10 to Go with Gary Fritz Jr.

10 to Go is back for the 2015 season and to start it off is the driver of the No. 9 Figure 8, Gary Fritz Jr.

How did you get started in racing?

Gary Fritz Jr.: My father owned a racecar back in the early 1990s, and one day he called and said we were taking a ride. We went and looked at my first Figure Eight car, and it took off from there.

What makes you want to continue to race?

Fritz: There is no other feeling like it. Once you get in the car, strap in and take the green flag, it’s a feeling that you can never have. Nothing can compete with that.

Who has been the biggest influence in your career?

Fritz: My father has really pushed me to do more. Tom Kraft, who used to be the driver. My father owned his car back in the ‘90s. He won a championship for him, and watching his tapes and listening to his advice has been a huge influence on me.

What is your favorite form of racing?

Fritz: Figure Eights, baby.

What makes you love it so much to not race any other division here?

Fritz: Well, there is a history of it in my family already. It is also a different style. You have to worry about cars running the X. There’s a lot going on. I raced ovals and I just think Figure Eights all the way.

What is a track that you want to go to that is on your bucket list?

Fritz: I have only run at Riverhead so far, so anything outside of my realm would be cool. I’ve been to Seekonk (Mass.), and I would love to run at that track.

What do you like to do away from racing?

Fritz: I am a big sports fan. I love the Mets and the Giants. I hang out with my friends and my girlfriend, we don’t do anything crazy.

What is your ultimate goal in this sport?

Fritz: Maybe Modifieds or maybe higher.

Do you have any plans to move up at all this year?

Fritz: I’m hoping to run a few Enduros with my brother-in-law Kenny and my friend Chris. Maybe down the road we will put together another racecar. I’m just going with the flow right now.

Over the course of your career, what has been your favorite moment?

Fritz: My win in the season-opener. I still can’t even describe how happy everybody was. It was just an overwhelming feeling of joy. We didn’t expect it. We wanted to win, but we didn’t expect to win on opening night.

What is the toughest part about racing at Riverhead Raceway?

Fritz: There is a lot of beating and banging. It’s a contact sport, and when you take it and put it on a 1/5 of a mile oval, you get a lot of beating and banging.

Do you have any lucky charms or routines that you follow weekly?

Fritz: Not so much routine wise, but everybody always wishes me good luck. My father doesn’t even wish me good luck, he just puts his hand in my window, shakes my hand and then my radio man, Vincent Biondolillo hypes me up and we get going.

Why do you have the cones on your cars?

Fritz: Last year, I hit a couple of cones and got sent back a position or two for hitting cones. We wanted to make light of a bad situation, so instead of a penalty and hitting cones, we put them on top of our cars.

 

Source: Joseph Wolkin/LongIslandJam.com