This is not only a big racing weekend for Fairbury but also for a local driver.
The finale for the Fairbury Speedway season will also be the finale for Jeff Curl’s racing career.
“This will be my last race this weekend,” Curl said Thursday evening. “It has been a tough decision to make that change but it’s just time.”
Curl is pleased with his 20-year racing career where he was able to win three track championships at the modified level and run four years in a late model, winning a feature at Fairbury.
“The kids are getting older, it’s getting harder to do it,” Curl admits. “I’m getting older. I’m under the racecar at 10 at night and I get up a little sore.”
It is a big decision Curl has discussed with his family and sponsors. He hopes to attend more of his children’s events as a daughter prepares to head off to college next year, a son is a sophomore and another daughter is in sixth grade.
Curl jokes he won’t have any more free time now that he will be coaching freshman basketball and his son plays football. One of his daughters plays softball and the other will participate in the Prairie Central sixth grade musical.
“I’ll put my time and effort into the kids and do more coaching just to be able to do what I want when I want.”
Many professional drivers will be in town this weekend for the Fairbury Speedway FALS Frenzy and Curl looks forward to giving it his all one more time.
“We started out in a garage in Forrest, Illinois with a little beat-up modified and 20 years later, we are going to end it in a late model,” Curl recalled.
After traveling to different tracks in several states, Curl put plenty of effort into building a competitive race team while meeting plenty of people along the way.
“The hardest part of this decision has been talking to the people that have supported me for all of these years and all the sponsors that have helped me out.”
Supporting the younger racers coming up is a goal for Curl – who grew up a fan of the sport and will continue to be a fan. He describes everything as an “awesome ride.”
The FALS Frenzy in Fairbury includes two nights of racing on Friday and Saturday with late models, modifieds and pro-crate late models. Prizes range from $750 to $15,000 with two complete shows each night. Two-day general admission is $50 with $70 pit passes. Driver information, event guides and more can be found at www.fairburyspeedway.com.
Curl was the guest on our Fairbury Newsmakers show Thursday evening at Emancipation Brewing Company near Fairbury. The show can be viewed each week live on the Fairbury News Facebook page or www.fairburynews.net after.
Watch the video interview with Jeff Curl from Thursday below.
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