Bill Pemberton
0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
Good fortune is smiling on Mustang owners as long time friend and owner of TrackGuys , Jeff Lacina , is the new Track Manager at MPH. I have known Jeff clear back into the early 90s when he would wander over to Omaha to autocross at what used to be the Aksarben Horse Racing Track parking lot. Working on the crew for Paul Brown , we occasionally saw each other at events and I was there helping with his new Instructors when he started TrackGuys in 2002. To say this guy has paid his dues is stating it lightly , as he was not only there when the HPDE events really got going ( thanks to companies like his that introduced newcomers to track time ) , but he won his Class during the running of " One Lap of America " in the last decade. Probably one of the coolest things he did was help revitalize Heartland Motorsports Park , getting it repaved ( it is the smoothest track in the Midwest ) and making improvements and though there was a parting of ways, his friends feel he got a raw deal. But like many in life his legacy is present there, with TrackGuys, assisting his good friend Paul Brown, One Lap, auto crossing, and basically having the non curable disease of Motormadness! I am super excited because Mister Mustang Lacina has been at almost all of the " Mustang Roundups " with his TrackGuys crew, helping instruct and assist with the logistics of the event. The huge plus is that he has been there with many other groups helping set up, run and teach new Trackrats how to have fun with their cars. I am just scratching the surface , but since I have known Jeff for close to 30 years I can honestly say there is unlikely to be a better candidate for the job of handling the Track in Hastings, America! I am stoked , because Jeff has one key ingredient for success in the Automotive Spectrum and that is passion. There are plenty of folks out there who likely appear strong, competent and qualified for this position, but Jeff adds all those items and then throws in a passion that honestly somewhat rules his life. It is a rule he gladly recognized, nurtured and built upon , because it was how his heart and brain functioned. If you have not signed up for the " Fast Ford and Mustang Roundup " at MPH ( race mph.com ) you really need to make the effort as I am confident Jeff will take a wonderful event to new heights. I honestly never thought anyone could measure up to the indomitable George Anderson ( aka Mr. Bacardi Bus Driver , ha ) , running the track , but Jeff is a worthy successor and George was somewhat of his Mentor when at MPH. George is excited too that Jeff is coming to the Heartland of Nebraska and I look for Hastings to grow even stronger in the coming decades.
Congrats Jeff Lacina, Mister " One Lap of America " winner -------in a Mustang . Sorry I don't remember the year he won it , but that is a title he will have forever.
Congrats Jeff Lacina, Mister " One Lap of America " winner -------in a Mustang . Sorry I don't remember the year he won it , but that is a title he will have forever.