of 24. Peterson earned his spot in Saturday's feature main by qualifying for and finishing high enough in his heat and main races on the opening night.

Peterson, who is entering his junior year at Stanwood High School, has his sights set higher than a regional series.

"Either racing NASCAR or the World of Outlaws," Peterson said, citing the top stock car and sprint car series, respectively.

If history — as brief as it is — is any indication, Peterson's goal isn't far-fetched.

He started driving quarter-midgets at age 9 and won the fourth race he started. Peterson won four straight championships spanning three mini-sprint divisions at Deming Speedway, earning the junior sprint title in 2003, the 250 junior crown in 2004 and 600 mini-sprint titles in 2005 and 2006.

"He's way smoother than I was," said Jay Peterson, Jared's father, who started racing go-karts and then moved up to sportsman sprint cars at Skagit. "If it's got wheels he'll drive it."

Supporting Jared Peterson's racing career has become a family affair. Jay Peterson is the crew chief and mechanic, a position he also holds at the Lakewood School District.

Jared's mother, Bev Peterson, serves as his business manager when she's not working as a construction loan officer with Frontier Bank in Everett. Bev Peterson pays the bills, helps with sponsors and worries about her son.

"She gets nervous," Jared Peterson said of his mother. "I flipped three or four weeks ago. It was the first time I flipped in a sprint car. … (Mom) wasn't there that week."

"It was the one race she missed," Jay Peterson said with a laugh. "He destroyed the car, tore up a lot of stuff."

This season is Jared Peterson's first racing 360 sprints. Both father and son view it as a chance to learn and gain experience — sometimes the learning comes the hard way.

"You'll never know (what a crash on the track is like) until it happens to you," Jay Peterson said. "Luckily he was all right."

In that race, Jared Peterson drove too high on the track, getting his right rear wheel over the "cushion," the ridge of rough dirt that builds up near the wall.

"I let off (the accelerator) and when you hop the cushion you're not supposed to let off," Jared Peterson said. "I went into the wall."

Unlike stock or late model cars, in sprint cars there are no mirrors or two-way radios to get information about other cars from a spotter.

"You're out there by yourself," Jay Peterson said. "You have to listen and feel what's going on. You have to pay attention."

When he's not racing, Jared Peterson likes to sleep late, play video games — NASCAR and World of Outlaws racing, of course ­— and work on his sprint car. During hockey season he enjoys watching the Everett Silvertips play.

And he is quiet.

"(Jared) doesn't talk much. He's like Kasey Kahne that way" said Beitler, referring to the Enumclaw native who went from racing sprint cars at Skagit Speedway to driving on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit. "(Kahne) didn't talk much either; he just came out and raced hard."

That comparison would please Jared Peterson, who named Kahne and fellow NASCAR competitor Tony Stewart along with World of Outlaws driver Steve Kinser as his favorites.

Later this month at Skagit Speedway Jared Peterson will get a close look at his hoped-for future — and the chance to race against two of his idols.

The World of Outlaws series competes at the Alger track Aug. 24-25, and the following week Peterson hopes to race against Kahne and Stewart in a charity event supporting the Kasey Kahne Foundation.

Don't expect Jared Peterson to talk anyone's head off about how much he is looking forward to those events, because that's not his way.

Said Beitler: "Jared lets his right foot do his talking."
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA