Pennsylvania’s Rod George Still At Top Of His Game After 25 Years

Age is turning out to be only a number for Rod George.
George is 48 years old and has raced for 25 seasons, but the Western Pennsylvania sprint-car ace is more concerned with a few other numbers these days — such as the 21 victories he earned in 2007 or the 39 he has amassed over the past two seasons while racing primarily at Lernerville and Mercer speedways.
His silver anniversary in the sport may have included a touch of gray, but it also included more victories than in any other season in George’s racing career. It also removed any doubts as to whether the veteran would return for a 26th season on Pennsylvania dirt.
“For the last three years, I’ve been saying, ‘I’m going to quit and that’s going to be it,’” George said. “Every year, when it gets to be that time, I say, ‘Well, should we do it again or not?’ This time around, I didn’t even think about quitting. I said, ‘We’re just going next year.’”
Success coupled with some additional sponsorship dollars have proven to be enough motivation to keep George behind the wheel. It may not be the Fountain of Youth, but George will take it after suffering through a three-win season in 2005.

KEYSTONE HOT SHOT: Rod George leads fellow longtime competitor Ed Lynch, Jr. around Lernerville Speedway in July. (Cory Stivason Photo)

“We got some other guys involved with us — some help financially more than anything,” he said. “That made things better for us. We had a second car, where before we’d only had one, and we had a spare engine. It’s been good for us. We’ve been able to come out no matter what happens.”
Dr. John Crawford and George began working together in 2002, and long-time friend Suzanne Stivason has combined with others to keep George in a ride.
“More and more teams are combining efforts,” said George. “I think more and more it’s what to do to survive.
“I’ve been fortunate. I ran for a couple of years with the All Stars, raced in Central Pennsylvania for seven years. The first year I raced was ’82-83 in my own car. Then I ran until 2000 for some good owners. I never was in a super high-profile ride, but always had something to ride in over the years.”
George just ordered a new frame for the 2008 season, giving his “combined effort” more of the equipment needed to compete against a passel of young guns and a few of the other Keystone veterans, including Ed Lynch, Jr. and Bob Felmlee.

FAMILIAR FACE: Rod George celebrates one of his 21 victories in 2007, this time at Mercer Raceway Park. (Scott Whipple Photo)

“There are some guys we’ve raced with since we’ve started and that’s motivation — to keep up with those guys, and there are those young guys coming, so you have to go out and keep proving yourself,” George said. “It kind of seems in racing with the young guys, there’s a new breed coming and taking over. Older guys are still doing all right. As much as it seems bad, it still is one of the divisions that you can still compete with when you’re a little older and out of shape.”
Maybe the bodies are a little softer around the middle, but the minds are still sharp, and George said the experience often pays off for veteran drivers such as himself on the well-worn, slick tracks of Western Pennsylvania near his Kittanning home.
“The tracks here have gotten hard and slick over the years and I think the older guys — with a little more wisdom or whatever — kind of shine on the slicker tracks,” he said. “That’s kind of what we have in our area.”
While George sees the influx of younger drivers as competition, he also embraces his role as a mentor, showing the way on and off the track.
“My first experiences with Rod were when I was working on Chad Hill’s No. 44 sprint car in 2000-2002,” said Lernerville Speedway Public Relations Director Eric Westendorf. “Most nights we pitted beside Rod. He and his crew were always very helpful and he offered Chad a lot of advice and insight. Now as public relations director of Lernerville Speedway, I get to see Rod interact with his peers and especially the fans. 
“Obviously, anyone who has the success that Rod has enjoyed is going to be popular, but what really makes him a fan favorite is his even demeanor. On the track, Rod is fast and smooth, but he never puts his fellow drivers in jeopardy. Off the track he is always very professional and genuinely enjoys signing autographs and meeting fans. Rod is one of the really good guys, in every aspect of the sport.”
Stivason, a long-time supporter and friend who is listed as George’s car owner, said the driver’s success is proof that nice guys can finish first in the sport.
“He’s just an all-around good guy,” said Stivason, whose wedding party included George as her husband’s best man. “If other guys need help, he jumps in, gets in there and gets it done. I’m not sure you find a lot of guys like that now.”

YOUNG MAN: Two young fans join Rod George in victory lane at Lernerville Speedway in 1988. (Spekis Brothers Photo)

Stivason said George carries the name of her late brother on his wing, and when her mother died this past May, he came from 12th in the pack to win and dedicated the victory to her mother.
“We go to the races every weekend, but I couldn’t go to that one,” Stivason said. “Of all the races he’s won, a lot of them were special, but that one meant more to my family than anything anyone could have done.”
George said he would like to continue driving for “a couple of more years, but who knows?”
After that, he would like to remain in the sport as a car owner, continuing his role as a mentor for a younger driver.
“I’m not sure we can afford to do it, but I would love to bring some of the new kids in and bring them along,” he said. “I’ve been watching a couple of young kids around here myself and there’s a good chance that we’ll be doing that.”
While George said the “combined effort” that kept him winning in 2007 included his wife, Jackie, son Kyle, 25, and daughter Kelsea, 21, a George probably won’t be carrying on the family tradition behind the wheel, but are all part of the family business of racing and just another reason to keep doing it as 50 comes up fast around the next turn for the family patriarch.
“It is hard to keep motivated through all the years, but we just have a ball doing it,” George said. “With the whole family being involved, it makes it that much more fun, that’s for sure.”