RANDY KORTE.........SUMMER NATIONALS..6.29/04
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I HAVE SEEN RANDY DRIVE A FEW TIMES AND WAS REALLY WANTING THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERVIEW HIM...WAS SO LUCKY TO GET THE CHANCE....
RANDY IS IN THE 00 LATE MODEL AND HE COMES FROM HIGHLAND, ILLINOIS...
I ASKED HIM WHEN HE HAD STARTED RACING AND HE TOLD ME IN 1985...SAID HE STARTED OUT IN STREET STOCK , THEN TO SPORTSMAN AND THEN TO THE LATE MODEL..
HE TOLD ME THAT BEFORE HE STARTED RACING HE DROVE A WRECKER FOR THE TRACK IN HIGHLAND.. IT GOT INTO HIS BLOOD AND HE HAD TO TRY IT OUT.... HIM AND A FRIEND STARTED OUT TOGETHER...
I ASKED HIM IF ANYONE HAD INFLUENCED HIM ALONG THE WAY AND HE SAID THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD BUT THAT TO NAME ONE HE WOULD HAVE TO GO WITH SHANNON BABB...SAID SHANNON WAS YOUNGER THEN HIM BUT HE HAD A LOT OF RESPECT FOR THE GUY AND THAT THEY ONLY LIVE ABOUT FORTY-FIVE MINUTES FROM EACH OTHER AND HAVE BEEN FRIENDS FOREVER....
HE TOLD ME THAT HE MAINLY RACES IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA...
WHEN ASKED WHAT HE THOUGHT IT TOOK TO BE A GOOD RACE CAR DRIVER HE GAVE ME THE NUMBER ONE ANSWER "PATIENCE"...
I ASKED HIM WHO IS TOUGHEST COMPETITOR WAS AND WITHOUT HESITATING SAID "SHANNON BABB"...
HE TOLD ME THAT HIS LONG TERM GOAL WAS TO EVENTUALLY GO OUT OF RACING AND SUPPORT HIS SON DUSTIN IN HIS RACING CAREER...**** well...I sure hope that is way down the line...would hate to lose Korte until he is about 90....
HIS SON DUSTIN IS 15 YEARS OLD AND CAN BE FOUND AT HIGHLAND RACING IN THE HORNET CLASS.... ***well Dustin you sure do have a good example to follow there...am sure that we will be hearing the name DUSTIN KORTE soon..."good luck to you in your future racing career..."
RANDY TOLD ME HIS MOST MEMORABLE EVENT SO FAR WAS WINNING AT WEST VIRGINIA MOTOR SPEEDWAY....AND HIS BEST ACCOMPLISHMENT SO FAR WAS WINNING UMP CHANPIONSHIP IN 1997...
ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING HE WOULD CHANGE AND HE TOLD ME NO THAT HE WAS PRETTY SATISFIED...
HIS CREW CHIEF IS DANNY LUCAS AND HIS CREW IS BARRY QUAID AND MIKE STOKAMP..
HE TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE A BIG THANKS TO HIS OWNER DON GODDARD AND ALSO WANTED TO SAY THANKS TO HIS MOM AND DAD..
RANDY IT WAS A REAL PLEASURE GETTING TO MEET YOU..THANKS SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS...
LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU RACE MANY MANY MANY MORE YEARS....
CJ