10/02/2000
GREGG SHIVERS PROVES NICE GUYS FINISH DO FINISH
FIRST...
Gregg Shivers and his #20 Olsen's Discount
Nurseries Pontiac seemed to be invincible throughout the 2000 Riverhead
Raceway Late Model season with few exceptions. The road up to this
level has featured success as well.
Gregg started at a young age of seven in as
many youngsters start out with -- a go kart, racing in LIKA at Westhampton.
After that he moved up to racing nationally which included tracks from
Dowsman, Wisconsin to Jacksonville, Florida to the infield road course at
Charlotte. In his ten year go kart career he finished top five in
national points for 5 years, multiple track championships, multiple national
wins, along with fast times and track records. His proven go kart
record proved him a proficient driver to test for Bridgestone and Italian
chassis maker, DAP.
After attending school at Finish Line Racing
School in Florida, he bought a Pro Stock and raced at Stafford Motor
Speedway after advice from Finish Line instructor Mike Lowser to start out
at a big track for you would have a better chance of staying out of trouble.
In his rookie season Gregg tried "to gain respect from other drivers,
listen to all their help, and try to stay out of trouble, because the way to
get better is to finish race... Not wrecking..." Gregg's Stafford
days "were for the most part fun. We didn't have a competitive
car, and I needed more seat time, but we held our own. A top ten
finish wasn't an uncommon thing."
After a change in jobs which prevented Gregg Shivers
from getting Fridays off, he decided to move to Riverhead Raceway in 1995.
One of the differences between the big half mile Stafford and the tight
quarter mile of Riverhead was the amount of contact. "I couldn't
take a bump when I raced at Stafford. The big tracks aren't as much of
a contact race like it is on a small track. When I started at
Stafford, if someone slightly touched me, I would spin. Riverhead
taught me how to get hit and not spin."
In 1997, he and his Gregg Shivers Motorsports team built a brand new car to
compete with Riverhead which was a start of getting better at the tight
quarter mile. In 1999, the team began showing its prowess with its
first win and began to realize that they could be a contender for 2000.
"Actually it was before [the win] (when the team gelled together), we
just needed the luck for the win to come, but the win definitely made the
team realize that we could win. You got to remember, most of the team
was with me at Stafford the first year, they saw the really low points, so
the win was a huge boost [for] them especially. The other members of
the crew started with us the first year at Riverhead, so they saw a lot
before the win"
Gregg's goals for 2000 were "to be a contender for the point title, but
we were going to be happy with a top 5 in points... we just wanted to be in
contention going into the last night." Gregg certainly was in
contention for the points come race night, as he came into the last night 28
points ahead of Sean Egan. This would mean Gregg would have to finish
14 spots ahead to win the championship and in the end Gregg finished 4th
while Egan finished 12th to win the championship. Gregg finished the
season 42 points ahead of Sean Egan with 2 wins, 11 top 5's and 15 top 10's.
Nationally, in the NASCAR Exide ShorTrack Series, Gregg finished 8th in the
Northeast region competing against some of the finest short track racers in
the country.
Racing is a team sport, where anybody involved with the team is important,
and Gregg Shivers Motorsports has probably one of the most dedicated teams
out there as far as the closeness of the team and support from his loyal
sponsors. "I would like to thank our great sponsors [Olsen's
Discount Nurseries, Reynolds Insurance, Long Island Plumbing, Comfortmaker
Air Conditioners, CAL Karting, Team Kendall, No Fear, Waldbaums of Rocky
Point, Guardian Rivet], Dick and Terry Feile, Jack Merkel, Oval Speed, along
with the entire crew and their families for supporting me for all these
years and allowing everyone to do what they enjoy no matter how many
sacrifices that need to be made."
2001 remains up in the air for Gregg Shivers.
Over the 2000 season GSM bought a modified from John Fortin and in its first
outing Gregg finished 10th, however other events proved unfruitful with
DNF's and DNQ's. "On opening night I will be in both cars.
If the Late Model runs really good, that might be the #1 car. If we
run good in the Modified that might be the #1 car. We aren't sure yet,
but what is definite is that we need seat time in the mod for both myself
and the crew." If Gregg decides to go to Modifieds full time, he
would be part of one of the most talented Modified rookie crops at Riverhead
coming up with many other drivers rumored to move up as well.
The eight years of hard work and learning the ropes
paid off for Gregg Shivers and his GSM crew and whichever division he enters
for full-time next season, he will be a serious contender every night.
Source: LongIslandJam.com/J.A. Ackley
Posted: October 2, 2000
