Goshen Racer Pursues Passion in Street Stock Division
Christopher Danielczuk is in the middle of his fourth full season of racing at Stafford Motor Speedway in the #94 Street Stock car for Rent-A-Racecar team. According to Wikipedia, production car racing, showroom stock racing, street stock, pure stock, touring and U-car racing are all categories of auto racing where unmodified production cars race each other, outright and also in classes. Cars usually have a protective roll cage and run race tires. Stafford Speedway is a half-mile paved oval track, running races in 5 different divisions in which drivers compete weekly for points.
Born and raised in Goshen, Christopher has always had a passion for cars, especially racing. He first began racing go karts at Oakland Valley Race Park in Cuddebackville, NY. Some time later he attended a grand opening at a car dealership where he won tickets for a NASCAR race in New Hampshire. The donor’s son raced in the Busch North Series. He had a race coming up at Stafford Speedway in Stafford Springs, CT and the family invited Christopher to watch. At the track, the weekly series cars were racing, and this is where Christopher met the Rent-A-Racecar team. Rent-A-Racecar introduces drivers with minimal experience to short track racing at an affordable cost.
Christopher believed this would be a great chance to step up from a go cart and race a real car, especially since there is no racing background needed. He rented a few times and started to get more involved with the team. He got the opportunity to drive the team car full-season and represent them. The first year was a learning curve with the car being adjusted to Christopher’s driving style. With consistent finishes in the top 10, he was invited back to race the next season.
Racing is an expensive undertaking at any level, with racing teams often relying heavily on corporate sponsors for support. Even in Street Stock, sponsors are always sought, whether contributing towards fuel costs, tires, or other team expenses. Prize money for this division does not cover expenses, with just $350 awarded to 1st place finishers, gradually decreasing to $40 for 24th place. Accordingly, for Christopher, racing is a personal passion. He also enjoys the fan interactions.
“One of my favorite things to do is walk through the grandstands and sign autographs for the kids at the track watching the races,” Danielczuk told The Goshen News. During the off season, Christopher and the team go through the equipment, refresh the motor, and replace the sheet metal body.
Races at Stafford Springs are held every Friday night from April through September. Gates open at 5:00 PM.
