By BILL FOLEY
For 26 years, Danny Lasoski has been a steadfast presence at every major Sprint Car event. Throughout the years, he has had
a great deal of success. He remarks, “We won four championships between the National Sprint League and Knoxville, and
a total of 27 races with that team.”
Now, as the 2017 season begins, it may be hard to believe that Danny Lasoski finds himself in the Volusia Speedway Park
pits without a ride. He explains, “I’ve been helping my nephew, Brian Brown. He hasn’t been here in 10 years, and I’ve
raced here numerous times. Volusia is one of my favorite two speedways, and I simply want to give him my support.”
Lasoski, who serves as a “driver coach” at Volusia, says, “It’s a steep learning curve here, but this is a fast
speedway. In fact, it’s the fastest we race on.”
Brian Brown noted a while ago that, despite doing well at Volusia, he felt uncomfortable in the car. Danny says, “I
believe the changes we made have made him much more at ease. He’s been fastest time three out of the four nights.”
The team faced a setback on Sunday afternoon when a u-joint broke, causing damage to the motor plate and entering the
motor. Lasoski hopes to get back into a race car soon, but he knows it’s not as easy as it used to be. He had hoped to be
racing in Florida but says, “Nothing worked out. I parted ways with the team I raced with last year. It wasn’t expected,
so I didn’t have anything lined up for this year.”
Continuing, he says, “You can’t imagine how difficult it is not to be out there racing. It’s so hard that if I wasn’t
helping Brian, I wouldn’t be here. It’s really killing me. It’s tough.”
Times have changed, and Lasoski explains, “It’s a dog-eat-dog world. It’s all about what you’ve done for me lately. You
can’t just show up with your helmet bag and seat, looking for a ride anymore. It doesn’t work that way anymore.”
Lasoski has all the necessary parts to continue his illustrious career, except for one thing. He says, “I have a car,
truck, and trailer. I have everything except a motor. I hope to find a partner. You need an engine program, and you
really need to be funded to do it right.”
Danny Lasoski has achieved countless victories throughout his 26-year career, and in recent years, he has shown that he
can still perform at championship level. It seems unjust that Lasoski has won at the Knoxville Speedway and at all the
major Sprint Car events across the nation. He has proven that he can not only be a winner but also a champion in the
world of racing.
Fans walking through the pits notice him and ask with concern, “Why aren’t you racing?” Lasoski smiles, but it’s clear
that he still has that burning desire to be out there racing, not only against his nephew but also against the other
stars of the World of Outlaws, the All Stars, and Knoxville.