Jeff Blaser Photos

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. (January 2, 2012) - Defending Schultz Small Engine Pure Stock Champion Dave Trute didn't plan to chase another title in 2011. He also didn't plan on watching a fill-in driver snag the crown on the final night of the season at Dells Raceway Park.

Teaming up with Jeff Burrows, a driver he had known since his childhood, Dave Trute etched his name into the history books for the second year in a row as a Pure Stock Champion.

The best laid plans often go awry.

“The initial plan wasn't to chase a championship,” said Trute, of New Lisbon. “We were intended to be a really good backup car.”

Initially, Trute had planned on working toward the goal of seeing his car owner Bill Zeman capture the title. Although Trute and Burrows had secured a point lead going into the final night, a plan was still in place for Zeman to capture the title.

“I was sitting up in the stands with Dave's dad,” Burrows, of Sparta, recalled. “I took my drivers suit off and was in my civilian clothes. Bill's son came and found me in the stands. Dave and I were perfectly able to sit aside and let Bill have it.”

However, Zeman encouraged the tandem to stay in the title chase.

Burrows obliged and scrambled to get his car ready for the final Pure Stock feature of the season. “I got back just in time to get my driving suit on, get in the car and go line up,” Burrows said. “I didn't check the air in the tires or put any gas in the tank. I didn't really prepare the car because I didn't think I was going to run it.”

As he pulled down to get in line, Burrows was halted by Trute's Super Late Model pit stall. After a few words of encouragement from Trute, and a check of the gas tank, Burrows was sent out for the feature event.

“I was sweating bullets worried about whether the car would start, or if it would run out of gas, or if it would handle at all because I didn't check the air in the tires,” Burrows recalled. “Once I got to racing I forgot all about everything.”

One thing Trute and Burrows did plan materialized on the final night. “When Jeff came down past the Super Late pits with that smile on his face I said, 'at the end of the race come pick me up,'” Trute recalled. “I didn't have it planned for him to drive through the pack and win the feature, but I guess it just happened.”

At the end of the race Trute, Burrows and Zeman all met in victory lane to celebrate a second consecutive championship for the team. It was a team, however, that had a new dynamic with Burrows joining the group just before the start of the 2011 season.

With the Super Late Models returning to Dells, Trute knew that he would be stretched too thin on five nights to compete in both divisions. He knew exactly who to call to fill the gap.

“I started racing when I was 15 and Jeff was my engine builder. He was probably my biggest competition as well,” Trute said. “I've kept in touch with over the years and he did a lot of work on my engines. It worked out because he works in the same town I live in and he knew the engine inside and out. He'd come over and work on the car after work. It was a convenience thing, it was a trust thing and I knew he could do it.”

Burrows said the bond formed with Trute before he ever sat behind the wheel of a race car. “We go back to when he was just a boy. His father bought the Tomah/Sparta Speedway back in the 80s,” Burrows explained. “Dave started out as a kid that was always present in the pits. We used to take a milk crate and put it by the fender so he could see what we were doing under the hood. Of course he doesn't need that milk crate anymore; we all look up to Dave.”

That size discrepancy would come into play when the two started switching driver's duties back and forth. Burrows said there was a separate notch in the steering column, different brackets for the seat and two different accelerator pedals to accommodate the duo.

Burrows also noted how the driving style of Trute had an affect on how he had to attack when it was his turn to drive. “I was hot lapping at the beginning of the season, and I don't spin out a racecar very often, but I ended up spinning out,” Burrows said. “I wasn't accustomed to a car that was so loose. It took me a while to get the hang of how to adjust the car so it was more comfortable for me.”

Making the most of his chance, Burrows grabbed his first Championship since winning a title at Tomah Sparta in 1991. His win on July 23 was his first feature win in 16 years.

For Trute, it was business as usual over the past two years. He credited his experience in the Super Late Models and lap after lap of Pure Stock action.

“Most of it comes with experience. I grew up in that class and I've done pretty well in that class since I've started,” Trute said.

Trute also reflected on the nights when he had to sit on the sideline during the Pure Stocks, watching Burrows. “That was kind of weird,” he said. “You don't normally get to watch your own car with your name on it go around the track - especially when it's winning.”

On those nights Trute was busy fielding a competitive Super Late Model with car owner Jeff Mitchell, a team that finished fourth in standings in the Alive For Five Super Late Model Series presented by Advanced Engine Concepts.

“We don't have a full time chassis guy and weren't able to afford to come and practice. It was tough for us to be one-hundred percent prepared and organized at the track,” Trute said of his Super Late team. “We were changing setups to try to find something. We were just behind the eight ball. I'm proud of my team and happy to have Jeff as a car owner. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have an opportunity.”

Over the offseason, Trute is looking for another opportunity to get behind the wheel at Dells Raceway Park. “If anyone has any ideas, feel free to call,” he said. “If the seat goes back far enough, I can drive it.”

Burrows, on the other hand, has plans to return to the Pure Stocks. He may not race full time, but has plans to have a fill in driver on the nights he takes a break. “That's the most affordable class with some of the best racing,” he said. “Those guys are a bunch of nice guys. It's a great experience.”

In 2011 Trute and Burrows were sponsored by Fun Company Game Room, Swagger Inn, John Wafle Poker Run, Body Shop Bar and Grill, Hillestad Heating and Cooling, Clark Disposal, Dells Baraboo Auto Body, TJ's Glass, Automotive Machine and Welding

Trute and Burrows' team consisted of Bill Zeman, Nick Lange, Jessie Hanson, Sam Footer, Herbe Duvall, Mickey Hutchens, Snizzle, Timmy Bowen, Richie Roberts, Nic Levenhagen and the M$R chassis crew.

Dells Raceway Park's 2012 opening date is set for Saturday, May 19. A full 2012 schedule will be released when details are finalized through the month of January.

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.