FASTRAK Driver SPOTLIGHT **FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE** August 22nd, 2013 FASTRAK PR

FASTRAK Drivers SPOTLIGHT -#77 Joel Prosser - New Martinsville, West Virginia


Tell us about yourself.
Well I just turned the BIG 4 – 0. I was born in Canandaigua, NY but I grew up in Tyler County, West Virginia with my parents, Gary and Barbara Prosser and my brother Mark. I graduated from West Virginia University with a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering. Jennifer and I have her three kids, Donald, Stephanie, and Jessica and three grandchildren, Jeremiah, Austin, and Logan. I have three dogs, Cammy, Brodix, and Piston. I have been racing for 16 years. Racing Legend Butch McGill’s wife calls me “The friendliest racer in West Virginia”. I used to live in Arkansas in the mid-90’s where I pit-crewed for Late Model driver Mike Bowers.

How did you get into racing? How old were you? First car/class?
I started pit-crewing when I was about 12 years old for several different drivers of anything from 4 Cylinders to Late Models. When I was 25, once I had a good education and a good job, I built my first racecar, a mid-70’s model Camaro Street Stock. We built it in the garage of the driver that I had been pit-crewing for several years, Robby Thomas ,father of current Tyler County FASTRAK competitor #7JR Danny Thomas. He too was running a Camaro. We painted the two cars opposite colors. Where his car was yellow, mine was orange. Where his was orange, mine was yellow. I was #77 and he was #7.

What is your favorite racing memory?
There are far too many to pick my favorite one. I remember Grandma’s first and only race she attended, my first feature win, roof surfing in victory lane, roof surfing down the backstretch of Tyler Co. up-side-down, almost winning my first feature at Pennsboro, racing at Eldora, my first autograph night, making the show at the Grand Nationals, celebrating with the fans and teams after the races, the Hillbilly 100’s, meeting Jennifer when she asked me out, and many, many more. If anyone has the time, stop by and see me wherever – in the garage, at Wal-Mart, or at the racetrack and I’ll share my stories.

Greatest achievement in your racing career?
Tyler County Track Champion 2004 & 2009. King ofthe Mountains Series – 2nd place 2007 and 3rd place 2008. Inaugural Topless 30 feature winner 2007.

Any superstitions (peanuts not allowed in pits, etc.)?Each time I pull onto the racetrack, I wave at the crowd to thank them for coming to watch us race our cars. Without them, we wouldn’t be racing. I have done this since I started racing. If I forget to wave at the crowd on the first lap around, I feel like I’ll have bad luck. I love watching the fans wave back to me and everyone that comes up to me that tells me they are fans because I wave at them.

What is the story behind running the number you choose?
When I began racing, Robby Thomas asked me what number I was going to run. I told him that if he and another fellow competitor, Kenny Isner, weren’t running the #7, I’d run it since everything in my life had 7’s in it. My phone number had three 7’s, my address, my birth-date, my license plate, I even lived near Interstate 77 in Williamstown, WV at the time. He suggested that I run 77. It sounded good so I went to my computer at work and used WordArt to design a 77. I used the design that angles the words up and to the right. That’s how I ended up with the large 7 and the short 7. I’ve run it ever since.

What is the hardest part of racing?
The hardest part of racing for me is much the same as every other driver out there. It’s finding the time to be a good son, father, grandfather, husband, brother, friend, employee, member of a church, member of a club, supporter of a team, or any other position we may fill while we try to build, maintain, and race our race-cars. For the lady-drivers out there, fill in daughter, mother, …..

What got you involved with the FASTRAK Racing Series and what keeps you racing with the Series??
Back in 2005, then Tyler County Speedway track promoter, Scott Strode, told me about a new series that was growing down south and was hoping to come to Tyler during the season. Coming off our championship season in 2004 with our street stock, I was looking for a new challenge since the class was dying and the motor prices were getting way out of hand. So I bought a new 604 and put it in my Street Stock planning to buy a Late Model when we could afford one. We came out the first night and had our competitors laugh at us with our wimpy sounding 400 hp 350 CI motor compared to their 650+ hp, steel head 400+ Cubic Inch motors. With a lot of luck, we won the first night out. The competitors weren’t laughing any more. The following week we had to strap 50 pounds of lead in front of the bell housing because of the aluminum heads. Later that year when the Fastrak Southern Touring Series made its debut at Tyler we finished 7th against the late model chassis in our Street Stock. I was hooked. I bought a former Tim Dohm Rocket Chassis off of Rick Witt the following week. The economical class with a standardized set of rules that are enforced keeps me running the Series but the comradery with my fellow competitors and race teams makes it even more enjoyable.

Tell us what you like most about your home track? What are some of your other favorite tracks & why do you like them so much? What’s the hardest track you’ve ever competed at?
The thing I like most about my home track, the John Watson promoted Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, WV, is all the fans. They are great. Some of my other favorite tracks are Thunder Mountain Speedway in Hanover, WV because not only do we run well there, but because of the atmosphere too. We have always run good at Raceway 7 in Conneaut, OH and Pennsboro Speedway was a good track for us too. I almost won my first ever feature there. Pennsboro Speedway was by far the hardest track I have ever run. The elevation changes, the egg-shaped oval, the three bridges, the jumps on the front stretch and back stretch and the close-quarter racing all made for quite the challenge. I miss that old legendary track.

What do you like to do when you are not racing?
I enjoy going camping at West Virginia State Parks. There are 53 state parks and forests in West Virginia. I have visited all but three. I hope to complete the list later this year when the race season winds down to see the wonderful fall colors.

Do you have anyone that you would like to thank or recognize?
Mom and Dad have stuck with me through the good and bad years since the beginning. Jennifer and the rest of the family support me and the crew when we spend the countless hours in the garage and on the road to the races. She was a race fan before she met me and still is. Bub, Bill, John, Michael, and JR put in tons of hours in the garage, on the road, and at the track. Greg Ley with Dutch Pantry Restaurants in Williamstown, WV has been our main sponsor for 14 years. Not many sponsors stand by their teams that long. Mark Crudele with Amsoil Specialty Lubes helps us with the Amsoil that we run in the racecar, our hauler, and our street cars & trucks. Cody Watson of Outlaw Graphics makes the awesome graphics. Brad Hibbard and crew of Race-1 do the engine work even late at night when we need them the most, they are there. And last but not least are all the fans. Without them, we wouldn’t be doing what we love. Thank you to all of you that wave back at me when we roll onto the track, come chat with me before, during, or after the races. You all make the countless hours and dollars spent worthwhile.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED FASTRAK DRIVERS IN BEING BE APART OF THE 2013 FASTRAK DRIVERS SPOTLIGHT PLEASE CONTACT: FASTRAK Companies International – PR Media Director – Wesley Outland – 919-262-5660 or email him at wesley@fastrakracing.com and he’ll make it happen!!

Stay tuned to www.fastrakracing.com and/or www.fastrakne.com as well as the FASTRAK Racing Series Fan Page on Facebook and/or follow @FASTRAK_Racing on Twitter to get up to the minute news and details as they become available.

FASTRAK Companies International would like to thank all of its marketing partners for their great and continuing support. Those 2013 sponsors include: Hoosier Race Tires, VP Racing Fuel, City Chevrolet, Chevrolet Performance Parts, TNT Race Cars, High Velocity Heads and RockAuto.com to our line-up of product sponsors. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the Premier Pro Late Model Series in the Country please contact Stan Lester at the FASTRAK Corporate Office at (678) 935-7304 or Brian Haynes at (706) 340-4781. Also Visit the FASTRAK Racing Series online at www.fastrakracing.com and be sure to like us on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter at @FASTRAK_Racing!!