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The smile on Danielle Dobczyk’s face couldn’t have been wider.
Her victory in the 25-lap pure stocks feature on July 7 at Grundy County Speedway was her third of the season. It was a well-earned one, as she held off a fierce challenge at the finish from two-time track champion Dan Schmeissing.
But even more exciting for the Minooka resident is, at the halfway point of the season, she’s the division points leader by a 642-636 margin over Zach Legner.
“I’m not trying to think about it too much,” Dobczyk said. “I’ve been there before, and it hasn’t turned out in my favor.
“Winning a division title has been a main goal for a while now. It has taken me a little while, but I hope by now I have proven myself. The next step would be a championship.”
Dobczyk, 28, is in her 11th season of racing. The past two, she has finished third in points.
She’s at the front of the pure stocks pack after one of the craziest months of her career.
It started on June 16, the night of double features in the Illinois State Championship.
Dobczyk entered the night as the division points leader. She won the first race and was running a solid second in the finale.
With the white flag flying, she was hit from behind and sent sideways down the front straightaway. She made a great save to avoid spinning and finished fourth, but it cost her the overall title.
Dobczyk, quite understandably, wasn’t happy.
“No, I was really mad at first,” Dobczyk said. “But my dad told me, ‘Some people will drive you like that. You don’t drive like that, but that doesn’t mean other people will take that into consideration.’”
Calm prevailed.
On June 30, the pure stocks were pulling out on the track when Dobczyk couldn’t convince her No. 17 it was time to go racing. It wouldn’t start. She left the car in her stall and went up the hill to watch the race.
The race had already begun when her father and crew summoned her from the fence.
“I couldn’t see what my dad was doing because the hood was up,” Dobczyk said. “All I know is he was banging on stuff, trying everything to get it started.”
He succeeded. Dobczyk entered the race with seven laps in the books.
“All I wanted to do was get one lap,” Dobczyk said about earning starting points. “Then I realized some people might break or break out, so I could maybe do better than dead last.”
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Dobczyk finished 16th out of the 19 cars. The points lead was gone, but by at least starting, she avoided a total free fall.
On July 7, Dobczyk started the night by finishing second in the fast heat. She ended it with a sterling run in the feature, leading the last several laps with Schmeissing tapping her back bumper.
Schmeissing appeared a smidgen faster. He could have hit her from behind and sent her sideways. But Schmeissing doesn’t race that way. Dobczyk won by 0.282 seconds.
It must be acknowledged that Schmeissing and Dobczyk pit next to each other and are good friends.
“You could call us the ‘OG’s’ of the class — the original gangsters,” Schmeissing said, laughing. “Danielle is looking really competitive this season. She always has been, but things are seemingly falling her way.
“Danielle is passionate about it. She never misses a week. She’s a clean and consistent driver. I don’t think she has ever put a bumper to anybody. She has a good following, and she’s a great role model.”
One filled with the confidence — and heart — of a champion.
