Hart back on dirt – and in victory lane – at Merced Speedway

Four seasons ago, Ryan Hart was the driver to beat in local dirt track Hobby Stock racing. Hart’s blue Camaro was unstoppable as he drove it to championships at both Merced and Chowchilla speedways.

Last Sunday night, the Hobby Stock feature at Merced was a replay of 2011 – only Hart’s competitors had changed. Hart and the blue Camaro returned and did what they did back then – picked through the field until they were fighting for the lead.

“It’s hard for a driver to sit in the stands and watch the races,” Hart explained after his win. “A racer has got to race. I had nothing on my racing schedule for a few weeks. The car was sitting there collecting dust. So, here I am.”

Hart, from Dos Palos, did what few dirt track drivers do. After dominating the dirt track Hobby Stock division in 2011, he made a shocking move to pavement racing

He took his blue Camaro with him as he headed down the road.

“I tried to convert it for pavement racing,” Hart explained. “With the help of fellow racers, I learned how to set it the right way after racing half of the 2012 season without a top finish.”

In the second half of the season, Hart was back in the winner’s circle. He won seven straight races at Madera Speedway and was named Rookie of the Year. He followed up his streak by taking 16 of the 18 Hobby Stock races at Madera Speedway in 2013.

“Then it was time to move on again,” Hart explained. He parked the Hobby Stock car and built a pavement Late Model stock car to move up a division. Hart finished third in points in his rookie year as a Late Model driver.

Just a week ago, Hart had a gap in his schedule. He also had all the notes he needed to set up his Hobby Stock car to race at Merced again.

“I keep a notebook – I make notes for every day that I put a race car on a racetrack,” Hart said. “I don’t just write down spring rates and tire pressures. I write down wind speed, temperature and humidity. Everything is measured to one-tenth of a percent accuracy.”

For Hart, dusting off the 2011 notebook was taking advantage of his own foresight.

“I rise to a challenge,” he said, laughing. “I set the car up from my notes and I was cautiously optimistic I could give today’s drivers a run for the money. I’ve watched them in the stands. They are very competitive drivers.”

Hart’s main competition on Sunday came from young Kevin Joaquin of Sonora. He’s where Hart was five years ago on the career time line.

“I like racing clean rather than tearing cars up,” Hart said. “Kevin is exactly the same.”

Hart caught up to Joaquin after racing three wide with some pretty stiff competition on the Merced Speedway quarter-mile. They had the fans cheering with several laps of side-by-side action.

Fans were amazed that Hart could come back and win.

“Versatility is great for any race driver,” Hart said. “To race on asphalt and compete with the best of them, then throw it sideways on a dirt track, are great experiences for a driver’s portfolio.”

Hart’s dirt track experience saved him on the pavement several times.

“I instinctively knew what to do when my pavement car started sliding sideways on the track. I was able to regain control,” he said. “And, pavement racing’s mentality that ‘smooth is fast’ has helped me be a better driver on dirt.”

Hart plans to continue to keep racing on both dirt and pavement tracks. He’ll be racing at Merced Speedway again this Sunday.

“Every time I race, I take a little bit of that experience home with me and apply it to the next race,” he added. “Every day, every lap, every track is a learning experience.”

Merced Speedway weekend wrap-up

Troy Foulger of Martinez topped the Wilson brothers of Salinas in last Sunday night’s International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) modified stock car main event at Merced Speedway.

Brentwood’s Fred Ryland fought off Mark Odgers of Mariposa to win the IMCA SportMod feature. Odgers came on strong as the race progressed, challenging Ryland on restarts and through traffic.

Then, Odgers fell off the pace. He lost a left rear spring in a turn. A track crew member placed it in his lap as he left victory lane.

“That’s what slowed me down,” Odgers said.

This story was originally published August 14, 2015 at 5:04 PM with the headline "Hart back on dirt – and in victory lane – at Merced Speedway."