Jeff Horn Will Take One Off The Bucket List This Saturday,
Makes Sprint Car Debut with SCoNE at Bear Ridge Speedway
BY MARK McKEON
Vermont native Jeff Horn, who’s lived the flatlander’s life in Massachusetts for the past few decades, hasn’t left many mountains unclimbed. The 67 year old began his racing career at the late, lamented Catamount Stadium in Milton, VT back in 1965 and except for a couple of years in the U.S. Army- including a tour of duty as an infantry soldier in Viet Nam- he hasn’t stopped racing since.
A pavement specialist, Horn has had spectacular success with Midgets, Supermodifieds, Late Models and Modifieds, but he’s never raced a Sprint Car, let alone raced one on dirt. That omission will be rectified this Saturday night when Horn makes his Sprint Car debut with the Sprint Cars of New England at Bear Ridge Speedway.
“It’s just something I’ve always wanted to do and I’m lucky to have the chance to scratch it off the bucket list”, said Horn, who owns and operates A-1 Automotive in Ashland, MA. “Butch Valley, Jr. had another commitment so when he and Butch Sr. offered me the chance to run their New England Motor Racing Supply sponsored car, I couldn’t say no.”
It’s not as if Horn has anything to prove. He sits 12th on the all-time NEMA Midget feature win list with 20 victories. He has dozens of wins in Supermodifieds and Late Models, but he never bothered to keep an exact tally. He didn’t try his hand at dirt track racing until 2010, when he made a handful of starts at now defunct Whip City Speedway, after demolishing his NEMA Midget in a headlong crash into the first turn wall at Monadnock Speedway.
“I’ve raced at lots of tracks that don’t exist anymore,” Horn observes. “Besides Catamount and Whip City, we had some success at Norwood Arena and Westboro Speedway. Through the years, I’ve been fortunate in having top shelf equipment. Most of my Midget wins came in a great car owned by Bay Hayes and I built my Supermodifieds myself, so I knew what was in them. The Valley’s Sprint Car is a great piece too.”
Currently, Horn competes with his son Mike in the NEMA Midgets and shares a ride with his car owner Jim Mossman in the USAC Dirt Midget Association.
Horn’s Sprint Car debut takes place during Bear Ridge Speedway’s 45th season of racing. This week it’s the Remembrance of Lost Friends event presented by Dad’s 4 By Tool & Supply. A full card of the 99ROCK Weekly Racing Series- Modifieds, Coupes, Late Models, Fast Fours, and Hornets- is on tap, in addition to the WYKR Sprint Cars of New England and the Hornet Queens. Special general admission is $13 for adults (age 18-61), $10 for teens (12-17) and seniors (62+), and $2 for children; Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Racing begins at the famous “6:00-ish” start time.
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