Thu, 12 Jun 2003, 10:59 PM Now Starting at Super Gas!!

By Bob Frey Photo copyright 2003 Auto Imagery, Inc.

Dustin Richardson is a big guy. “I’m about 6’6”, and 300 pounds,” said Dustin. He’s also the reigning Division 3 Super Street champion and one of the rising stars in the world of sportsman racing. And when you were an all-state football player in Ohio, pursuing a career in drag racing is kind of an interesting choice. “I love what I’m doing and I’ve always wanted to race,” he said.

Leo and Dustin in Winner's Circle

Dustin’s love of racing had to come from mom and dad. Paul and Rose Richardson both race and they’ve both been as far as the semi-finals at the biggest race of the year, the MAC Tools U.S. Nationals. “They got the car that I’m driving nineteen years ago,” said the nineteen year old Dustin, “and they’ve both taken turns driving it.” Ironically, neither of them has been as successful as their youngest son who won his first race the night after playing a football game last year. “Our team was playing Culver Military on Friday night of the Chicago race last year and I made a time run, went to the game, won the game and came back to race the next day.”  He not only raced, but he went to the final round in the Jeg’s All Star race and then beat Frank Luckey for the national event win on Sunday. “It was a pretty good weekend,” Dustin said. Now there’s an understatement.

When you’re as big as Dustin Richardson is, and when you’ve earned all-state honors for your prowess on the football field, the obvious next step for you would seem to be on a college campus and a college football field, but Dustin has decided that he wants to pursue a career in drag racing. “I had a couple of scholarship offers but this is what I want to do. For my high school graduation my brother gave me his car so I could get my Super Comp license. That’s the coolest present I could have gotten.” His brother, Bryan, currently races in the 8.90 class but he didn’t have enough grade points to run at Columbus. Mom does, though, and she’ll try to win her first national event this weekend, and when I asked Dustin who he would like to see win if only he or his mom could win at the Pontiac Excitement Nationals he didn’t hesitate and he said, “Me. I love winning.” Kids!! 

Even though he isn’t going to college for sports, Dustin is attending college to get a business degree and he hopes to put that knowledge to work at the family business, a Citgo station and convenience store in New Haven, Indiana. But in the long run he would like to be a professional racer.  “If I played football I’d have to go through a week of hell to have an hour of fun on the weekend. This way I can have fun much more often,” he said with a grin. Plus no one is trying to knock you down or beat you up at the drag races. Well, not literally, anyway. Actually, Dustin would like to move up the food chain and eventually race in the Pro Stock class. “That’s a real dream of mine,” he said. “Actually, I’m jealous of David Connolly right now.” In mentioning David Connolly Dustin was talking about another young Ohio native, a 20 year old kid who shocked everyone when he qualified at Chicago in his first appearance in Pro Stock two weeks ago. “I’ve known David for a while and believe me; he’s hit the mother lode.” Indeed he did, but Dustin isn’t doing too badly, either. “I’m very blessed, very lucky and I’m happy doing what I’m doing,” he said.

Richardson launches hard.

Dustin’s car is a 1987 Oldsmobile Firenza that has a 540 cubic inch big bock Chevrolet engine. It’s not the best car for a Super Street entry, but it gets the job done. Or Dustin does. A win in Chicago, a Divisional title in Bowling Green and a win at the Division 1 race in Maple Grove last year all helped him put the number “31” on the car this year, a number that indicates that he was the number one Super Street racer in Division 3 last year.  “That’s another reason why I want to move up in class, because “31” is the lowest number I can get if I stay in Super Street. Plus, if I move up, I can race against the Coughlin’s and all the big names in the other classes.” Not many guys actually look forward to racing the Coughlin’s, but then not many guys are 6’6 and have a tongue ring and two tattoos, either. Kids!!

At nineteen years old you have a certain perspective on life, and Dustin’s is really interesting. “I figured that I can play football all my life, but I’m in the prime of my drag racing life right now so I have to go for it,” he said with a smile. Say what? Even though he was only kidding, Dustin is very serious about his future. He’d like to get a sponsor to help finance his racing ventures right now and then he’d like to move up to the 9.90 Super Gas class and then, eventually, go into Pro Stock. “I’ve always loved Pro Stock and that’s a real dream of mine. If someone came up and offered me a ride in a Top Fuel car I’d say no, but I’d do whatever I had to do to get in Pro Stock.” I was going to ask Dustin if he is was afraid of driving a Top Fuel car and then I took another look at him and decided against it. It might have had something to do with that dragon-eye tattoo of his that seemed to be looking right at me.

Winning the Super Street title in Division 3 means that you have to go around, over or through “Mr. Super Street,” Rudy Matthews. When I asked Dustin about his relationship with Rudy he said, “He gets mad when I beat him.”  Then he smiled and added, “No, actually he’s taught me a lot.” One of the things that Rudy didn’t teach Dustin was how to relax when he’s racing. “I always get nervous before I run. If I’m not nervous I know I’m going to mess up.” When I asked him if he was nervous when he got his tongue pierced or when he got those two tattoos he just laughed and said, “Why should that make me nervous?” Gee, Dustin, I don’t know.

Dustin Richardson is a young man, a big young man, who certainly seems to have a bright future. He’s made a decision on where he wants to go, knows how to get there and has set out in the right direction. Now, if we cold just find a Pro Stock team who’s looking for a 6’6”, 300 pound driver we’d be all set.