Racing In The Sunshine State
By D. J. Kennington
As Featured in Performance Racing News
March 2000

I had no idea my race season would be starting in March this year. On Dec. 23, 1999 I received a call from Performance Racing News informing me I won a scholarship for a class at the Finish Line Racing School (Ed. DJ was awarded this scholarship courtesy of PRN for his strong showing during the '99 Eastern and National Series season). At the time it seemed like a great opportunity for me to get out of the shop and have some fun driving a race car in sunny Florida, instead of working on our Castrol Dodge Avengers here in the snow. It's so hard to get pumped up working on the cars when you walk outside and can't see any asphalt - it's hard to believe summer will ever come. Thanks to Performance Racing News, however, I was on my way to Florida to meet Mike and Krystal Loescher and the gang at FinishLine.

On the morning of our first day, after registration and meeting the other students, I heard Mike speak for the first time in the suite of the tower at St. Augustine Speedway. After five minutes listening to Mike and Krystal I realized this school was not going to be a holiday, and it made me realize how little I actually knew about driving a race car.

After Mike talked to us and explained what his school is all about, I asked where he raced and how he got his experience driving race cars. Mike surprised me when he said "How many races a year do drive DJ?" I said the most I had run was 32 races in '97-'98, Mike laughed and said he ran seven races in SIX nights for most of his career. And I thought our team was busy!

The class and I then walked the track with Mike and this is where I started to realize how much knowledge of driving and setting up a race car Mike really had. He asked me to point out the line I would run if I had arrived with my CASCAR for the very first time. The next thing he said started my head shaking and it lasted for three days. After showing Mike where I would run he said, "I'll bet your crew chief gets tired of hearing you say the car is pushing in the middle and loose coming off." "I say that all the time," I responded. Mike returned with "You have been driving stock cars for six years now and have done really well at it from what I have heard. Now just think, I am going to show you that you have been driving them wrong."

Over the next two days of on track instruction I have never learned as much about driving a race car. All those years of experience in CASCAR racing really helped, but I never thought you could have a driving coach that could help you win races the same way as a hockey coach can help you win the Stanley Cup.

Mike and Krystal worked on my bad habits for two long days, from 7am to 5pm. I had to listen to them tell me what I ,was doing wrong and I loved every minute of it. Mike told me the first day that I would get sick of hearing him on the- radio telling me my mistakes and that when I returned home to my own car I would still hear him when I put my helmet on to go racing.

So for the first practice day at Delaware on April 1, 1 could still hear those magic words from Mike. Anyone who taken his school will know what I mean when I say' lift, set, turn, squeeze.' And if these words don't mean anything to you as a racer I recommend you make a visit to see Mike and Krystal at Finish Line and you will know those words could be the best kept secret in racing.

If you get lucky enough like I did, go to this school. Do exactly what the racing shirt says, "get in, Sit down, Strap in, Shut up and listen." if you do that then I guarantee you will go faster and learn a lot from Mike, Krystal and the entire FinishLine Racing School. If you don't believe me, ask some of the first class drivers Mike has coached over the years, a list that includes Pete Vanderwyst, Kerry Micks, Dan Shirtliff, Adam Petty, Jimmy Spencer, and Jeff Gordon to name but a few.

Hopefully you will get the chance to attend this school. The name of this school fits perfectly because it will help anyone get to the finish line, probably in first.

Thanks to everyone at Performance Racing News and Finish Line Racing School for giving me the opportunity to improve my driving skills and meet some new friends for life.

FinishLine Sees a Great Future For Kennington

"We've had the FinishLine Racing School (FLRS) for 10 years and have seen some awesome talent come through" states Chief Instructor and co-owner Mike Loescher "D. J. made me stop and take notice. D. J. is gonna kick some serious Asphalt in the 2000 CASCAR season."

D. J. came to FLRS in late February of this year. Even though it became obvious he had a lot of experience, he looked, listened, watched and kept an "open" mind. The FLRS is a serious race school, so he was surrounded by other students that were racer's themselves. This is a type of "bonding", the students can compare notes and watch each other out on the race track. Mike critiques each students session, but the other drivers can also put their suggestions in. This makes for a very well rounded 3 day "learning" environment.

"What I look for in a good race car driver is one than can adapt quickly, and respond to Mike's commands on the radio" comments co-owner Kristal Loescher, "my job is to record the lap times on each driver, every lap that they're on the race track. I also have a scanner with me so I can hear every word that Mike is saying to the student. The one's that impress me the most are the drivers that don't repeat any slips - or bad driving habits. Even though D. J. came into the FLRS with a different driving style - he was willing enough to try "our" style. Each lap, throughout the day; was faster and faster. If he went into turn 3 too deep, and Mike stated that fact, D. J. never did it again. In a real race situation, in the heat of competition, that race car driver will be able to respond quickly and make smart decisions. That level of talent will lead D. J. to Victory Circle a lot!"

"D. J. has the natural talent, the good looks, and the warm personality to go far in this business" said Mike Loescher "nowadays in racing you have to have a total package to get to the top. That’s where D. J. deserves to be. I'll be watching his career closely in 2000."

"In just general telephone conversations with some CASCAR drivers that have called the FLRS the last couple months I have mentioned D. J. came to the FLRS in February - one driver said Oh - great - now he knows - we're really gonna have to deal with him now!" said Kristal. "I guess the secret is out - all I can say to his fellow CASCAR drivers - as long as he has good luck with all his racing equipment - D. J. is gonna be a serious threat in Canada for the year 2000! Mike and I are very proud that he chose to attend the FLRS. He's part of our racing family now which includes a lot of very talented Canadian drivers. Good Luck to all of them in 2000.

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