Local volunteers make racing team accelerate

PRIME MOTORSPORTS RACING TEAM

By: Tim Falls
   To help make Prime Motorsports a success, Ted Olswfski has to do more than just drive fast.
   Olswfski, a Pennington resident, is the owner and driver for Prime Motorsports, a race team made up by volunteers mostly from Hopewell and Pennington.
   Prime Motorsports recently competed in the Pennsylvania 200 ARCA-RE/MAX Series Race at Pocono Raceway.
   ARCA, the Automobile Racing Club of America, features stock cars, like those that race in NASCAR’s Nextel Cup Series, with competitors that range from professionals to hobbiest. Olswfski and Prime Motorosports fall closer to the hobbiest, but with each race the team is getting better.
   "We took 20th on the lead lap," said Olswfski. "We’re a low-budget team racing in the next-to-top league, so it’s a pretty big thing for us."
   The 20th-place finish is the team’s best in the three years Prime Motorsports has competed in the circuit. Prime Motorsports has competed in six races at Pocono Raceway.
   "We’re all local people doing this as a hobby," said Olswfski, "so this is a sizable feat."
   Along with Olswfski, several Hopewell and Pennington residents volunteer to help Prime Motorsport compete.
   Hopewell resident Terence Johnson is the team manager and his T.Johnson Design Metal Fabrication in Hopewell is the team’s primary sponsor.
   Tony Olswfski, the driver’s brother, is the crew chief. Lee Connor, a Pennington resident, is the team’s mechanic. Dennis Arcamone, of West Amwell, is the front tire changer, while Kyle Wittkop of Pennington is the front tire carrier. Greg Rozik of Pennington is the gas man, Brooke Sudlow of Hopewell is the lap counter, Rich Crocetti of Hopewell Township is the jack man, and Gene Kehoe of Bristol Township, Pa. is the spotter. Mac Maylander of Hopewell Township is the rear tire carrier and Howie Cassidy of Hopewell Township is the rear tire changer. Chris Myers of Hopewell does the decals and is also a sponsor through CRM Graphics.
   They all contribute to Prime Motorsports growing success.
   "It’s not just jumping in a car and racing at high speed," said Olswfski. "There’s a lot to do with the feel of the car."
   The owner and driver said the adjustments the team makes to get the most out of their car is a science. Olswfski said it takes experience and education to fine tune the car with each adjustment creating a domino effect that leads to more and more adjustments.
   Autoracing is a challenging hobbie and and expensive one as well.
   Olswfski, 37, started racing at Flemington Speedway back in high school with help of friends like Johnson.
   "I’ve always been interested in racing," said Olswfski, "but could never get involved. You get out of college and you have to start making money. I finally made enough to get into it and get started."
   With help from friends like Johnson and other sponsors, Prime Motorsports was able to grow.
   "Ted and I grew up together since kindergarten," said Johnson. "We used to do some racing in Flemington. As we got older we had a little more money to play with something a little more challenging in racing and got hooked into ARCA."
   Racing in ARCA, Prime Motorsports competes against tough competion. Some of the teams Prime Motorosports races are fully sponsored with their own research and develoment crew.
   "We’re a low-budget team," said Johnson. "It’s not a full-time job. We’re working our way up, it’s a learning experience."
   Along with T.Johnson Design Metal Fabrication and CRM Graphics, Prime Motorsports is sponsored by Vincenzo’s Pizzeria in Hopewell, Job Site Magazine (Lambertville), Tamco Productions from Dallas, and Olswski’s Prime Construction in Pennington.
   Prime Motorsports is expected to compete in a half season next year and hopes to go a full season the following year.
   It’s not an easy road, but therein lies the challenge.