Big T's

Big T's

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Driver of the Year Nominee: Roger Mckenzie



   Roger Mckenzie is the second driver nominee in our Driver of the Year running. The Swainsboro, Ga. native has a driven his #733 pure stock to 13 wins this season. He raced at Swainsboro, 441 Speedway, and Savannah. Roger has 12 wins at Swainsboro this year and one at 441 Speedway. Out of those 13 wins he ran a 7 win streak at Swainsboro. He also drove a mini stock this year and won a race at Swainsboro and a superstreet car and won 2 races in that division too. Roger ended his season with the 2012 points championship at Swainsboro.  It looks like whatever he puts himself in he can drive to the front and be dominant.
 
   Driving since 1998, he has learned that to be a good driver you have to work on your car constantly. He's a very hands on person who puts on a good show and knows that driving clean on the track is a big part or what makes you successful. Car preparation is a big part of on track success to him but he also knows nothing would be possible for him at the track without God. He is also thankful for the support he gets week in and week out from his family and two guys who go to the track with him every week, Jerry Hall and Jason Atkinson. For someone who is so hands on  it would be hard with a car owner but Roger says his car owner, Roger Wilkerson, lets him do what needs to be done to the car and is a blessing as a car owner.
   The high point of his career is his impressive 7 straight wins in a row at Swainsboro. Roger says that during that streak he had no problems at all. To go 7 straight with no problems is something almost unheard of. Especially in dirt track racing. He has stressed that he couldn't do it every week without his sponsors, Extreme Concrete Construction, Indoor Temperature Control, SLT Services, US1 Recycling, Chester Farms, Parker Fish Company, JPT Trucking, and West Main Pit Stop.
   Next season we can expect to see Roger driving a few races in the Bobby Piper Superstreet Outlaw Series and running his pure stock car to hopefully another championship. He wants to continue this season to help when people need him which he thinks makes you not only a better driver but a better person. Staying up front is next on his list of plans for this season and being competitive is his driving force. He did not know he was even thought of by so many fans as when he was nominated for Driver of the Year. It was a complete surprise for him and he felt honored that so many thought of him. He didn't think he was even thought of by the fans in this way.
   Roger has his goals set for him this upcoming season and seems set and determined with his eye on the prize. A focused driver that has talent and doesn't mind the hard work that comes with it is what makes him a great nominee for this award. Maybe his fans were on to something with the mass of votes he had. There is definitely something in Roger Mckenzie that everyone sees that should be given a closer look by all of the rest of us. Using what he already has will definitely put him in front of the pack and will get him closer each and every week to his goals for the season. He is a definite one to watch and with the votes he got, there will be lots of eyes on him.