Steve Feder Gaining Knowledge and Experience Tackling the Mod Tour ‘07 Schedule
Submitted by: Marcie L. Barlow, BRP/Hoosier Tires Modified Tour Media Relations
June 9, 2007
Steve Feder is a new name on the BRP/Hoosier Racing Tires Modified Tour 07. Steve’s began his racing career two years ago competing in the Lawn Tractor Division at the Shadetree Speedway located near Butler, PA. In spite of a short career at Shadetree, Steve captured two feature wins as well as numerous heat race victories and finished third in the divisional points in 2006 and fourth in the final point standings in 2005. My uncle(Don Gallagher) was building a lawn tractor to race during the winter of 2005 and I was just about to graduate from college. “I still had my income tax refund so I decided to buy a tractor with it and join him,†stated Feder, “the Lawn Tractor Division is a lot of fun and I still competed as time permit.â€
Feder credits fellow BRP Tour driver Dave Murdick and Tour car owner Tim Temple with getting him interested in the Modified Division. “When I first started racing lawn tractors I had no idea what I was doing or how to adjust the chassis to get the machine to handle,†said Feder. Temple is a neighbor of Feder’s grandmother so he started going to the races with Temple to learn as much as possible about racing in general and how to apply that knowledge to his lawn tractor.
After Steve’s first year of lawn tractor racing he began thinking about moving to another division but quickly realized that he needed to acquire more knowledge before making that move. “Last year I traveled with Tim to the Sharon Speedway on Saturday evenings. In addition, I began helping Dave at the Lernerville Speedway on Friday nights. Both Tim and Dave have provided me with an invaluable amount of assistance as far as setup and general racing advice and I am grateful for their help,†Feder stated.
Steve has been a weekly competitor at the Lernerville Speedway, has visited the Tri-City Speedway and will compete in as many BRP/Sunoco Race Fuels Modified Tour ’07 events as time permits. “Although I only have about 12 Modified races under my belt right now I definitely think my most memorable moment thus far was competing in my first feature event at the Lernerville Speedway. I was amazed at how much power these cars really have and how nuts it can be when 20 plus cars are out on the track competing. I don’t know how to describe the feeling of driving my car around the track; all I can say is it is not like anything I have ever done before,†exclaimed Feder.
The recent Mechanical Engineering graduate of Penn State Behrend is not sure what his racing future holds. Feder plans on running his current car, a 2000 Troyer Chassis, for a few more years until he has enough experience under his belt to purchase a new car or possible move to another division. “Currently I live at home with my parents. I decided that this is probably the only time in my life that I would have the time and money to be able to go racing so I took the plunge and bought this car! It has definitely been a challenge and requires a ton of help,†stated the likable young Modified competitor. In addition to Temple and Murdick, Feder’s crew consists of his parents, Harold and June Feder, his brother, Matthew, and Don, Darin and Brad Gallagher. “I want to thank my parents and brother as well as the Gallaghers as I greatly appreciate all of their hard work and moral support.â€
In the next few weeks the team will travel to the Central PA Speedway as well as the Expo Speedway for the BRP/Hoosier Racing Tires events to be held on Tuesday, July 3rd and Thursday, July 12 respectively. It will be the initial voyage to both facilities for Feder and although the team may not be in Victory Lane at the end of each evening race fans can be assured that Steve will be gaining valuable experience as he competes for the Lake Erie Speed Specialties Rookie of the Year Award!!
In addition the BRP Modified Tour 07 would like to thank the following series sponsors: Bicknell Racing Products, Hoosier Race Tire, Sunoco Race Fuel, Bilstein Shocks, Ray’s Racing Collectibles, Approved Toilet Rental, Lowry Auto Body, Lake Erie Speed Specialties, Hall’s Safety Equipment, Engles Trucking, Big Daddy’s Speed Center, Precise Racing Products, Finishline Fabrication, Wilkinson Awards, McCool’s Signs and Graphics, Hands on Concepts, Waldo’s Towing, Hooter Chassis and Hobby, Jim’s Supermarket, Pennewell Sandblasting and Painting and King Brothers.
The Modified Tour Inc. racing series is a non-profit organization established to give the V-8 Modifieds in the Western Pennsylvania area a chance to compete with one another for a higher purse structure and for a point fund for the races that are run. Started in 1998 by Tim Engles, Lon and Pam Baker and Randy Myers the Modified Tour has had great success at bringing the local cars together at the area racetracks.
