Southern Ontario Sprints :::: Official Web Site

SOS Q&A with: Ken Pelkie

Ken (on right) with Styres Racing at Owendale

Back in about 1990 I was helping a friend Graham Kells out with his supermodified at the Toledo speedway. As we where working to get the car ready this couple came over and said, “Why are you guys messing around with this stuff? Get yourself a sprint car and go have some fun and run on the dirt here in Ohio”. I thought that was about the dumbest thing I’d ever heard. I could not figure out how anything could be better than big block supermodifieds roaring around pavement tracks. Now when I think about the tire bills and the difficulty coming up with big block parts I can’t figure out why anyone without extremely deep pockets would go run a big block pavement supermodified! It also took me many years to realize how much racier a dirt track can is than a pavement track. These people had it figured out years before I did.

The couple, that where certainly ahead of my time, where Ken and Cheryl Pelkie. They are two of the most dedicated sprint car people you will ever meet. For them no sprint car race is too far away. They also have their own business Kenetic photos which specializes in racing photography. In their “spare time” they have become very active in the Sprints on Dirt (SOD) organization based out of Michigan. One of their major projects that they are currently working on along with Ohsweken promoter Glenn Styres, is the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals.

We got them to slow down for 10 minutes to hear what they have to say.

Pete Turford
President
Southern Ontario Sprints

I rarely see either of you apart – tell us about your life away from the track – tell us about your employment, how long you two have been married – any kids?

It is probably a good thing that you don’t see us apart. For almost 33 years of marriage, we have enjoyed the same interests and company. Racing has always been a part of that and was an important piece of the social development for our three children as we were raising them. Aside from the usual involvement as parents in our children’s lives, I spent nearly twenty seven years as a minor hockey volunteer and Cheryl did likewise with other activities. She is now retired from Dow Chemical Environmental, but developing a new Web Site Design business, while I still hold a full time job in the Engineering Division of Imperial Oil. So if you see one of us alone at the race track it means one of two things; either someone is ill or got left behind which would not be a good thing.

How long have you been attending races (and where) and what was your involvement with the sport prior to getting involved with sprint cars?

We have been attending races together since our second date, almost 37 years ago. That was a late model show at Delaware on the old quarter mile and I believe Jack Cook won. I personally remember back to around 1953 at Warwick Speedway (1/4 mile dirt). As a kid I saw races at Sarnia Glendale Speedway, Tilbury, Windsor, Mt. Clemens and Ridgetown. And of course Nilestown, Flamboro and Delaware. I remember the 1st race on the new ½ mile Delaware Speedway. They were finishing the paving as the cars were pulling into the pits. I was at South Buxton the night they opened. We attended Sandusky Speedway and Oswego weekly during the seventies and have visited countless tracks all over the U.S. and Canada. Someday I should sit down and list them. Our involvement other than as fans goes back to Jack Greedy introducing the “Rat Racers” in 1969. After a couple of years of that, I discovered that money made horsepower and decided that you can’t raise a family and run up front. I then turned to supermodifieds and wrenched on cars for John Reynolds, Garry Evans and Jim Brown. In the late 80’s a friend introduced us to Eldora and dirt sprints.

How many races do you attend in a season – how many miles do you travel in a season and based on what you have seen, if you were to introduce a neophyte to the sport what is the one race you would take them to?

We usually schedule between 75 and 85 races per year from Florida to Michigan, Iowa to New York. That translates to approximately 50,000 km (30,000 plus miles) per year and occupies our weekends from early April to late October, apart from the winter Florida Trip.
If I were to introduce a novice to the sport and could take them anywhere I chose, it would probably be to Fremont Speedway in Ohio. Their regular Saturday night show at the Fairgrounds hosts two classes of winged sprints, along with an entry level race truck. The facilities are quite good by grass roots standards, you sit close to the action, the racing is always fierce and the track food is great. Along with a relatively low ticket price, the fast paced show lasts about three hours which is long enough for anyone to sit and be entertained. And if you can’t make the trip stateside, then you need to strongly look at the program that Ohsweken offers weekly.

How do you end up becoming photographers?

Most people who have been actively involved will tell you that is no longer fun sitting in the stands watching. After 20 years working on the cars every weekend and at least two nights per week year round, it started feeling like “a job” and the spark started to fizzle. We tried to quit cold but that didn’t last long. Then tried watching from the stands again, but that wasn’t fulfilling the thirst of still needing to still be “involved” in some way. We had messed around with the camera a bit previously and decided to become more serious as a way to continue being active. We bought some serious equipment and put together a portfolio submitting to some well know racing journals. We now hold press credentials for National Speed Sport News, Area Auto Racing News, Michigan Racing Scene, MARC Times, Mid American Auto Racing News and Inside Track, as well as Flat Out. We have also been printed in Sprint Car & Midget and write a regular column for Michigan Racing Scene. I also write a number of special articles for Flat Out which have included stories on Cody Geldart, Nick Mulheim and one on Glenn Styres is scheduled for the Knoxville Nationals issue this year.

Describe your current role with the “Sprints On Dirt” organization and how did you end up in this position?

Currently I fill the role of Media/Public Relations Director with Sprints On Dirt. Among other things, I am responsible for producing our media guide and making sure that the track announcers have a copy well in advance of our arrival. I also look after nightly race results, compile weekly press releases, tabulate championship points, distribute contingency awards, and work the backstretch on race day. That, along with being the series photographer and handling anything else that Jason needs a hand with.
Cheryl is the series Registrar and is the one the drivers have the most contact with at the track on race day. She handles the pill draws and race line-ups, compiles official finishes and coordinates activities in the pit when no other officials can be found. She also is responsible for the SOD Website and handles much of the clerical work for me.
We ended up in these positions because we took the initiative to volunteer. We felt that we had something to offer and it looked like a challenge and fun. Dean Reynolds of ESS had approached us about joining their series as photographers, however, we both still held full time jobs at the time and knew it would be difficult to commit to. Jason Fausey was poised to take over SOD so we approached him, mainly because of the geographical location of SOD vs. ESS and the proximity to our home. We have not missed a SOD event since that time.

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