With his results the last two years, you figure Columbus racer Devin Gilpin would have been satisfied with what transpired with 94 combined starts in a late model and modified with 20 wins and 41 top-five and 53 top-10 finishes.
But the 29-year-old looks for loftier goals as the 2020 racing season rapidly approaches.
In 2019, Gilpin and his grandfather, Don Fleetwood of Brownstown, and their crew, consisting of Curt Jarrell and Matt Harmon, captured their third straight Brownstown Speedway late model track championship, but they feel confident the new season, which starts in a week, will lead to more consistent finishes and victories.
This year, Gilpin has added a new Rocket Chassis late model and an impressive open wheel modified to his arsenal.
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Tentatively, his first race will be the Spring 50 at Florence Speedway in Union, Kentucky, on March 14.
Gilpin will then head to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned events March 20 at Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe, Ohio, and March 21 for the Indiana Icebreaker at his home track, Brownstown Speedway.
“We are going to concentrate on the late model for the most part this year. To race both classes is difficult at some tracks we go to," he said. "Now there might be a weekend where there is a big-paying modified show, and we would probably park the late model and just race the modified. "There are plenty of $3,000, $5,000 and $10,000 to win late model shows in our region this year that we will going to.
Gilpin has amassed more than 280 feature wins in his career that started in go-karts at the age of 5 in 1995.
“We haven’t raced as much the last few years. There was a time not long ago we raced upwards of 80 races a year," he said. "We want to get back to Eldora this year for the Dream and the World. Last year, we didn’t go after running so good in the World 100 in 2018 and winning the track championship there two years ago.”
Gilpin led 44 laps of the 2018 World 100 at the Tony Stewart-owned facility before finishing in sixth, the highest-finishing Columbus driver since Russ Petro finished fifth in 1987.
“We have confidence this new Rocket car will be good for us. They have been great to work with. If I need parts, I can just call them and they will get them to you," he said.
"Also, when we go to a track, we have other Rocket drivers that we can lean on for any advice," he said. "The Bloomquist car we had, we were good at Brownstown and Florence with, but if we went anywhere else, we were just not as competitive because we had nobody to lean on to help with setups. The pedals in the Bloomquist car are opposite with the brake and clutch than what I was used to. Also, the shifter was mounted differently than everybody else.”
Gilpin feels rejuvenated heading into the new racing season.
“This is probably the best equipment we have ever had," he said. "I would like to race 65, maybe 70 times this year. We are going to do a regional schedule. Right now, we are going to go month to month on our schedule, and I want to go where I want to. As I said, there are a lot of good-paying regional races. These cars are so expensive, you need to go where they pay a good purse. I feel we should have a real good year. We have a lot of great partners this year. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do this.”
Brownstown practice set for today
Weather permitting, Brownstown Speedway will host an open practice session for all divisions today.
Gates will open at noon, and the practice session will go from 1 to 5 p.m. Grandstand admission is free, and the pit passes are $15. For information, visit brownstownspeedway.com.
Twin Cities releases 2020 race schedule
Twin Cities Raceway Park in Vernon has released its 2020 racing schedule.
Tim Keithley will again return as the promoter of the facility. The first race is scheduled for April 18.
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April 18: Crate late models, modifieds, super stocks, pure stocks, hornets
April 25: Super stocks, pure stocks, 410 sprints, hornets, MMSA sprints
May 2: Crate late models, hornets, sport mods, pure stocks, 305 sprints
May 9: Crate late models, pure stocks, 305 sprints, hornets, MMSA sprints
May 16: Crate late models, modifieds, 410 sprints, pure stocks, hornets
May 23: Crate late models, modifieds, super stocks, pure stocks, hornets
May 30: 410 sprints, TQ midgets, hornets, pure stocks
June 6: Crate late models, modifieds, super stocks, pure stocks, hornets
June 20: Crate late models, super stocks, hornets, pure stocks, 410 sprints
June 27: Crate late models, modifieds, hornets, pure stocks, 410 sprints
July 11: Modifieds, hornets, pure stocks, super stocks
July 18: Crate late models, modifieds, hornets, 305 sprints, pure stocks
July 25: Modifieds, pure stocks, hornets, super stocks
Aug. 8: Crate late models, pure stocks, hornets, TQ midgets, 410 sprints
Aug. 15: Crate late models, sport modifieds, super stocks, pure stocks, crown vics
Aug. 22: Crate late models, modifieds, super stocks, pure stocks, hornets
Aug. 29: Hornets, crate late models, pure stocks, modifieds, MMSA sprints
Sept. 12: Pure stocks, crate late models, modifieds, super stocks, hornets
Sept. 19: Crate late models, pure stocks, TQ midgets, 305 sprints, crown vics
Sept. 26: Pure stocks, hornets, crate late models, crown vics, enduro
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