St. Amant/Bear combo’s first race at Columbus Motor Speedway
Avon, Indiana (Tuesday, May 19, 2015): It wasn’t the way that 18-year-old Quinnton Bear wanted to begin his quest for the 2015 Howie Lettow Memorial Rookie of the Year title. On the pace laps of the 2015 JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance season opener, the Cabin Fever 100 Presented by JEGS.com at Springport Motor Speedway on May 3rd, a trailing arm broke on Bear’s machine. Unable to continue, Bear was towed back to the pits to ponder what might’ve been.
Fast forward to the second race of the 2015 campaign, the Memorial 100 Presented by JEGS.com at Columbus Motor Speedway in Columbus, Ohio, set for Saturday, May 23rd; Bear is ready for the challenge of a new track. Those challenges of going to a facility for the first time were nothing new to the 18-year-old from Avon, Indiana during the 2014 campaign in the CRA Late Model Sportsman Series when, in his first year of racing a full-bodied stock car, every track he went to was brand new. Only this time around, he goes to Columbus armed with a proverbial ace in the hole.
2014 ARCA/CRA Super Series Championship winning Crew Chief, Gary St. Amant, a Columbus folk hero and former two-time ASA National Tour Champion will now be the man on top of the pit box calling the shots for Bear starting at St. Amant’s home track. St. Amant led two-time champion, Travis Braden to his second straight ARCA/CRA title in 2014 and that didn’t go unnoticed by Quinnton Bear Racing Car Owner and Father, Fred Bear.
“Gary (St. Amant) will bring so much experience to our race team and for sure will help Quinnton on and off the track. For Quinnton Bear Motorsports and our race team and what we are trying to accomplish we feel this is the best move to help reach those goals.” Explained the elder Bear on the agreement reached between QBM and St. Amant. “Gary has raced and won everywhere as a driver and he now as a crew chief. It’ll be a huge change for Quinnton having a new crew chief. I feel that Gary will bring so much to our race team, with his experience, credibility and creating a brand new bond with Quinnton and the race team. I am so exciting to see what the two can do together.”
With the change at the Crew Chief role, Bear’s familiar #94’s will now be kept in Columbus, Ohio where St. Amant will maintain the cars there. “I will absolutely make sure they have everything they need to perform at the highest level in the JEGS/CRA All- Stars Tour.” Continued Bear. “We have plans to race up to three ARCA/CRA Super Series races later this year as well. I also want to especially thank Scott Tomasik for all the good that he did for Quinnton and our race team.” He ended.
In addition to Springport, the only other race that the younger Bear has competed in during the early going of the 2015 racing season was SpeedFest 2015 at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Georgia on January 25th. That was the last time the Avon, Indiana teenager made his JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance debut in the non-points Champion Racing Association (CRA) Powered by JEGS traditional season opener. The 125-lap main proved to be a learning experience for the Hoosier State driver who finished 15th.
The 2014 racing season for Bear was with the CRA Late Model Sportsman Series. He finished third in the freshman points while also securing a sixth place finish overall all the while running his first season ever in a full-bodied stock car. He was the only rookie to win a race as he scored two victories including the biggest one of his career to date; The Winchester 50 during the 43rd Running of the Winchester 400 Weekend at the legendary high-banks of Winchester Speedway (IN) on October 11th. His other trip to victory lane came at the fast 1/4 mile of Anderson Speedway (IN) on September 13th.
Overall he scored three top five finishes which also accounted for his three top 10s. Seven of the 10 races conducted resulted in at least a top 15 finish while two other finishes in the top five were wiped out in post-race tech due to an engine issue. He also scored one Allstar Performance Fast Qualifier Award which came at Angola Motorsport Speedway (IN) on August 10th.
For the remainder of the 2015 racing season, Bear’s #94 Buzze Racing / Chevrolet will have additional sponsorship decals from Bear’s Lawn Service as well as PGG Enterprises, McGunegill Engine Performance, Bassett Racing Wheels, Sparco and M.P.H. Promotions. The Quinnton Bear Racing website can be found at: www.quinntonbear.com Also for more information about Quinnton Bear and Quinnton Bear Racing, go to the Facebook Fan Page located at: www.facebook.com/bearracing94 on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/QuinntonBear94 and on Instagram at: www.instagram.com/bearracing_94
