Langley Speedway An interview with Scott Roser For Mace and Crown ODU Newspaper *Never Printed* Hampton, Virginia
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In the world of short track racing there are many NASCAR Wheelen All-American Series tracks, but in the Hampton Roads area your one stop for Saturday night under the light action is Langley Speedway. Langley Speedway is celebrating its 57 th year in Hampton, Virginia. Established in 1950 Langley Speedway has been providing Saturday night entertainment to thousands of fans every weekend. Langley speedway has hosted more than ten racing series’ including the NASCAR Nextel Cup which was at that time named the NASCAR Grand National series. Langley Speedway has also hosted drivers such as Denny Hamlin who now races in the NASCAR Nextel Cup for Joe Gibbs Racing.
I got a chance to catch up with one of the stars of Langley Speedway Scott Roser the driver of the number 00 Late Model Stock car and his Crew Chief Brien Phelps to tell the Old Dominion community a little about short track racing and what it takes to survive one hundred laps in the Late Model Division around Langley Speedway.
M&C: How many different divisions have you driven in at Langley Speedway?
Roser: Right now I am running the Late Model Division and I love it. I have also ran the U-Car Division where I won the championship and also have raced in the Super Truck Division
M&C: I noticed you don’t have a primary sponsor to help put money into the car, what are the draw backs to not having a primary sponsor and what is the most stressful part about it?
Roser: Well, I do have a couple of people that help me out, Prime Time Sports Bar and Sawyer Automotive INC. The drawbacks are that we don’t have the excellent equipment some of the other teams have. My Crew Chief has too fabricate all the parts that we use on the car, basically if something happens to the car we have to make the part and fix it. I have always found that finding the money for tires is always a challenge, our Goodyear racing slicks can cost up to one hundred and ten dollars per tire.
M&C: When you first get into the car before a race what are you thinking as you are pulling your seat belts tight and starting your engine?
Roser: First of all settle down, I am always excited to be behind the wheel of my racecar but I need to make sure I keep my head in the game and hit my marks out there on the track and stay out of trouble.
M&C: With this being your first season in the Late Model Series, when you first sat behind the wheel and took it into turn one during preseason practice what was the first thing you radioed to Phelps?
Roser: The first thing I said was “Its Squirly” (meaning loose or the rear of the car wanted to turn in front of the front of the car and spin the car around)
M&C: From a Crew Chiefs perspective what are the disadvantages to running a car without a sponsor?
Phelps: I have worked with larger teams before where we had everything at our disposal. Now working with Scott it makes it hard because we have to fabricate every part we use and improvise ways to use the same tools and equipment for many jobs not just the ones that they were designed to do. This in turn takes a lot more time than it would a team with major sponsors who can just buy the parts they need.
M&C: Since you have worked at the larger teams before have they provided you any assistance in getting the car up and running?
Phelps: Yes, as a matter of fact the larger teams do all they can to help us out because they know we are a small team. At Langley Speedway the drivers and teams know each other well, unity is a main thing we try to help each other out as much as we can.
M&C: Working with Scott who is new to the Late Model Series what are some things in your experience that have helped Scott become a better driver and what are some things that you watch for as Scott is turning his laps?
Phelps: Sometimes Scott will come over the radio and tell me the car is loose. I have to decide whether the car really is loose or is it because of Scott’s inexperience with the car. Most of the knowledge you accumulate on the track is trial and error and sometimes you get more error than anything but the good thing is you can always put the wedge and tire pressures back where they were and try something else.
M&C: What is the first thing you tell Scott when he leaves pit road getting ready to start the race?
Phelps: I like to tell him to hit your marks and be consistent.
