TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Fulfilling A Dream To Race

Contributors help a man follow in his father's footsteps on the racetrack.

Tampa Tribune photos by ROBERT BURKE

John Floyd, from left, Andrew Powell and Travis Floyd prepare their '93 Ford Escort GT for the 24 Hours of LeMons endurance race to be held July 26 and 27 in Kershaw, S.C.

ADVERTISEMENT

By JOYCE MCKENZIE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 30, 2008

TEMPLE TERRACE - As a youngster, Travis Floyd often fantasized about following in the footsteps of his dad, a former race car driver.

"I always wished I could, but it's very expensive. And, at this stage in my life, I figured the only way it could happen is by selling the house, my wife and my son," joked the 33-year-old man who has made Temple Terrace his home since early childhood.

In spite of the odds against it and through the generosity of businesses throughout the Tampa Bay area, Floyd soon will be living his dream.

Travis Floyd is gutting his race car.

Thanks in part to a large contribution from John Buntin, the owner/president of Advantage Steel, Floyd and his TAJ Racing of Tampa team are preparing their '93 Ford Escort GT for the 24 Hours of LeMons endurance race July 26 and 27 in Kershaw, S.C.

The TAJ team, named in recognition of the drivers' first-name initials, also includes Floyd's father, John, and two of his lifelong buddies: Andrew Powell, who grew up in Temple Terrace and moved as an adult to Riverview, and Jason Pilarczyk, a former Temple Terrace resident who now lives in Clover, S.C.

Launched in California two years ago as a semi-annual event, the race is a parody of the 24 Hours of Le Mans road race in Le Mans, France. The races are now held in various locations across the United States.

"Without John's support, this would not have been possible," said Floyd, who credits Buntin's company with contributing most of the money needed to purchase the team's two cars, one to race and another for spare parts; safety equipment, including fireproof suits for the drivers; three sets of racing tires; and fuel for the two trucks used to transport the vehicle and racing gear to and from the racetrack at Carolina Motorsports Park. The donation also will be used to cover the cost of the drivers' meals and lodging.

Buntin, also a Temple Terrace resident, has been a friend of the Floyds for many years. When he learned of their interest in the race, he said, he was happy to support them.

"We're a very family-oriented business and how neat it is that a father and his son can spend time together. It doesn't get any better than that," Buntin said. "In my view, it's priceless."

The four-man racing team will be among a field of 91. In contrast with the 24-hour Le Mans race, the LeMons competition will be a 16-hour event spread over two days because the park prohibits night racing.

The value of each race car is limited to $500, an amount that does not include the added safety equipment.

The TAJ car was purchased through Craigslist for $400 from a man in Gainesville, who bought it new and put 96,000 miles on it. The team also purchased a similar vehicle from a person in Brandon, a car whose parts will be used as spares for the Escort if necessary.

Each of the men, in addition to driving the car in one-hour stints, has been assigned a role. Floyd is the team captain and crew chief, John is team strategist and lead mechanic, and Pilarczyk and Powell are technical assistants.

Powell's parents, SignStar owners Dan and Theresa Powell, are also being credited as primary sponsors through their donation of warehouse space where the vehicle is housed. It is on U.S. 301 just south of Temple Terrace and is also where the race team members, minus Pilarczyk, have gathered almost every Saturday since early February to prep the car for the race.

The men have rebuilt its brakes, constructed and installed a steel roll cage for the driver and mounted a one-piece polycarbonate racing seat and safety harness. They are now in the midst of doing routine maintenance on the vehicle.

"We're trying to do all that's necessary without spending a whole lot of money," said Floyd, who noted several other businesses in the area have either offered in-kind donations or product discounts.

In the meantime, Pilarczyk has been busy devising a cooling system that will pump cold air through a plastic tube into the drivers' fireproof suits.

"It's going to be very hot up there, so this will help us survive the intense heat," Floyd said. "In fact, having us and our 'lemon' last 16 hours will be quite a feat."

If they do and they happen to place first, their prize will be $1,500 in nickels presented to them in a burlap sack. If the team completes 12 hours of racing, it will be eligible to compete for the People's Choice cash award, a reward that is determined by the race participants. The car that is deemed by the crowd as the People's Curse winner will face demolition.

"I'm glad they've invited the 'old man' to participate and I've especially enjoyed working on this [car] with my son," said John, 66, whose heyday of racing was in the 1960s and '70s. "As they say, it seems the older I get the faster I was."

Powell is glad to have the elder Floyd on the team to share his years of racing expertise.

"My father used to take me to some of the races and I really kind of got into endurance racing, but I've never actually driven a race car," he said. "It's a brand-new experience for me and I'm been studying up on it. I've also been doing a little exercise because it's going to take a lot of strength to make those tight turns."

Pilarczyk, who also has followed the sport but always thought the cost of racing was way beyond what his budget could support, is routinely swimming to help build his endurance as a novice driver.

"It's always been something that looked like fun," he said. "Hopefully we'll do well and have a good time doing it."

Reporter Joyce McKenzie can be reached at (813) 865-4849 or jmckenzie@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT