Doug Sommers, pure racer
Todd Ridgeway
Late Model Racer Magazine
October 2008
Racing is an adrenaline rush like no other. For Ohio Main Event Series racer Doug Sommers that rush has been happening for the past 20 plus years. Actually it all started at a very young age in his Fathers garage. Back in the day the elder Sommers sported a Sprint Car that raced at tracks like Sandusky, Lorain, and the now gone Canton Speedway’s in Ohio. The Doylestown Ohio native often helped his Father at these various tracks including the old Ohio State 500 in which several Ohio tracks where visited in a series of events. Racing has become a way of life for Sommers and the thought of going without it has never crossed his mind. “I never thought about what I would do without racing,” stated Sommers. “It started with my Father and I sure do look forward to keep going on. Racing is a way of life, my way of life.”
Sommers started cutting his competitive driver teeth in 1985 not to far down the road from home at the Barberton Speedway in the Street Stock division. “Racing at Barberton was tough,” says Sommers. “It did not take long to realize the weekly competition was very tough. I raced against drivers like Frank Parvin who was very fierce and always really fast. John Ambrose was another good racer. Ambrose was most likely the hardest racer to pass that I have ever raced against. He was always so fast and just difficult. There have been so many good drivers that I have had the pleasure too compete against I really would not know where to start. The Main Event Series is also full of great drivers and they all know and understand how to go fast,” finished Sommers.
When the time came for Sommers to move up the competitive ladder the thought other than Main Event Super Late Models never crossed his mind. It was just a natural fit with his love for speed to move into the wedged bodied and the high horse powered rocket ship division. “The cars and speed have always appealed to me,” says Sommers. “I wanted to go to a division with some travel to different facilities but not to far from home and too much traveling. I decided to go racing with the Main Event Series in 2006. The traveling of their tracks and the Ohio based situation seemed to be the right fit for me. Lake Erie Speedway (PA) is probably my favorite track we visit. The place is just state of the art and smooth which translates to the high speeds that we are able to achieve. To win any Main Event Series race is special but I have my eye set on the final event at Columbus Motor Speedway. I got my biggest win this year (2008) at Midvale Speedway and really enjoyed that,” finished Sommers.
Long time Super Late model racer Burgess White said, “There is not a better person and driver than Doug Sommers, I have known him a long time. If he could give you the shirt off his back to help you out and get you in the race he would. On the track he is a good as anybody. He is a good hard racer and won’t bump you or hit you, as a matter of fact we have never touched, and he always passes clean. He is my racing hero, just a great guy. We share tools, parts, or whatever. The last race he came over and told me he change to a different right rear spring and picked up two tenths of a second and thought that might help me out. He is just a good person to be around on race day,” finished the veteran racer.
The 40 year old Sommers races a Lefthander Chassis with a Nemeth Performance Chevy Engine on the Super Late trail. There is no question Sommers will stay with the Main Event Series but it does take its toile. “Racing is in trouble. It takes so much money these days to stay competitive, the economy hurts everyone. Racing for me has gone from a hobby to a job and depending on what the economy does it will dictate what future moves I make. If I decide to put the Main Event on the back burner I will let my son race. I have a Sportsman car at home we have been working on for two years getting it ready for Barberton so he can race. We just haven’t had the time to finish it. We work on it when we can, but with the Super Late maintenance it all takes time,” finished Sommers.
Looking back Sommers notes he would probably try to do something else just because of the expense involved in racing. But racing has just seemed to be such a natural fit and the direction to go that way just seems to come natural as well. “Racing has meant a lot to me through the many years,” says Sommers. “The friendships I have made I would not trade for anything, it is something special. Meeting new people is always a great pleasure for me as well as the competitive nature and life style. I have a lot of friends and family that help me with the race car both on and off the track. That in itself really makes it all worth while for me,” concluded Sommers.