Lake Odessa, MI – Last Friday night at I-96 Speedway was Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club (MARFC), fan night! It was a great night to honor racing fans with the NCRA Great Lakes Super Sprints and Lane Automotive MTS Traditional Sprints on hand.
Representatives from MARFC traditionally recognize a local racer that demonstrates good sportsmanship and has had some tough luck. MARFC could not have found a better candidate than David (DJ) Lamance, Jr from Delton, MI who drives the #18 winged sprint car.
In the last sprint car race of the season at I-96 Speedway on August 28, 2015, DJ wrecked hard into the wall on the front stretch. Totaling his car and breaking both of his knee caps.
It was a tough time for DJ, the fact that the future of his racing sprint cars was up in the air wasn’t the biggest worry he had. Not being able to work, taking care of his family and the long rehabilitation weighed heavy on him. DJ is a millwright by trade and works with Millwright Local 1102, but difficult to do when you can’t walk.
His love for his family was evident and was obviously his priority, but his passion and love of sprint cars was still burning inside! DJ’s bad luck was a blessing for the newly formed Great Lakes Super Sprints though.
With DJ being grounded at home and only leaving home for doctor’s appointments, it was a perfect fit for what GLSS needed in their infancy. DJ started doing research on the computer and making phone calls to help GLSS start building the information they needed to grow the series.
Doing research and talking on the phone didn’t quite fill the fire in DJ’s belly though. His desire to get back into a sprint car helped him thru the pain of rehab and the dark days when things didn’t look so good. As the pain subsided, and the winter wore on, DJ had his sights on getting in his car and running with GLSS in their inaugural season.
The 2016 season opened up and DJ had a car put together and ready to go. Always being hard on himself, he was a little discouraged with the number of races he made and the amount of seat time he had. The positive side was he was back to work, had another sprint car together and actually getting to do what he loves. He was also a very intrical part in helping GLSS get up and going!
This season DJ is back in the Blue and Orange #18 sprint car and getting more and more seat time! Never satisfied with how he’s doing, I don’t think DJ realizes how much he’s accomplished and done in the last 2 years while following his passion.
It was a beautiful evening Friday on the front stretch with part of DJ’s family on hand and representatives from his sponsor, Thornapple Credit Union, on hand. His “hard luck” grabbed people’s attention, but DJ’s sportsmanship, sense of community and dedication to his family was why he was honored in front of a packed grandstand of fans Friday night.
MARFC representatives on hand presented DJ with a helmet/uniform bag to acknowledge his sportsmanship. DJ told me after the race “I’d rather be awarded something for me winning than wrecking!” In my opinion, DJ was recognized for being a winner! Thank you to the Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club for everything your organization does to support local racing and congratulations to you David “DJ” Lamance, Jr on being recognized as one of our local winners.
- Barry Marlow on Aug 20, 2017
- Article Date: 8/20/2017 by Barry M. Marlow