Hope you have some time here. This one's pretty long. B.J. Bates is a really nice kid, and his family couldn't have been better.
LONG GROVE, Iowa - The plethora of racing trophies that fill three-quarters of a room in B.J. Bates' family basement, highlighted by his 2010 Young Lions World Dirt Track title, might never have been possible if not for a push from his mother, Cindi.
At age 8, the North Scott junior finally was allowed to enter a go-kart race after practicing for two years.
However, he never had faced other drivers and was scared at the prospect. His father, Mel, anticipated that and asked Cindi to be in the pits as a calming influence.
Things didn't work out that way.
"I yelled at him, ‘Barry, you will get in this kart!'" Cindi Bates recalled with a laugh. "I did all the screaming."
B.J. did get in the kart and came out yelling that it was the most fun he ever had. Eight years and a world championship later, his opinion hasn't changed.
"I love it," B.J. said. "I wouldn't change a thing. I love growing up with racing and I love working on the cars. I've always worked on things with Dad, and it's brought us a lot closer as a family. It's a nice bonding time for us to share our stories."
Racing family
Racing has been part of the Bates family's life since 1981, when Mel began helping his friend Hal Russell with his races. After two years with Russell, Mel decided that if Russell could race, he could race.
Mel raced with some success for 15 years before deciding to quit when B.J. was 2. He worried about a serious injury and did not want to take that risk once he became a father.
The reprieve from the track was temporary. After all, racing is part of Cindi Bates' side of the family, too. She has attended races for years, going back to when Mel raced, and it was her mother who introduced her son to his future love.
When B.J. was 6, his maternal grandmother, Jean Mumm, took him to the track for the first time, allowing him to meet the drivers. Soon after, B.J. decided he wanted to get into racing.
A decade later, B.J. remembered being impressed with the excitement of racing and how friendly the drivers were.
"When I was little, I remember getting to meet Steve Kinser and other guys who had an impact on me," B.J. said. "To see how nice and laidback they were, it makes you want to take the time when people come up to you and stop and talk to them.
"It's a great feeling when you have a little kid come up with a Sharpie and say, ‘Can you sign this for me?' It makes you feel good, because you could have an impact."
Grand entrance
Although his mindset isn't much different, his racing and his goals have changed. Back then, he wanted to win the Rock Island Grand Prix, the first go-kart race he attended.
"I thought it was the coolest thing ever to see the karts go so fast," B.J. said. "When I got older, I always looked up to the people doing it and wanted to be one of them. The group of people who had the same motor were always competitive at the Rock Island Grand Prix, so I wanted to be like them and have my name on the list of winning the Rock Island Grand Prix."
B.J. first entered the Grand Prix at age 12, but his goal proved unattainable. In three tries, mishaps with his car cost him a chance to win, with his best finish being fifth. After his third attempt, he learned he would no longer have the chance to win the event because the Grand Prix would no longer sponsor his age division. That was when he decided it was time to leave go-karts and take the next step in racing.
The switch meant a move from asphalt to dirt and getting used to a different kind of vehicle.
The next step
The family decided the next step was a Legend car, which looks like a vehicle from the 1930's, moves easily about the track and is powered by a motorcycle engine.
The low cost and potential for success made it the right choice - although it meant Bates had to quickly develop his skills behind the wheel.
"In a go-kart, there's not much steering and little movement," B.J. said. "In the Legend car, everything was happening a lot quicker. They're snappy, and they'll move around pretty fast."
On his first night in a Legend car, B.J. got in a wreck. But as the year progressed and he got more experienced, he gained better control of the vehicle and became very competitive on most nights.
A year later, the Bates family had a new goal of winning the world title in the Young Lions division of Legends Racing. That required Bates to finish first in points over a 20-race span, which meant family trips across Iowa and Wisconsin to find races that would count.
It was a sacrifice the family was willing to make. Mel decided at the beginning of the season that the goal was realistic, so as long as B.J. wanted to pursue the goal, he and Cindi were glad to do whatever it took to make it happen.
Several times, the family made a pilgrimage north to Wisconsin to find a dirt track where B.J. could earn points, usually arriving home at 3 a.m. At meals the next day, Mel would dissect the race with B.J., focusing on what could be improved the next time he got behind the wheel.
"He gets a little irate with me if I tell him he was wrong (immediately after the race)," Mel said. "We usually work it out. Near the end (of the year), he was getting to where he was doing everything right."
The work and study sessions paid off. B.J. admitted that he didn't begin to believe it was possible until he had enough races under his belt to qualify for the world title, but once he did, he attacked his goal with even more determination. He achieved so much success that when the national championship race took place in Springfield, Mo., his closest competitor for the world title didn't show because B.J. already had locked up the title.
The goal he and his family spent two years working toward was his.
"We did whatever it took to win," B.J. said. "We were determined to do it and tried to get as many dirt points as I could.
"It was a lot of work, and when the day finally came and I finally did it, it was a sigh of relief. It was nice."
Strong support
B.J. won't be defending his title this year, instead choosing to step up another series to late model racing. Late models are bigger cars raced by some of the top drivers, and the jump has the family hoping that B.J. can stay competitive as he gets experience facing better drivers in a different car.
If the past is any indication, it shouldn't take long for B.J. to feel at home.
Trophies and ribbons of multiple sizes and colors adorn the family's trophy room, filling all four walls. A few are from Mel's racing days, but most have B.J.'s name on them.
Father and son don't even joke about who's the best racer in the family is. Mel admits it's not a contest.
"He's had a lot more success than I had," Mel said. "I blame that on me, because I get his cars better. But he's said he can't do it without me and I can't do it without him."
Racing has become something B.J. wouldn't trade for anything because of the impact it has had on his life and the support he receives from the community.
He freely admits that racing has made him a better person because it forced him to develop a good work ethic, a trait that shows up in his studies at North Scott, where he is an honor student.
Beyond that, the community has been very supportive, with some of his friends going as far to head out to some of the local races.
That has made a huge difference to B.J. and made his experience something he can treasure without it running every aspect of his life.
"Everybody knows that I race, and everybody knows that on Friday and Saturday, that's what I'm going to be doing," he said. "Everybody is pretty understanding and pretty flexible. I love that people are so understanding, because if they weren't, all I would do is race and I wouldn't do anything else."
At age 8, the North Scott junior finally was allowed to enter a go-kart race after practicing for two years.
However, he never had faced other drivers and was scared at the prospect. His father, Mel, anticipated that and asked Cindi to be in the pits as a calming influence.
Things didn't work out that way.
"I yelled at him, ‘Barry, you will get in this kart!'" Cindi Bates recalled with a laugh. "I did all the screaming."
B.J. did get in the kart and came out yelling that it was the most fun he ever had. Eight years and a world championship later, his opinion hasn't changed.
"I love it," B.J. said. "I wouldn't change a thing. I love growing up with racing and I love working on the cars. I've always worked on things with Dad, and it's brought us a lot closer as a family. It's a nice bonding time for us to share our stories."
Racing family
Racing has been part of the Bates family's life since 1981, when Mel began helping his friend Hal Russell with his races. After two years with Russell, Mel decided that if Russell could race, he could race.
Mel raced with some success for 15 years before deciding to quit when B.J. was 2. He worried about a serious injury and did not want to take that risk once he became a father.
The reprieve from the track was temporary. After all, racing is part of Cindi Bates' side of the family, too. She has attended races for years, going back to when Mel raced, and it was her mother who introduced her son to his future love.
When B.J. was 6, his maternal grandmother, Jean Mumm, took him to the track for the first time, allowing him to meet the drivers. Soon after, B.J. decided he wanted to get into racing.
A decade later, B.J. remembered being impressed with the excitement of racing and how friendly the drivers were.
"When I was little, I remember getting to meet Steve Kinser and other guys who had an impact on me," B.J. said. "To see how nice and laidback they were, it makes you want to take the time when people come up to you and stop and talk to them.
"It's a great feeling when you have a little kid come up with a Sharpie and say, ‘Can you sign this for me?' It makes you feel good, because you could have an impact."
Grand entrance
Although his mindset isn't much different, his racing and his goals have changed. Back then, he wanted to win the Rock Island Grand Prix, the first go-kart race he attended.
"I thought it was the coolest thing ever to see the karts go so fast," B.J. said. "When I got older, I always looked up to the people doing it and wanted to be one of them. The group of people who had the same motor were always competitive at the Rock Island Grand Prix, so I wanted to be like them and have my name on the list of winning the Rock Island Grand Prix."
B.J. first entered the Grand Prix at age 12, but his goal proved unattainable. In three tries, mishaps with his car cost him a chance to win, with his best finish being fifth. After his third attempt, he learned he would no longer have the chance to win the event because the Grand Prix would no longer sponsor his age division. That was when he decided it was time to leave go-karts and take the next step in racing.
The switch meant a move from asphalt to dirt and getting used to a different kind of vehicle.
The next step
The family decided the next step was a Legend car, which looks like a vehicle from the 1930's, moves easily about the track and is powered by a motorcycle engine.
The low cost and potential for success made it the right choice - although it meant Bates had to quickly develop his skills behind the wheel.
"In a go-kart, there's not much steering and little movement," B.J. said. "In the Legend car, everything was happening a lot quicker. They're snappy, and they'll move around pretty fast."
On his first night in a Legend car, B.J. got in a wreck. But as the year progressed and he got more experienced, he gained better control of the vehicle and became very competitive on most nights.
A year later, the Bates family had a new goal of winning the world title in the Young Lions division of Legends Racing. That required Bates to finish first in points over a 20-race span, which meant family trips across Iowa and Wisconsin to find races that would count.
It was a sacrifice the family was willing to make. Mel decided at the beginning of the season that the goal was realistic, so as long as B.J. wanted to pursue the goal, he and Cindi were glad to do whatever it took to make it happen.
Several times, the family made a pilgrimage north to Wisconsin to find a dirt track where B.J. could earn points, usually arriving home at 3 a.m. At meals the next day, Mel would dissect the race with B.J., focusing on what could be improved the next time he got behind the wheel.
"He gets a little irate with me if I tell him he was wrong (immediately after the race)," Mel said. "We usually work it out. Near the end (of the year), he was getting to where he was doing everything right."
The work and study sessions paid off. B.J. admitted that he didn't begin to believe it was possible until he had enough races under his belt to qualify for the world title, but once he did, he attacked his goal with even more determination. He achieved so much success that when the national championship race took place in Springfield, Mo., his closest competitor for the world title didn't show because B.J. already had locked up the title.
The goal he and his family spent two years working toward was his.
"We did whatever it took to win," B.J. said. "We were determined to do it and tried to get as many dirt points as I could.
"It was a lot of work, and when the day finally came and I finally did it, it was a sigh of relief. It was nice."
Strong support
B.J. won't be defending his title this year, instead choosing to step up another series to late model racing. Late models are bigger cars raced by some of the top drivers, and the jump has the family hoping that B.J. can stay competitive as he gets experience facing better drivers in a different car.
If the past is any indication, it shouldn't take long for B.J. to feel at home.
Trophies and ribbons of multiple sizes and colors adorn the family's trophy room, filling all four walls. A few are from Mel's racing days, but most have B.J.'s name on them.
Father and son don't even joke about who's the best racer in the family is. Mel admits it's not a contest.
"He's had a lot more success than I had," Mel said. "I blame that on me, because I get his cars better. But he's said he can't do it without me and I can't do it without him."
Racing has become something B.J. wouldn't trade for anything because of the impact it has had on his life and the support he receives from the community.
He freely admits that racing has made him a better person because it forced him to develop a good work ethic, a trait that shows up in his studies at North Scott, where he is an honor student.
Beyond that, the community has been very supportive, with some of his friends going as far to head out to some of the local races.
That has made a huge difference to B.J. and made his experience something he can treasure without it running every aspect of his life.
"Everybody knows that I race, and everybody knows that on Friday and Saturday, that's what I'm going to be doing," he said. "Everybody is pretty understanding and pretty flexible. I love that people are so understanding, because if they weren't, all I would do is race and I wouldn't do anything else."
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