AUBURN — It was a long road to get there, but in the end, the rewards were worth it. When former motocross racer turned stock car driver Adam Polvinen wheeled his Super Late Model into Oxford’s Victory Lane on June 4, it capped a multi-year journey that began when he traded two wheels for four.
Polvinen, of Auburn, came up through the ranks of short track racing the way it’s supposed to happen. He doesn’t come from an affluent family who decided to go racing; he comes from hard-working, blue-collar folks who earn everything they have. The team has a nice trailer and nice truck to pull it, yet there’s no glitz or glamour in this race shop. Only tools, parts and a well-maintained race car.
“We don’t have the budget on this team that several of our weekly rivals enjoy,” Polvinen said. “Yet I do have two cars in the shop, which is more than a lot of those guys can say. We work hard all week so we can go racing on the weekends. It’s a demanding hobby, but it’s one we all love.”
Polvinen got his start in stock car racing through running a couple of Enduro events back in the early 2000s. From there, he moved into Oxford’s Wednesday night Acceleration Series, fielding a car in the Rebel class. In 2006, he moved to the highly-competitive Mini Stock class on Saturday nights. He stepped up to the Pro Late Model class in 2014, and has been steadily gaining ground ever since.
“Adam made racing more fun because he was so fast and competitive,” former Mini Stock rival Jimmy Childs said. “He kept me on my toes while I was at the top of my game. If I had to pick a favorite rival, it would be Adam. He and I gave the fans plenty of entertainment. I’m happy to see him succeed in a Super Late Model.”
Many of the drivers enjoying success these days on Saturday nights came up through that Wednesday night program. That’s where many learned how to race, maintain a weekly operation and hone their skills. Yet Polvinen says he can’t apply much of what he learned back then to what he’s doing today.
“It’s two completely different driving styles from the Rebels to these Super Late Models,” he said. “In those little cars, you’re being pulled around the track as opposed to being pushed around in the big cars. If a driver’s goal is to race a Super Late Model, don’t start out in a Rebel. It just takes a different style and level of finesse; but I’m getting the lines down now and have a good feel for what this car needs.”
When it comes to working on his No. 73 machine each week, Polvinen has a few key people who can be counted on for help. This team is family-run, with Adam’s father Alvin playing a huge role. He says the biggest challenge is getting everything thing done to the car that needs doing during the week.
“I never could do any of this if it wasn’t for my father, along with John Emerson, Evan Emerson, Ben Pelchat and Jeremy Bourque,” Polvinen added. “There really isn’t any one of us more important than the other; but we all work together to make sure things are right before every practice session, heat race and feature. I’m lucky to have a dedicated crew to help me race in such a competitive division.”
Polvinen credits nine-time Oxford track champion and respected car builder Jeff Taylor for getting his car running so well this year. As the owner of Distance Racing Products, Taylor is often quizzed by his customers as they work to get their cars dialed in for top speed and consistency.
“I’ve had the pleasure of testing with Jeff and getting his feedback on what my car is doing and how to improve it,” Polvinen said. “I’ve been able to learn so much from him; like keeping good notes on chassis setups, for example, so we have reference material to go on. And that’s just the beginning.
“He has so much chassis knowledge he can pass along to guide us. With his help, we know how we got to this level of performance. That win was a long time coming, yes, but it sure felt great and boosted our morale. Now it’s up to us to keep the car dialed in as track conditions change during the season.”
Polvinen also has a short list of local marketing partners he says are invaluable to his team. The cost of fielding a Super Late Model can be daunting, yet it can be done for less than what some teams spend.
“I’m blessed to have the support of Pelchat Electric, Hemond’s MX, Rennen Performance and J. Pratt Construction in Hebron on board in 2016. They contribute what they can and make it possible for us to compete. After such a disappointing season in 2015, we’re happy to be running well for all of them. Now we’ll strive to keep the car up front and make the 250 in late August. We feel confident again.”
Beech Ridge
Sat., June 18: Sport Series 125 7 p.m.
Oxford Plains Speedway
Sat. June 18: OCS, Valenti Modifieds, NEMST 6:30 p.m.
Wiscasset Raceway
Sat. June 18: Group 1 and Outlaw Super Series 6 p.m.
PASS
Sat., June 18: PASS Mods at Oxford Plains Speedway
ACT
Sat., June 18: At Speedway 51
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