TQ Midget car owner Michael Sweet has signed Jeff
Heotzler Jr. to join his father, the ‘Jeffer’, Jeff Heotzler Sr. in what
will be a two car assault to reclaim victory in the Gamblers Classic
Indoor Midget race inside Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ Jan 12th
and 13th, 2007. Jeff Heotzler Jr. will be driving the
famous TQ Midget # FOUR, which is the same team that Jeff Sr. won the
2005 event. The current car, being a newer design Lindblad chassis with
Suzuki power, is sponsored by ACRO Engineering, the Indiana company that
manufacturers Quick Change rear ends for TQ Midgets. At 17 years of age,
Jeff Heotzler Jr. won the 2005 Middletown, NY Orange County Fair
Speedway’s Big Block DIRT Modified rookie of the year honors. ‘He has
worked alongside his father ever since he was allowed into the pit area,
and has the savvy of a much more experienced racer than his age would
tell’ said Sweet, who has tremendous confidence in this youngster. ‘It
takes a lot of nerve to wheel an 800 HP big block dirt modified, and to
take rookie honors at 17 is very impressive!’ Jeff Jr. is a full time
college student studying computer graphics and will be returning in 2007
to Middletown’s’ Big Block DIRT Modified wars in his own #17JR Bicknell.
Jeff is the son of the 9 time DIRT Modified track
champion, 3 time Orange County Fair Speedway Big Block DIRT Modified
champion , 1984 MR. DIRT Syracuse winner, 2005 Atlantic City Gamblers
Classic winner, and future hall of fame driver Jeff Heotzler Sr. He will
be piloting Sweet’s newly acquired TQ Midget #66H . ‘The ‘Jeffer’ is
excited and ready to go, looking to revisit victory lane’, said Sweet,
as the 2005 win is still the most talked about finish in TQ Midget
indoor racing history. His car is no stranger to victory lane either, as
it won both of the 2001 indoor TQ Midget races at the Niagara Falls
Convention Center. It will be completely redone however, with special
treatment and fabrication by Heotzler himself. The Suzuki powered
chassis will be a look-alike to Heotzlers’ Atlas Paving #66 DIRT Big
Block Modified. Sponsorship comes from ACRO Engineering, Orient Express
Motorcycles, Atlas Paving, BR Machineworks and Behrents Speed.
‘We will have 2 very fast race cars for this
year’s event, and either car is capable of winning’, said Four America
Racings’ team owner Mike Sweet. ‘After Lady Luck visited Liquid Lou last
year, we’re hoping to have her ride with us in 2007, as after all, this
is Atlantic City!’
Four America Racing was started by Michael Sweet
after the tragedy of 9-11-2001. When Len Sammons brought back indoor
racing to Atlantic City, Sweet brought a Legends car to compete with
numbered ‘FOUR AMERICA’ in honor of those heroes who lost their lives
that day. ‘After a pretty much complete failure that year driving, I
decided to become a car owner, and somehow tie in a charity to benefit
as well’. This year, we will be introducing the newly formed Big Apple
Urban Youth Motorsports Training Center Inc, a NYS not for profit
corporation designed to bring the opportunities available in motor
sports to inner city kids in NYC of all diversities. ‘We have had some
very positive conversations with the NY City board of Education, as well
as some Nextel Cup teams that have showed a real interest in helping
with the center. ‘We hope to have it up and running early next year’
said Sweet, who is the executive director of the organization. ‘If we
can be a positive influence on even one child, it would all be worth it’
Source: Michael
Sweet/Big Apple Motorsports PR
Posted:
December 7, 2006