Andy Pake doesn’t have to look far to find advice on driving a sprint car.
His father, Brad, won 27 NOSA Sprint features in a career that spanned from 1995-2004. He was a multi-time winner of the Wissota 100 and won track championships at Red River Valley Speedway and River Cities Speedway.
Andy, 20, is in his second year of driving an IMCA RaceSaver Sprint car in the Red River Valley and already has four feature wins -- and isn't even halfway through the 2023 campaign. He also farms with his dad near Felton, Minn.
“It helps a lot, him learning how to drive,” Pake said. “We’re still learning on the wrenching part. With him knowing how and where to drive the car, it helps a lot with me learning.”
Andy Pake not only followed his dad into sprint car racing, but also did so racing snocross, where he has had his share of success. Andy Pake was a Sports Class champion and has won a couple of Pro Lite Races.
“My dad raced those too, I learned a lot from him,” Pake said.
On the dirt track, Pake hopped into an IMCA Sprint last season and made an immediate impact. He had three wins in 2022 as a rookie and eight top five finishes in 18 starts. He is in second in the Superior Customs Red River Sprint Series, trailing points leader Tye Wilke by four points.
“I didn’t race any cars before, but I grew up racing snocross and motocross,” Pake said. “That helps a little bit. I’m still learning in the car racing world. I’m having a lot of fun driving them.”
This year, he has one win and top fives in 16 starts, racing at Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, Norman County Raceway in Ada and at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D.
“It’s a fun class. The cars are pretty even,” Pake said. “It’s pretty competitive.”
And while the allure of maybe hopping quickly into a 410 sprint is prevalent for many younger drivers, Pake is focused on getting seat time in the IMCA Sprints. That doesn’t mean it isn’t an eventual goal.
“As of now, keep racing the 305s around here and Huset’s and support the local tracks,” Pake said. “In the future, if I get a chance to drive a bigger car, I’ll take it. If you step up a class, it’s another level up and it costs more. This is a good class to start in.”
There are vast differences between racing a sprint car and snocross – one is on dirt, the other is on snow, for starters – but there are similarities in terms of how Pake approaches the racing.
“Mentally, it’s similar. You’ve got to be focused the whole time,” Pake said. “They are both sprint kind of racing, they aren’t super long type of racing. You have to be 100 percent the whole race with no mistakes.”
He’s looking to continue to build on his early success in the IMCA RaceSaver Sprints during the rest of 2023.
“I’m hoping to get a few more wins and try not to wreck stuff,” Pake said. “And go fast and have fun.”
Driver Profile
Andy Pake
IMCA RaceSaver Sprint #64
Age: 20
Residence: Felton, Minn.
Sponsor: Custom Stripes, TDS Trucking (Fertile, Minn.)
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