Josh Fields with daughter Ailee.
Josh Fields had a very successful 2014 season in the Sportsman class at the Tazewell Speedway. The Claiborne County Sheriff’s Deputy scored a total of six wins on his way to a 3rd place finish in the track’s point standings for that division despite the fact that he missed three races after a crash early in the season that took time to make repairs from.
“We ended up with six wins and I was able to set the track record up here, and still hold it,” Fields declared. “We had initially started out planning to run the NeSmith crate series but we took a different turn from it this year after we got going on our home track up here at Tazewell and just kind of stuck with it.
“But overall, our season went good,” he added. “We got in a big wreck the first couple of races in and that set us out for a little bit while we got stuff back in order from that. After we got everything put back together from the wreck, everything started clicking and we ended up finishing the season real well.”
Now the resident of Tazewell, Tenn. has even bigger plans. The 24-year-old driver is looking to make a run at the NeSmith Dirt Late Model Series for 604 crate engine cars in 2015 with help from a familiar name in the dirt racing world.
“We’ve got a new deal going for next year,” Fields explained. “We’ve got together with Mike Reece and Reece Monument Company. He has picked us up so we’re going to be doing some traveling with the NeSmith crate series next year.
“We’ve got a couple of crate motors coming in and our operation is going to get a little bit bigger for next year,” the driver continued. “He’s going to sponsor us. He has provided a new motor and an enclosed trailer. He’s helping us out quite a bit and we’re working on more details right now. I’ve got a big opportunity ahead of me now and I’m going to try to go with it and see how I do.”
2014 was Fields first full year of driving a Late Model type car, but he has extensive experience in other forms of dirt racing.
“I started out in four cylinders when I was 15 and we won a bunch of races in that. Then I jumped up to a Late Model the next year but we kind of had a hit and miss with it. I think we ran just a few races and I ended up blowing a motor.”
Fields believes that the experience of racing on the super fast Tazewell Speedway has benefited his development as a driver.
Josh Fields won six Sportsman features at Tazewell in his CVR Race Car.
“Tazewell is a very fast track,” he emphasized. “Everything happens so quick. The corners are real steep and everything’s so tight. Your reaction time has to be good and you have to be on top of things all the time. I love it. I’ve raced there since I was 15.”
Fields believes much of his success from the past year was due to a partnership he formed before the season even began.
“We decided to jump on board with Chip(Vineyard) down at CVR,” he recalled. “As far help with the handling of the car, he’s been great. His cars are hard to beat, especially for somebody who’s just getting started out in a Late Model.”
The 2015 campaign will begin very soon for Fields and crew chief Lance Petty.
“We’re going to hit some big races,” he said. “We’re going to go to the Ice Bowl(Talladega Short Track) in January. I’ll be in my CVR car down there. I’ll probably be in my CVR most of the time. It’s my favorite so we’re going to take it to the Ice Bowl and then just go from there.”
Fields has both short and long term goals for his racing career.
“The man to beat around here right now is Jason Welshan,” he remarked of his short term plans. “That would be one of my goals, to beat him. He’ll probably be as strong next year as he was this year.”
In the long term, Fields shares the same dream as many other racers around the country.
“We’ll see how this NeSmith stuff goes then decide where we’re going to go for the future. I’d love to jump up into the Lucas series eventually and race with those boys a little bit. I think that’s everybody’s dream though.”
