Getting to know...the DeYoungs

By: RacerRich

The DeYoungs are a racing family from Demotte, IN and they race mainly at the Shadyhill Speedway, in Medaryville. Brad was the first of the family to start racing and then his Dad Calvin decided to start his racing career at nearly the age most drivers would be hanging up their helmet. Finally a couple years later Kevin joined the fun. Also in this story we’ll talk about the sister from the family, Kelly, and her husband Rex Kepner as well as Craig Mackall, who also race out of this DeYoung shop. One very interesting note about all the drivers from this race shop is that all have won a Track Championship during their careers. I believe this tells something about the quality drivers that come from this racing family and also the quality racecars that come from their shop.

They all race together as a family. They all work together to make their cars as competitive as they can make them. They all say they share in each others success.

The DeYoung’s are quick to point out the valuable help they receive from Craig Mackall, John Tyler and Mike Systma. Their race cars are sponsored by Cam Specialties, Tyler Welding, J&H Tire, Snyder Auto, Body Art - Hebron Paint, and Knapp Tire.

Brad DeYoung

Brad was born on the first day of February 1973 in Valparaiso, Indiana. He and his wife of two years, Carmen, and two children, Cody and Taylor, now live in their new home in the surrounding area of Demotte. Brad drives a ready mix truck for a living. His two favorite sports are racing and hunting. A couple of his favorite NASCAR drivers are Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart. His goal is to eventually race in the UMP Modified Division.

Brad tells that when he started racing, he didn't want his Mother, Vicki, to know about it. He now says that sometimes she won't go to the track if she knows he is not racing that night. He started his racing career in 1994 when he bought an old Toyota Mini Stock and ran a few races at the end of the year. Through the winter months he built a Mustang Mini Stock and raced it during the 1995 season mainly at the Shadyhill Speedway. This first year he won six Features and finished 2nd in points in this division. All this took place after he sat out five weeks following the breakup with his girl friend.

Now he was starting to really get hooked on racing and he decided to move up to the Bomber Class of Street Stocks. For the 1996 season he bought an existing car from Dan Henning for $1650 and later got an engine from him for another $700. He painted the car and put some tires on it and was ready for the new challenge. However this was a year to forget as it was filled with a lot of bad luck. He tells about his second time out, they were going to Kokomo and he dropped off the edge of the road with the tow car and flipped the whole rig into the ditch, including the trailer and racecar. He says he finished about 13th in points and had very few wins. Overall, this was a very disappointing season for Brad.

The racing in this class in 1996 and 1997 was very competitive. With lots of good cars in the class it was hard to make it to the Features each week. Brad was up to the challenge and in 1997 with a lot of consistently good finishes, he ended the year 3rd in points.

1998 would prove to be an even better year for Brad. While Al Estrada was winning his second consecutive Championship in this class, he and Brad were winning nearly all the Features for the year. Some memorable wins for Brad this year was a Consy Race starting from the last row. He also snared three Trophy Dashes, three Heats and six Feature wins including three extended lap Features of 40, 50 and 75 laps. For the year he ended up 2nd in points and he looked to 1999 with lots of confidence.

Throughout the years, Brad has continued to race the same car, and still does today. Each year they update it to conform to the rule changes. His #7 comes from his baseball playing days as he wore that number in Little League. His original colors for his car were purple and yellow but when he got some free paint one year, he changed to his familiar black and yellow.

When the '99 season started, Brad was in great spirits after finishing 3rd and 2nd in points the previous two years. He had his sites set on a Championship. Being very consistent once again, and having a seventh place Feature finish as his worst of the year, Brad was crowned the 1999 Shadyhill Street Stock Champion. Along the way he won nine Heats and two Features. Another big highlight for this year was going to Kokomo and winning the 'Clash for Cash'. This turned out to be Brad's biggest payday in racing. He won $1975, a lot of contingency prizes and a BIG trophy. To this date, this would have to be Brad's career year in racing.

Brad had another good consistent year in 2000 and finished the year third in points. After the new rules were put in place for 2001 making this the Super Street Division, Brad updated his same car and continued to win races and finished 3rd in points after missing six weeks of the racing season. For the 2002 season he finished 5th in points after missing a few weeks while making some other major changes to his #7. Brad continues to win races with his original chassis, after making the modifications needed to be competitive, while many other drivers have built new cars specifically for this new division.

Brad tells with a smile that when he first met Carmen and she started going to the races with him, he had very poor luck finishing races. But when they had Cody with them, he would win the feature most every night. Even with this luck, he says Carmen doesn’t get enough credit for her support and he really appreciates what she has meant to his racing career. He also wants to thank her sister Cindy and the rest of Carmen’s family for their support. And like most drivers, Brad really appreciates all of his race fans and he thanks all of you for your support.

As the cost of racing continues to spiral, Brad continues to be competitive by using his knowledge and ingenuity. In 2003 the Super Street Division would be dominated by the DeYoung brothers, with Brad finishing second in points behind his older brother Kevin. Again in 2004 Brad would have a very consistent and winning season while finishing second in points. He would also be selected by his peers as a candidate for 'Sportsman of the Year' at Shadyhill Speedway. While he was not chosen as the winner he is very pleased to be recognized for this honor.

For the 2005 race season his car got a new look but he was still using his original chassis, just dressing it up with an after market body. This would become a magical year for Brad and he would be crowned the Shadyhill Super Street Champion. While Brad consistently finishes in the top five in points throughout his career, this would be his second season championship. Again this year he was nominated by his peers as a candidate for 'Sportsman of the Year' but again he did not win the award. For Brad, just being nominated two consecutive years for this very special award is a great honor.

Also in 2005 Brad drove an I-MOD for Jeff Corning and with his consistent finishes he finished second in the I-MOD points as well as the Shadyhill I-MOD points. At the third annual I-MOD Banquet he was awarded a 'Perfect Attendance' Plaque as well as the annual 'Hard Charger' Plaque. He also became the first recipient of 'The Craig Mackall Attitude' award. With Craig and Brad being very close friends throughout Craig's short racing life, Brad was the perfect choice for this honor.

During the off season between 2005 and 2006 Brad has sold his Super Street and will be driving his UMP Modified he bought and raced a few times last year. His ten year old 'Pride & Joy' is with a new owner but his racing enthusiasm is still in high gear. He is looking forward to the new challenge of competing with the Modified racers at Shadyhill as well as going to other tracks when the opportunity presents itself. Racing in this division will complete his original racing goal of competing with the UMP Modifieds. When Jeff decided to sell Brad’s I-MOD ride during this off season, this opened the door for Brad to take over the driving duties of the #24 R & D Racing I-MOD.

With the double duty racing each night and keeping two cars ready to race, this will keep Brad very busy again in 2006. Brad continues to appreciate the support that he receives from all of his family and friends. He also wants to recognize the help that he gets from John Tyler, Mike Systma and the Corning brothers, Kenny, Dan and Jeff. With the new racing season about to begin things are in place for another exciting season of racing for Brad DeYoung, his family and his friends.

Author’s Note: This story was originally wrote after the 2002 race season and has been updated in the spring of 2006.

Calvin DeYoung

When Calvin was a teenager he went to the races at the old Rensselaer Speedway and while he liked the racing, he never had any desire to do it himself. In 1995 he raced Brad's car in a mechanics race and this got him interested in driving. He bought an existing Mini Stock and raced it a couple of weeks at the end of the season. During the off season they fixed it up and he became a full time driver in 1996. He'll tell you with a smile that he spun out a lot that first year. But, as with any learning experience, he got better and won some Heat races and finished 10th in points. For the 1997 season they built the car he still races today. He finished 7th in points, again winning some Heat races but still no Feature wins.

Calvin was born on December 10, 1946 and married Vicki on June 11, 1965. He tells that Vicki has always been very supportive of his racing. When I asked if she ever raced, the answer was 'in a Powder Puff, but only once'. The racing is really a Family Affair and something they all enjoy very much.

As Calvin continued to get more seat time, he became a much better driver. In 1998 he finished 5th in points. With a big grin on his face, he tells about leading a Heat race and pulling off the track one lap early. Then he says 'it's all for the fun of it'. And this writer knows that Calvin isn't the only driver to have done this trick!!

Another highlight happened in 1999 when he got upside down twice during the season. The first time it happened in a Heat race. The track wrecker crew got him upright, the car looked OK so he continued racing and won the race!! The other time he barrel rolled the car twice in a Heat race. This time they had to take the car back to the pits where the crew made the necessary repairs and had him ready to race in the Feature and he went out and won it. With all this happening, Al Estrada nicknamed him 'Flip'!! This name has stuck with him and the next year this name was painted on the trunk lid of his #7 Mini Stock. Overall this year was a very successful one for him as he finished 2nd in points behind Craig Mackall.

In 2000, Calvin put together a very consistent year and won his first ever Shadyhill Mini Stock Championship. To do this he says ‘you need a lot of seat time and you must pay your dues’. And since Calvin isn’t a mechanical type guy, he gives the shop crew a lot of credit for his success.

In 2001 he was in a very close points battle up to the end of the year. While he and Nick Allen both had motor problems, he loaned a backup motor to Nick to finish the year with and Nick got enough points to narrowly win the Track Championship over Calvin. This shows the true racing spirit of Calvin and the whole racing shop.

Aside from racing, his other favorite sport is hunting. He loves to hunt with coon hounds in competition hunts. He follows NASCAR racing some and his favorite drivers have been the Earnhardt's. He races mainly for the fun of it and has no desire to move up to another class as he's having too much fun in the Mini Stocks. Calvin makes his living from being a farmer.

Again in 2002 Calvin was in a close points battle, however this year, he came out on top to win his second Mini Stock Track Championship. Like fine wine, Calvin seems to get better with age!!

Kevin DeYoung

While Kevin is the older brother, he didn't start racing until 1999. He was born in Valparaiso, In. on October 14, 1968. He is married to Kelly and they have three children, Teague, Hunter and Beau. Kevin owns and runs his own business, DeYoung’s Nursery.

In 1999 he raced in the Street Stock Class finishing 11th in points at Shadyhill and raced some weeks at the Kankakee Speedway in Illinois. While he won some Heat races and Trophy Dashes, he jokingly tells about leading seven Features during the year, only to screw up and not win any of them. In fact, he had a big lead in one Feature at Kankakee until the last lap, only to spin out and mess up his first win again. The biggest things he had to learn about racing for him was getting comfortable with the car, losing the feeling that he would spin in every corner and getting over the last lap fear!

In 2000 he raced in the Street Stocks at Shadyhill, Bunker Hill, Kokomo, Crown Point and Kankakee, in order to get as much seat time as he could.

He finished 5th in points at Shadyhill and 9th at Kankakee. Again he won some Heat races and Trophy Dashes, and finally near the end of the year he won his first Feature at Kankakee. Then the track didn’t give him a trophy for his win so he was very disgusted with them for that! Another highlight from this year was racing in the ‘Clash for Cash’ at the Kokomo Speedway. He won his Heat race (Brad finished 2nd) to make it to the money race. He was running in 3rd place when he popped a tire and had to watch from the infield as Brad won the big money.

In 2001, after the track management made major rule changes to the Street Stock Class, Kevin decided to race in the Pure Street Class. With the shop building a very good car and Kevin having more driving experience, he had a career type year for himself. He won seventeen Features and numerous other races at Shadyhill, Bunker Hill and Kokomo. He finished 1st in points which made him the Shadyhill Pure Street Track Champion. He had such a dominating type year that he had the points race clinched with six weeks to go in the season. He also tells about a lot of talk on the message boards about him going to Bunker Hill for some competition. He decided to take their challenge, went down there and ‘smoked them’ he says with a grin!

Another memorable night at Bunker Hill, this writer accompanied Kevin to the track. After breaking an axle during the hot lap session, we were busy replacing the axle. Kevin was under the car while it was propped up with only wooden blocks. While Al Estrada shook the car getting the old axle out, the car tipped off the blocks, pinning Kevin under the car. With help from neighboring pit guys, we lifted the car off Kevin and drug him out from under it. He was taken to the hospital by the track ambulance. Although he was treated for cracked ribs and a concussion, he was back at the track before the races ended that night. This was a very scary night and one that many of us learned a good lesson from.

Like his Dad and Brother, Kevin loves to hunt and trap animals. He is very accurate with a bow & arrow as well as with guns. He has made trips to other states as well as Canada to hunt various animals. In the office section of his nursery building, he has many stuffed animals as well as mounted heads on the walls. Here you will find deer, elk, bear, alligators, armadillo, mink, possum, turkey, squirrel, fox, mountain lion, bob cat, coyote, duck, geese, quail, pheasant, water buffalo and moose, zebra and some other foreign animals I won’t attempt to name. It is a sight really worth looking at!! Kevin invites anyone to visit and look at his menagerie.

Kevin was also very active in High School sports of wrestling and cross country. He was a four year letterman in these sports and finished in the top ten in the state all four years. He won AAU and finished 2nd one year in the National Jr. Olympics.

His choice of car #13 is because he feels that he’s against the odds type of person. His paint scheme is from Tom Cruise’s ‘Days of Thunder’ car. When they built his 2002 Super Street car, they changed the pattern of colors a little because his daughter wanted orange numbers. The ‘Wildly Coyote’ tail and letters on his car are because of the cartoon character and because he likes to hunt coyotes. Plus he says ‘he was sorta wild’ in his younger days!! He likes NASCAR racing and his favorite driver is Bobby Labonte.

Kevin really appreciates the support of his racing that Kelly and his kids give him. He also wants to thank all of his fans for their support. And also, his sponsors: Tri Masonry, Tyler Welding, Cam Specialties, Snyder Auto, DeYoung Nursery, Gentleman Tom’s Hideaway and Village Motors. He also needs to thank Craig Mackall, John Tyler, Mike Systma and his family members for all the help they give him building and maintaining his cars.

For the 2002 season, they built a Camaro Super Street and he had a very good year, finishing 3rd in points. He’ll tell you that by far, it is the fastest race car he’s ever driven. At the awards banquet at the end of the year, Kevin was awarded the ‘Best Looking Car’ plaque for the Super Street Division. And he says that it is very tough racing against his brother and brother-in-law in the same division. But in his next breath he says he probably wouldn’t race at all if it wasn’t for his other family members doing it. He stresses that it is a group deal, when one does good, it is rewarding to all. And he really likes racing because he meets so many fine people. He enjoys helping fellow racers with their cars. His one big goal has been to earn the respect of his fellow drivers and his goal for 2003 is to be the Track Champion in the Super Streets.

Rex & Kelly Kepner

Kelly is a sister to Brad and Kevin. She could probably be called 'The Queen of Powder Puff Racing' at Shadyhill since she has won so many of these races. Another thing she has done very well for a number of years is the singing of our National Anthem at Shadyhill. She is married to Rex Kepner, the 'Racing Judge' from Benton County. It's true, his occupation is a Circuit Court Judge. They have three children who are active in ball playing and go-kart racing. Because of this, Rex does a lot of coaching and supporting his kids with their activities, thus giving up his racing on many occasions.

It all started for Rex when he and his family accompanied Calvin and Vicki and other family members to watch Brad race. At this time, Brad was the only family member that raced. They started going on a regular basis and one night Brad asked Rex if he wanted to drive his Mini Stock in a heat race. Rex jumped at the opportunity and after starting near the back of the pack, he won the race, to everyone's surprise. He says grinning 'what a rush that was', racing a car and winning! This hooked Rex on racing! So he bought Brad's Mini Stock and raced a small part of the '96 season.

He started racing full time in 1997, even though he missed eight weeks of the season due to his coaching duties for his sons. He tells how much fun it was to race against Calvin and Craig Mackall. And he won the Mini Stock Track Championship by a little over 100 points. Not bad for a first year racer!

At the end of that season he decided he wanted to be in a more competitive division, so he bought an existing Street Stock and after making many changes to it, he was ready for the 1998 season. He has continued to race in the Street Stocks and then to what is now the Super Street Class. Each year he has finished between 5th and 11th in points and he wins some races. All this while continuing to miss eight to ten nights for his kids activities.

Rex is the first to admit that he isn't a hands on driver and gives much credit to all the guys in the shop for his success. He wants to thank all of them for making his racing fun and successful! Due to so many commitments with his kids, Rex is looking to sell out and end his racing career. Anyone wanting to buy a good Super Street should give him a call or contact one of the DeYoung's. Rex also wants to thank the racing fans for being supportive of his racing.

Craig Mackall

Craig was born on July 1, 1967 and is married to Dacia and they have four children. While he has been an active driver since 1996, he is also the main engine builder for the DeYoung race shop and for many other race teams as well. He really enjoys working on all of the DeYoung's racecars and loves driving and the competition of the sport. Craig and Brad were very instrumental in helping Aldo Estrada with his Barefoot Mini-Stock throughout the 2002 season, for his first year of racing. He was also named the Tech Inspector for the MMA Modified Division in 2002.

In 1997 and 1998 he was in the points contention for the Mini-Stock Division. Then in 1999 he put together a very good year with about nine Feature wins and was crowned the Shadyhill Mini-Stock Champion. He only raced a few weeks in 2000 and then running more often in 2001 he finished 5th in points. Again in 2002, he only raced a couple of nights. He says he was too busy keeping the other DeYoung cars on the track. Craig is pictured here following his victory when he drove Kevin's Super Street and won the Mechanic's Race in 2002. Craig is currently experiencing some health problems and everything is up in the air as to what he’ll be able to do when the 2003 racing season comes around. I hope everyone will include Craig in their daily prayers!! Get well soon, my friend!!