Steven Rozek (Tomah) - 2011 Fire Rescue Supply Bandit Champion (Jeff Blaser Photo)

Second in a series of five highlighting the 2011 Dells Raceway Park Champions

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. (December 23, 2011) - With seven of the top ten - including the top three - in 2010 Fire Rescue Supply Bandit championship standings moving on or moving up in 2011, an eventual champion was anyone's guess.

While returning top drivers Arch Preston, Kurt Kolden and Haley Kapp seemed to have the edge, a driver with just over a handful of races of experience was poised to take over the class in 2011. On the strength of five feature wins and four fast qualifier efforts, Tomah's Steven Rozek surged to the top of the standings early in the season and held off the pack.

Prior to 2011, not only did Rozek have limited seat time in a Bandit, his racing career had barely begun. Rozek and his dad had raced a season together in the Hornet class at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, a class Rozek said was completely different from the DRP Bandits.

"I came into the season fresh and had all of the pointers from the other drivers," Rozek said. He said help from former Bandit standout Brian Warner and Ren Revels was particularly helpful. "They were giving me pointers on how to set up my car, but I really didn't know too much coming into the season."

With that help, Rozek found immediate success in the Bandits. On Opening Night he set fast time and made a quick ascent through the field to grab a feature win.

"It was pretty exciting," Rozek said. "People were thinking I wasn't competition, but when I came out the first night and won the feature and set fast time, it opened their eyes a little bit."

The success of Opening Night was just a precursor of what was to come for the next two months. Rozek followed up his win on May 28 with a second place finish the next week, a win on June 11, and then a run of three third place finishes and three feature wins from June 18 to July 23.

Once Rozek had shown that he was a force, he said the relationship changed among his fellow Bandit drivers. Some were still willing to help, some went silent and held their cards close to their chests, and some started seeking him out for help.

Early season success bred challenges for Rozek. By either setting fast time or winning a feature, Rozek was faced with the hurdle of starting deep in the feature field. Persevering each week, Rozek found enjoyment in being handicapped at the start.

"That's the fun part," he said. "You watch that front car hit that front line and you do whatever you can to maneuver through any car you can. When you're the faster car it's a little easier to get up front."

The key for Rozek was getting to the front of the field before some of the faster cars had a chance to check out while he was twisting through traffic.

"You have to make your way through everybody," Rozek said. "You have to beat everybody at the start of the race and not worry about the end of the race."

After cruising through the first half of the season and building what would later prove to be an insurmountable lead, there were some nervous moments for Rozek as he started to slump very slightly in the month of August.

Rozek finished sixth on July 30 and later suffered a DNF on August 27 when he was involved in an accident. Although he locked down two fourth place finishes and a second in that time frame, Haley Kapp was closing the gap atop the standings. Rozek said he could hear some footsteps.

"It was starting to get nerve-racking," he said. "I was having problems and that was helping her out, and she was really starting to step it up. It was making me a little nervous, but I hoped we could stick it out, and we sure did."

With Championship Night looming, Rozek needed only to secure a consistent afternoon and a top ten feature finish. He again soared above his expectations and locked up the title with a third-place finish in the season-ending event.

Reflecting on the Championship, Rozek realized just how special his run was. "I never thought I would keep winning races. It was an awesome feeling and a lot of fun."

In 2012 Rozek said he does not plan to defend his title. He said he would like to run a few select races and not chase a title in any particular fashion. However, DRP fans may be treated to seeing Rozek's racer with a new pilot this season.

Rozek said he may allow Ali Pennel, who finished ninth in Bandit standings, to mix it up in the class again.

In 2011 Rozek was sponsored by All American Do It Center, HB power services, Smitty's Overtime Inn, Necedah's New and Used and Dale Schultz Tires. He was aided to his championship by his father Dan Rozek on his crew.

Dells Raceway Park's 2012 opening date is set for Saturday, May 19. The tentative starting date for the Super Late Model's five-race series is the following week, Saturday, May 26. A full 2012 schedule will be released when details are finalized after the first of the year.

Dells Raceway Park is located at N1070 Smith Road, five minutes north of downtown Wisconsin Dells, Wis., off highway 12-16. For more information including the latest news, the 2011 schedule and more visit www.dellsracewaypark.com.