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ARCA: NASCAR Veteran Finds Success in Re/Max Series
Written by: Mike Harper
RaceTalkRadio.com   http://www.racetalkradio.com
02/18/2008 - 09:22 AM
Sanford, MI.
 
Andy Belmont looks on from the pit box at Toledo Speedway. (Mike Harper/RaceTalkRadio.com Photo) ยป More Photos

I’m a sucker for a success story. Whether personal or professional, if it involves starting from scratch and it has a happy ending, I’m hooked. And if it involves racing, I’m the first in line to hear it because most drivers and owners could write a book or make a movie about their rags to riches experiences.

In the case of former NASCAR driver Andy Belmont, his story is still being written. It’s a story of drive, passion and determination with a slight sprinkle of confrontation. It’s also a story with many chapters and the next one is now beginning.

I came to know Belmont several years ago. To make a short story even shorter, Belmont agreed to an interview from a rookie columnist looking for his big break. Prior to the interview some in the industry warned me about Belmont. They mentioned his gruff personality and spoke of his temperament and intolerance for some in the garage area. And while I certainly put on a brave face, deep down their words caused Belmont to be an intimidating character in my mind.

However, what I found in Belmont was totally opposite of the portrait that people painted of him. I found a competitor. I found a racer who was doing all he could to provide for his family. He was more than just the driver he was also the owner doing all he could to make his racing program successful.

I learned very early about Belmont that he’s a common sense thinking person. And if you respect him, he’ll respect you. It’s that simple. No gruff, no intolerance.

The chapter of his driving career in NASCAR and ARCA was an impressive one and it included rookie honors, wins and a series championship in the NASCAR Dash Series. In ARCA, while he didn’t visit Victory Lane, he was a common face inside the top 10 in the championship standings.

In today’s chapter, Belmont has hung up his driver’s helmet and with his wife Jennifer, they share in the goal of taking Andy Belmont Racing (ABR) to the next level. And in my opinion they’re succeeding. In less than a year after Belmont stepped aside from driving, ABR found Victory Lane twice last season. The first of two wins came at Nashville Superspeedway with Chad McCumbee at the wheel and that’s when it became evident to those of us who follow Belmont that his plan to develop new drivers was beginning to take shape. It was soon after that victory when McCumbee was signed by Petty Enterprises to drive for one of NASCAR’s greatest teams.

Belmont’s victory at Nashville was more than just a
win it was an accomplishment that his fans had been waiting for since his he first arrived in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. And with the victory came more than just a pat on the back and congratulations, Belmont found his peers finally turning their heads and taking notice of what ABR was building.

In the victory at Nashville, ABR equipment was able to beat some of the best NASCAR had to offer in Kevin Harvick Incorporated, Bill Davis Racing and Gillette Evernham Motorsports. I remember interviewing Belmont after the event and asking him how it felt to beat some of those teams and in a deep rolling laugh, he said “Let’s just say it was sweet.”

It was comment understood completely by those who know Belmont, but for outsiders looking to read between the lines, this win was more than a trophy, money or the excitement of taking the checkered flag. It was a victory in a fight for respect.

At the end of last season, ABR finished third at Talladega Superspeedway with driver Dominick Casola and when the dust had cleared from the ARCA 200 at Daytona on February 9, 2008, Belmont’s newest driver Tom Hessert finished sixth. With back to back strong finishes on superspeedways, ABR can now be considered to have one of the best superspeedway programs in the ARCA garage.

In the excitement of a strong finish at Daytona, Belmont keeps the season in perspective after questions of possibly winning a race with Hessert. “One race doesn't make a season,” says Belmont. “I would like to win one and would be disappointed if we don't. This kid has the mental aptitude to get it done."

The thing that stands out in my mind about Belmont is how much fun he’s having today as a coach and crew chief. I saw it last season in him and it’s carried over to this season with Hessert driving the No. 1 Maaco Auto Painting Ford. After Daytona I asked Belmont if this was his new passion or focus, to find young talent and mentor them. “Apparently,” he responded. “It is refreshing and frankly, Tom Hessert has relit the fire in old AB. Having a kid that listens and has respect has made this a most rewarding off-season.”

With the off-season and a successful ARCA 200 at Daytona behind them, all indications point to a most rewarding season as well. But that story is on the next page and it has yet to be written.

Stay tuned.

Mike Harper is an ARCA RE/MAX Series contributor for SPEEDtv.com, and radio show host of ARCA Thunder presented by Rockingham Speedway on RaceTalkRadio.com.
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