(May 19, 2015) Speedway 660 has a new Race Director. Brent Dunphy has one of the most difficult jobs at the track, but he’s up for the challenge. Brent looks forward to his job on the top of the tower and plans to be firm but fair in his dealings with drivers and race teams. Wade Wilson recently caught up with our new Race Director to talk about his new job.
A Conversation with Race Director Brent Dunphy
Wade: Hey Brent, congrats on your new job as Race Director. How do you feel about taking on this role?
Brent: I’m very excited about taking on this new role because we have the best weekly racing in the Maritimes and it’s an honour to be part of the Speedway 660 team. We’ve got incredible fans, lots of great marketing partners, a large field of race teams and a dedicated staff. That’s a fantastic combination that has served us well since 1994.
Our new Race Director is excited about taking on his new role at Speedway 660. Brent Dunphy says it’s a difficult job, but he plans to be fair to all of the racers, while upholding the rules.
Wade: Race teams, drivers and fans are all passionate about their sport. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that the Race Director can’t be everyone’s best friend and it’s darn near impossible to keep everybody happy.
Brent: The Race Director’s job is not to keep everybody happy. My job is to keep all of the calls consistent and fair. If we can do that, we will be successful. For sure it’s not easy, but I respect the hard work the race teams do to be competitive and the effort the drivers make out on the track every week. They know it’s not easy for race officials to make the tough calls, but as long as we have mutual respect for each other we’ll be fine.
Sometimes things get a little rough out on the track. That’s when the Race Director has to step in to make a call.
Wade: What are some of the messages that you’ll be telling the drivers at those meetings in the tech shed before the races?
Brent: I really believe in keeping things simple and to the point, so rule number one is to have fun; rule number two is to respect other racers, the fans, sponsors, staff and this great sport of ours and; rule number three is to be safe. On second thought, rule number three should come first, but you get the picture.
Wade: We’ve got five weekly divisions at Speedway 660 – Bandolero, Sharp Shooter, Street Stock, Sportsman and Pro Stock. That’s a pretty heavy workload.
Brent: No other race track is as busy as Speedway 660. On race day it gets pretty hectic but we’ve got an incredible team to help make things run smoothly. And we have a history of doing a really good job here, so my role is to work with the other race officials and try to live up to the strong tradition established at Speedway 660 in years gone by.
Fans know that Speedway 660 is the place to come to see tight finishes and lots of side-by-side racing. For over two decades fans have been thrilled by exciting short-track racing in the Geary Woods!
Wade: The Stanley Cup Playoffs are currently underway and it’s not uncommon for penalty calls and other referee decisions to come under scrutiny. The Race Director is basically the referee, so how do you feel about making the tough calls that will be questioned by race teams and fans?
Brent: I have no problem with it at all. I think a referee, umpire or race director has to be decisive in their calls. Football has had video review for a few years and baseball has just added it and that has helped their officials get the calls right. So new for this year, we will have video review to help us out too. But I’m only going to rely on video occasionally, because let’s not forget that Speedway 660 has the best track officials in Atlantic Canada to help get the calls right.
Fast cars on a tight race-track means there’s bound to be some contact out there. Brent Dunphy’s new job as Race Director is to sort this kind of thing out, be consistent in his calls and fair to all of the drivers.
Wade: You’ve been around racing all of your life including many years here at Speedway 660. Tell us a little bit about your background in our sport and why you decided to step up to take on this new role?
Brent: I first started at Speedway 660 way back in 1996! After a few years I took a step back but still attended regularly and in 2009 came back full time running the tow truck and then the push buggy and have always helped out where ever I could. I got to know many of the race teams and have observed some pretty good Race Directors in action, so when I was asked to do this job it didn’t take long to make a decision. I’ve been around racing all my life and am ready to accept this new challenge.
Brent has been involved in racing for a long time. He’s been a part of our “inside-the-fence-crew” for many years including a stint in the Dunphy’s tow truck.
Wade: Some folks might not know that you are also very active in snowmobile racing. Tell us about your involvement in that exciting sport.
Brent: The stock car racing season is really short and if you are into racing as much as I am, you’ve got to find something to do in the off-season. I am the president of the Fredericton Snowmobile Club and very much involved in drag racing in the winter. Those snow-sleds sure are fast and I enjoy that sport a lot too.
Wade: Speedway 660 has the one of the best weekly racing programs in all of Canada. What do you think makes our brand of racing so intense and exciting?
Brent: Right from day one Speedway 660 was really organized. You come to our track and the show comes at you pretty fast. As soon as one race is over, the next group of cars rolls right out on the track. There’s not much down-time here. We’ve got a short intermission and a jammed-packed night of action for our great fans. The fact that we’ve got five distinct divisions of racing provides a unique showcase for the amazing talented drivers who call Speedway 600 their home-track.
Brent Dunphy is ready to take on his new challenge at Speedway 660. He says it’s an honour and privilege to have the opportunity to work alongside our track officials and take his place atop the tower on race day!
Wade: Thanks for doing this Brent and best of luck in your new role as Speedway 660’s race director.
Brent: Thank-you Wade. I’m getting to know everyone a little better and folks have treated me great. I look forward to another incredible season at Speedway 660 and encourage everyone to come down and enjoy the best racing in our region!
