Trey Hess decided this season to race at a bunch of different racetracks to challenge himself behind the wheel. Those efforts are paying off.
The Grand Forks, N.D., driver is having the best season of his racing career, driving the No. 4 Wissota Street Stock. The 27-year-old has seven feature wins – most in a season in his eight-year career – and is fifth in the Wissota Street Stock national point standings as of July 20.
“This season has been quite a roller coaster,” Hess said. “I have been able to run at tracks I have never been to before and challenge myself as a driver. I have raced at 12 different tracks this summer and have learned as a driver I’ve got a lot to learn.”
Hess had quite a roller coaster last week alone. He had two DNFs the first two nights of the week but followed that up with feature wins at Greenbush Race Park on Saturday and Buffalo River Speedway near Glyndon on Sunday.
“It’s definitely had its ups and down. I’ve been breaking a lot of rear ends,” Hess said. “I’ve got some wins in there too.”
Hess, who works in construction, was pitting for his cousin Jaden Varnson years ago when he got the itch to get a car of his own.
“My cousin started, and I was pitting for him,” Hess said. “I figured if I was going to be at the races every weekend wrenching his car I might as well do it on my own.”
Hess started out in the Pure Stock class at Devils Lake Speedway, and he easily recalls his first career feature win.
“I got sent to the back, and drove from like 13th to the win,” Hess said.
He is in his sixth year in the Wissota Street Stocks. Since 2019, he’s recorded 20 feature wins in the class; 2020 was his previous best season with six feature wins and the track championship at Devils Lake. He’s right at home in the class.
“I think everybody is willing to lend a hand and offer suggestions and help,” Hess said of the street stocks. “You can go pretty much anywhere and have fun.”
Hess says he's thankful for the support of sponsors, family and friends in his racing endeavors.
Hess isn’t focused on where he finishes in the national points – his attitude if “it happens it happens.” But he is enjoying traveling around. He has feature wins at five different tracks this season – two at Greenbush, two at Devils Lake, and one each at Buffalo River, Sheyenne Speedway and River Cities Speedway.
“It’s been a lot of fun, going to a lot of tracks we haven’t been to,” Hess said. “Trying to get out and spread my wings a little bit and have fun.”
Driver Profile
Trey Hess
Wissota Street Stock #4
Residence: Grand Forks, N.D.
Age: 27
Sponsors: Walhalla Building Center, TH Renovations, Grand Forks Bin Cleaners, Northland Auctions, Max Pro Pest Control, Lakota Feed, Stengl’s Signature Travel, Signature Graphix, Solid Ink, Mellow Moods, Candy Hess Chalk Couture, Zeuli’s Race Engines, Wild Racing Shocks, Ryan Torbenson Racing, Boxcar, Neumann Trucking, CBD of East Grand Forks
Comments