Veteran racer John Phippen shows no signs of quitting

Speedway 95 report

John Phippen Jr. of Town Hill has been racing at Speedway 95 in Hermon since 1979 and has shown no signs of quitting any time soon.

“I can still win. I’m going to keep racing until I don’t enjoy it any more,” said the 51-year-old Phippen.

He has proved that he can still win by picking up a couple victories at Wiscasset Raceway in the now-defunct Pro Stock division this year.

The wins don’t come as frequently as they used to, but Phippen still enjoys racing.

“I’ve had good nights and bad nights. You have to enjoy the good nights because it seems like there’s less and less of them,” said the 1987 and 1995 Sportsman Champion.

Another Pro Stock championship for “Big John” is out of reach for this year because he raced at Wiscasset rather than at Speedway 95 on a few occasions. But that won’t be happening any more as the Pro Stock division was phased out at Wiscasset.

“It was inevitable. There weren’t many cars racing, and there weren’t many people watching. It’s a shame,” said the 1999 Wiscasset Pro Stock champion.

Speedway 95 and Wiscasset aren’t the only tracks where Phippen has raced this year. He tried to make the field for both the DNK 250 at Unity Raceway and the Banknorth 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway, but failed to qualify for those races.

Last year, Phippen finished 10th in the Banknorth 250 and third in the 400-lap Pro Stock race at Wiscasset.

Although he gets money from his sponsors, sometimes it’s not enough.

“We all have sponsors, but you need more for those big races. Last year, we had 16 tires bought and paid for. Everyone chipped in – family, friends and neighbors all helped out with the bill,” said Phippen.

Winning is always on Phippen’s mind, but in order to pull out a win, he’ll have to beat the man who has dominated the division: Andy Saunders.

“He raced good last year, and nobody could stop him. He’s been fast all year and winning a bunch of races,” Phippen said.

“I would like to beat Saunders and get a win. He’s made my car look bad a few times,” laughed Phippen, who finished fourth last Saturday night.

The 25-year veteran is not the only one trying to push his car to a win. Phippen’s family also plays a big role behind the scenes.

“My son Shane helps me with the car. He just brought out his Super Street car to race. My wife and two daughters also help out. My wife does most of the paperwork. It’s really a family-oriented business,” said Phippen.

Right now, Phippen is focused on running the Pro All Star Series race on Aug. 21.

“I’m trying to get ready for the PASS race this month. I’ve run up front with them before, and I think I can again,” said Phippen.