By all accounts, Chase King had a very successful 2017 racing season. The Seymour, Tenn. driver recorded multiple feature wins in the Limited Late Model class and was crowned track champion in that division at the 411 Motor Speedway. He also came within a scant three points of winning the track championship at Volunteer Speedway as Jason Cardwell just edged the No. 44 team on the final night of the season.
And all of this success came after King ran a reduced schedule in 2016.
“It went way better than I personally expected it to after not racing very much last year,” King stated in an interview with InsideDirtRacing.com. “We built this new car and didn’t really have any intention of running for points but we just kind of fell into it and stuck with it. It’s been good but we’re looking to maybe travel around a little more next year to kind of get out of the local stuff a little bit if we can. But overall, I’m very pleased with my season.”
King plans to continue making the Limited(Steelhead) Late Model class his primary focus next season. He believes that division offers an advantage over other Late Model classes.
“I think what attracts me to it is that in crate racing you’re going to tear a lot of stuff up,” King insisted. “Crate racing is cheaper in certain areas but you’re going to spend a lot more money in other areas to be competitive. Steelheads are just something we’ve always had and we’ve just stuck with it.”
But along with the Limited Late Model, King has found himself behind the wheel of an Open Wheel Modified on occasion. He plans to race that car next season as well along with an expanded Steelhead Late Model schedule.
“Yeah, we’ll more than likely stick with the Limited Late Models but we may race this Modified around a little bit more too,” King explained. “We all have a dream of running a lap around Eldora so we’ll probably venture up there and maybe Charlotte. We’re going to see what the motor rules do. I’ve got a little motor that I can maybe build to go to Alabama or Georgia on some of the tracks down there. That’s what I’d really like to do.
Chase King in his own Stinger Chassis Late Model
As far as the Modified car goes, King has not only relied on setups gleaned from his own experience as well as that of his father, Mark, but has ventured to North Carolina to lean on the expertise of Lethal Chassis builder and former NASCAR racer David Stremme along with fellow Lethal pilot Kenny Wallace. Wallace, also a NASCAR racer and TV personality, actually drove King’s Modified in an event at The Dirt Track at Charlotte late in the 2017 season.
“We’ve pretty much stuck to his(Stremme’s) basic stuff,” King said of the Open Wheel car. “We have really tried to make the front end steer closer to my late model. That’s all my dad had growing up was front ends like this so I feel like it steers about as good as you can ever get it. We actually made a trip to Lethal Chassis about a month ago. David went through the car himself with me along with Kenny and that was a real good learning experience.”
Chase King at the wheel of a Lethal Chassis Modified machine
And not only has King experienced success with his own driving in 2017 but he has felt the thrill of victory as a chassis builder when Georgia driver Michael Page scored a a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win at Dixie Speedway in late September in a Stinger Chassis produced by King Chassis Works in Knoxville..
“We hit a homerun landing him,” King declared. “That’s been the best move I think we’ve made getting him and Trevor(Sise) both. We would like to add a couple more to that. We don’t really want to get a lot of cars out there just yet so I can get a little more organized so we can get stuff done faster. As long as we can take care of the customers we’ve got there’s always room to grow.”
But King definitely plans to keep doing what he’s doing for the foreseeable future.
“Oh yeah, we ain’t going anywhere.”
