Sixteen-year-old Dale Nance's sister Angie Davis pulled a fast one on the Wartburg, Tenn. teen. She signed him up for the Young Racer's Club. While she did tell him, he never thought he'd actually win. So, when we called up to tell the youngster that he was the winner of a $250 gift certificate from Comp Cams, needless to say he was a little surprised and very excited.
Dale Nance could very possibly be one of those racers with natural born talent. The high school junior has been around racing all his life watching his Dad wheel the family's dirt modified around the track. But as Dale got older, Dad decided to hang up his helmet and put Dale in the car. Dale responded in a big way, winning the 2005 Modified points Championship at Scenic Raceway just one year after climbing in the car.
After his successful stint in the modified at that high-banked 1/2-mile clay oval in Oneida, Tenn., he moved up to the Limited Late Models and over to Crossville Raceway USA. He responded again with the 2007 Limited Late Model division points championship. Two titles in his first three years of racing, talk about setting the bar high.
Dale Nance is looking toward a career in racing and already has his plan mapped out. In 2008 he'll return to Crossville to defend his championship. At the same time, the team will start traveling around a little more to other tracks in Tennessee, North Georgia and other areas. He plans on moving into the Super Late Models in a couple of years if he can get the funds together. We think that if Dale keeps his championship winning ways going, guys with the names Babb, Frank, Francis and Clanton better be looking over their shoulders.