Local Racer Steve Fox Will Start in Pocono ARCA 200
By Dino Oberto … "Keeping Track"

When the green flag falls on Saturday’s Pocono ARCA 200, there will be over 40 drivers vying for a shot at victory including former Indy 500 champions Sam Hornish, Jr., and Dario Franchitti.

Although there is a diverse field of stars entered from across the nation, local fans will have some cheering to do as 51-year old Steve Fox of Hazleton will be making his career first ARCA start.

Despite being a first timer, Fox can arguably be considered a driver who has logged more laps round the tricky triangle track than anyone else on the entry list. For the past 11-years he has been the general manager and lead instructor at the Stock Car Racing Experience, a driving school at Pocono. Each year from April to October he is motoring students around the raceway.

Fox will be driving for local team Fox Motorsports 3, owned by Darlene Fox and sponsored by Fox Reality in Tobyhanna and Tony Aquilinos' Universe Towing in the Bronx, New York.

He will have noted area Crew Chief Dom "Whiz" Turse of Hunlock Creek call all the shots from the sidelines. Also, Jason Arthofer of Bath, Don Holland, Jr., of Pen Argyl and Mike Fox from Tobyhanna will be serving as team members.

"We actually started talking about this at the first (ARCA) race last year and we thought that it might happen for the second race. It took my partner in this deal, Tony Aquilinos from Universe Autobody and Towing in the Bronx, to step up with the sponsorship and make this happen," said Fox, a veteran racer of 30-plus years.

"There are some other people who have helped out but he’s (Aquilinos) the guy and without him this wouldn’t have been possible."

Fox has been part of the local racing scene for three decades and has multitude of experience. He competed in AMA Moto Cross, was named street stock Rookie of the Year at Evergreen Raceway, drove a dirt modified at Big Diamond Raceway and has been running SCCA Formula Fords for the past five seasons. He even raced snowmobiles on the infield of Pocono in the late 1970’s.

"I’ve been lining up on starting lines for over thirty years and this is the biggest two days of my career coming up and I’m really looking forward to it," said Fox.

Driving around Pocono almost on a daily basis with the school, Fox always hoped for a chance to break that mold and perhaps race the track rather than instruct on it.

Thanks to the Pocono ARCA races, many of the region’s short track stars are able to muster up the funds to enter a car. With the affordability of ARCA when compared to NASCAR’s second and third tier classes, locals such as Fox get that chance.

"One of the things that I would want to stress is that all of my dealings with ARCA have been great. I don’t know of any organization that could be more professional in the way they deal with things. They’re every bit as professional as NASCAR in everything they do," he said.

Like most ARCA cars, Fox’s was once a NASCAR Sprint Cup car. Its origin began with Bill Davis Racing. It will be fitted with a Chevy Monte Carlo body and carry the number 29.

The biggest difference between his instructing classes and the race will be the climb in speed.

"When I’m driving around there with the school I’m always thinking about what you would do here or what would you do there under high speed race conditions," explained Fox.

"It’s a two-and-a-half mile race track but the faster you go the smaller it gets. I’m use to going into turn one at about 150mph and now I’ll be going in there at around 195mph."

He also realizes that wining would be a long shot. Instead he plans to just work the track as best he can. He’ll have to make the most of his lone practice session which will be on Friday morning.

"I like to think that I’m prepared for it but I’m going to approach it with a little bit of discretion and just kind of sneak up on it a little bit. My goal is to not do anything stupid and make it through the pit stops clean and just handle the speed.

"I’m looking at this in stages. I’m going to try and stay out of trouble for the first forty laps. I’m going to try and start getting into position over the next twenty laps and then if we’re in position over the final twenty laps then we’ll try and turn the wick up a little bit and see what we can do," he continued.

"Pocono’s a tricky place. I know I’m not going to be with some of those top ten guys. They’ve been running almost every week since Daytona. They know their cars, they know their equipment. I’m going to be somewhere in the middle, I know that and hopefully I’m towards the front of the middle.

"We need to get into a rhythm and if the yellows come our way and hopefully we’re not in them or causing any of them, then we should be fine."

For Fox, his drive to the track is a mere 30 miles from home and he is looking upon this as great opportunity to not just race before a national television audience, but also in front of what should no doubt be a partisan crowd.

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for someone like myself. If I can do a top twenty finish and be on the lead lap, I’d be thrilled," he said.

"It sounds kind of surreal. There are mornings I show up early and I’m the only one on the grounds. Literally it’s just myself and two or three maintenance guys. The place is quite and empty and so many times I just walked around it and closed my eyes and thought about the day that the place would be filled with people and I’d be able to take the green flag and just really kick and see what I can do."

Practice is scheduled for Friday, beginning at 10:15 am, with pole qualifying slated for 1:45 pm. The Pocono 200 goes green Saturday afternoon at 1:00 pm and will be televised same-day on SPEED at 10 pm eastern.