Randy Weaver
Going into Saturday night’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series race at Smoky Mountain Speedway, much of the talk throughout the dirt racing world centered around the ongoing nine race winning streak of driver Jonathan Davenport. At the end of the evening, however, the focus was instead on another racer who had earlier in the season compiled his own impressive run of consecutive victories.
Randy Weaver of Crossville, Tenn. scored an attention getting win over Davenport and a full field of LOLMDS competitors. And for the driver sometimes referred to as ‘The Dream’, his first career win on that series served as a stamp of legitimacy on his own run of success.
“It feels awesome to maybe get a little heat off of us,” Weaver admitted during an interview with InsideDirtRacing.com. “Everybody don’t understand what it takes to win some races, but this is a top shelf series and they think you’ve got to have one of those to feel good about your resume. I’ve never been that way.”
Weaver believes he faces tough competition every time he goes on track, no matter what the series may be called. He also believes that the schedule he runs is what’s best for him and his team.
“We race in a lot of tough regional series because that just fits what I do,” the 4-year-old veteran race declared. “I’m not where I want to be on that top shelf all the time because I’d rather be with my family, but it’s good now. They can’t say I haven’t won one so if we never win another one, that’s fine with me.”
Perhaps more significant for Weaver regarding his LOLMDS win was the date on which it occurred. Just one day before Father’s Day, the driver reminisced about his own dad, who passed away after a bout with cancer last year.
“Nobody understands how much I miss my dad,” Weaver said. “He’s a big, big part of this and what I’ve done. You know, last year on Father’s Day I remember what we were doing and this year we won’t be doing that. It’s tough, but I’m glad it worked out that this win came on this weekend. All this year is for him and I’m not done yet. We’re going to try a little harder.”
Randy Weaver(116) passes by Scott Bloomquist on his way to a Lucas Oil win at Smoky Mountain.
Weaver does not have a personal Facebook or Twitter account, but he is aware that some may question him or his team for not racing a more nationally based schedule. But in the end, he believes that those who are quick to criticize will never really be won over anyway. He just has to do what he thinks is right for himself, his team and his family.
“I’m not real big on what people think or how they judge my race team because I know what it takes to do it and I know what it’s taken me, and my father, and mom , and everybody that’s sacrificed to get me here,” stated the driver who earlier in 2015 raked up eight consecutive victories. “Usually the ones who criticize you or don’t give you enough credit are the ones who have never owned a race team or don’t know what it takes to do it. I’m OK with that because there are a lot of people who are that way.
“All I want people to know is that I love what I do and sometimes we win and sometimes we lose, but it ain’t because we’re not trying or because we’re dodging competition. I don’t care to race whoever.”
