Driver Profile
Driver Profile—Jack Kalwasinski
Every time Jack Kalwasinski gets behind the wheel of stock car, he is living a
“childhood dream.” Being around
Running a limited schedule because of his job at the BP Refinery in Whiting,
Jack defeated Mike Monroe after a late-race, side-by-side, battle for the lead
with Jack narrowly defeating
“I’ve been going to races since 1974,” Jack said after his victory. “It’s always been a dream. I’ve watched Ed Hoffman, Larry Schuler, Dave Weltmeyer, Frank Gawlinski, Bobby Dotter, all my heroes. They’ve all won races here. I’ve always wanted to be one of those guys.”
In 2006, Jack captured seven feature races and was crowned the Schepel Performance Limited Late Model Stock Car Champion at Illiana, wheeling the Trgovich Racing Ford Fusion No. 11 to the title. Enjoying an impressive run to the crown, Jack led the division standings from opening day through the final race of the year. The success of 2006 did not transfer over to 2007 as Jack and the Trgovich Racing team struggled in ASA Late Model Series competition.
Jack grabbed two feature wins in 2005 in the Trgovich Racing entry—a Ford Taurus. Jack finished fourth in Illiana’s limited late model standings. The team made two attempts to compete in Champion Racing Association (CRA) Super Series competition, making a feature start in the Elmer Musgrave Memorial 100 lapper at Illiana.
Near the end of 2005, Jack purchased a late model Grand Prix to take a shot at making the starting lineup for Illiana’s annual Tony Bettenhausen Memorial 100-lap event. Jack started 28th in the field and drove to a 12th place finish. Jack closed out the season by driving John Nutley’s Grand Prix in the CRA-sanctioned National Short Track Championship 200 at Illinois ’ Rockford Speedway.
2004 saw Jack do “double duty” most of the year, wheeling his own No. 99 in Illiana’s Mid American Sportsman class, while also driving for Trgovich in Illiana’s limited late model division. Despite missing some nights of racing because of doing some American Speed Association racing with Lorz Motorsports and the birth of his daughter, Delanie Ann, Jack still managed to finish fifth in the Mid American standings with one feature win to his credit.
Wheeling the Trgovich Racing entry, Jack grabbed five feature wins and finished
third in Illiana’s limited late model class. Jack would make his final Mid
American start at the
The 2003 racing season saw Jack again come home third in the final Illiana standings, grabbing one feature victory along the way in the “super competitive” Mid American class. Using a 2003 Grand Prix body on his “trusty” chassis, Jack made 18 feature starts during the year, finishing in the “top five” on 13 occasions. Four times during the year, Jack picked up fastest qualifier honors.
During 2003, Jack was asked by Nick Trgovich to drive his limited late model that he had purchased. Trgovich was one of the leading drivers at Illiana more than 50 years ago when the track was dirt. The first night Jack drove the Trgovich Monte Carlo things didn’t work out too well as he “stuffed” the black racer into Illiana’s third turn wall after the brakes failed. The No. 11 was through for the year.
Jack in a
A freshened up race car, now sporting a 1999 Monte Carlo body, was Jack’s ride for the 2001 campaign. Concentrating most of his racing at Illiana, Jack finished fourth in the final point standings. Jack picked up his first career stock car feature win at Illiana on April 29 and won two other feature races before the end of the season. Jack’s No. 99 also garnered two trophy dash wins and heat race victory, in addition to setting fast time on four occasions. Only making a few appearances in Mid American Stock Car Series competition, Jack grabbed fast time honors for the series race at Illiana and also made a series start at the famed “Milwaukee Mile.”
Rookie Season
Jack’s “rookie” season in 2000 got off to
a rather “rocky” start after the engine in his No. 99 Kal Racing Dodge
Avenger blew up during the third night of competition. A two-month wait
for a new engine put Jack’s racing efforts on hold and he waited for a late-July
“restart” of the season. Friday night at the Grundy County Speedway (
Most of Jack’s first year success came at the newly remodeled Illiana half-mile
paved oval with Jack coming home in the 10th spot in the final points tally.
A couple of second place feature finishes and a trophy dash victory were some of
his Illiana highlights. Jack and his Avenger were also the fastest
division qualifiers four out of the last seven nights of racing at the northwest
Jack came home in the 21st spot in the final Grundy standings, competing in only five weekly events at the third of a mile paved oval. Jack finished sixth in the Mid American Stock Car Series 40-lapper at Grundy. Earlier in the season (before the engine blew), Jack turned in a surprise 10th place finish in feature action during a Mid American Series race at the Lake Geneva (Wis.) Raceway in his first night of driving.
This Season - 2009
Because of his job at the BP Refinery in Whiting, Jack’s racing again will be somewhat limited in 2009. This year will again see Jack behind the wheel of the Trgovich Racing Ford Fusion in super late model action.
Jack Kalwasinski—Quick Facts
Residence: Dyer, Indiana
Birth Date: July 28, 1973
Wife: Jerilynn
Children Daughters – Delanie Ann (b: 6/3/04), Kasey Rae (b: 1/3/08)
Education:
Occupation:
Operator, BP Refinery, Whiting,
Stock Car Highlights
2006 Illiana Motor Speedway Schepel Performance Limited Late Model Division Champion
23 Career Stock Car Feature Wins
1 – Super Late Model
14 – Limited Late Model
8 – Mid American Sportsman
Go Kart Racing Experience
Began racing go karts at age of nine
at U.S. 41 Sprint Speedway (
Other Motorsports Experience
Served as timer and scorer for stock car racing events at Illiana Motor Speedway (Schererville, Ind.) and Grundy County Speedway (Morris, Ill.) from 1991 through 1997…Crew member for several local stock car racing teams…Crew member on Mike Lorz’s Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) stock car team from 1993 through 1997, crew chief in 1999…Crew member (jack man and shock specialist) on Lorain, Ohio-based No. 84 Porter Cable Tools NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams in 1998…part time in 1999.