1/5/2023
Owosso Speedway
Driver Profile: Fred Cummings Jr.
Fred Cummings Jr.
12/13/22
Written By: Destiney Biston
Fred Cummings Jr. from Bridgeport, MI is another driver that has been in the sport of racing for a very long time now. Fred started racing almost 37 years ago, in 1986, after growing up watching his dad (Fred Cummings Sr.) race. He has driven in just about every division you can think of, but has been focusing on his number 2A car in the Sportsman class. Fred Cummings Jr. has had a pretty good run at it, too. He has won three track championships in the last two years, holds a track record at Owosso Speedway, and has had a lot of top five finishes in the Kernel races. Overall, he has some pretty great runs and he plans on continuing that as he heads into the 2023 season. Fred and I talked about his favorite aspects of racing. After joking around about everyone loving the fights, he said that he really enjoys the competition during a race with a really good field of cars. What does he do when he loses, though? Fred likes to get right to work to fix the car and make it better. He said that he is constantly working on his race cars to make them faster for the next night of racing. Fred has been racing for a long time, so there has to be someone that he looks up to as a racer. Of course he looks up to the iconic Dale Earnhardt, but Tommy Myer is another idol and role model for Fred Cummings Jr. Tommy Myer has given Fred some racing tips and helped him work on his car as he started out in motorsports. Fred Cummings started out racing the Talladega Bombers with packed fields at Auto CIty, so it will always be his favorite place to race. However, he is still excited to come to Owosso Speedway to race on the brand new asphalt with the new lighting that is going to be put in. He said that in the 90’s the track was already pretty rough and that makes all of these changes that much better to experience. With that being said, Fred Cummings has a lot in store for us for the 2023 season. He plans on getting into the Modified division while continuing to represent the number 2A, he is bringing in Martin Blank as a new team driver in a Factory Stock, and his son Steele will be starting the third generation of racing in the Front Wheel Drives. Racing takes up almost the entirety of Fred’s life, but thanks to the help from his crew (Charlie Smith, Norm Finkbeiner, Jim Stewart, Larry Abbott, and Tom Jaksa) and his sponsors (Fred’s Painting and General Carpentry, Stewie’s Performance, Miles Towing and Recovery, Clockwork Collision, Saginaw Welding Supply, Wizard Automotive, Norm’s Edibles, Gears by Gilbert, and Blake Rowe Racing), it has proven to be incredibly worth it.
Submitted By: Destiney Biston
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