Following a national United Midwest Promotion super stock championship in 2014, with 19 victories under his belt, Seymour’s Tyler Cain wasn’t sure if he would follow up his career season with as many races in 2015.
Despite an initial feeling of needing to slow down following the championship, Cain sped up in the following season.
Cain won 22 overall races in 2015, over half of his contests, and repeated as the DIRTcar UMP Sportsman national champion.
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On the season, Cain finished with 1,505 points to claim first over fellow Seymour resident Matt Boknecht (1,478) in the standings.
“In years past, we won 19 times, but we ran more,” Cain said. “We have a better idea of what’s going on now. We were spot-on every week. Everything was good.
“It’s pretty satisfying (to repeat). We weren’t planning on running for it again because it’s a lot of hard work. You have to race every week, and it takes a toll on you. I knew it would be hard since it took 19 feature wins last year.”
Aside from earning numerous track titles including his third at Brownstown Speedway, Cain also won seven of eight races at Bloomington Speedway to top the leader boards in points and claim a first-ever championship.
It was Cain’s second full season racing in Bloomington, coming off a second place finish in 2014.
He narrowly beat out Brownstown’s Jason Hehman 470-425 in point totals.
Cain also won the Mark Clark Memorial at Twin Cities Raceway Park in North Vernon.
“Outside of all the championships, we won the Mark Clark Memorial at Twin Cities Raceway park and that’s a big race for the super stock guys,” Cain said. “I’ve only ran it a handful of times, but there are a lot of great racers who have won that one.
Now, with a garage full of super stock trophies, Cain has decided to move up a division.
A couple of months ago, Cain sold his chassis super stock and began working on a late model.
“I’ve wanted to race a late model my whole life, since I started going to the racetrack,” Cain said. “I’m itching to get in one. It’s going to be a new venture. I just hope we can accomplish what I did in the super stock in (a late model). It’s going to be exciting.”
Cain went over to Springfield, Missouri, to buy the new car from Terry Phillips.
Looking ahead, Cain knows that he will face a learning curve in the division.
“The motors in the (late model) class are a little bit smaller than what I’m accustomed to running,” Cain said. “However, the car is 1,000 pounds lighter, and the suspension is more advanced. It has a lot more traction. There are a lot more ways you can screw yourself up.
“I’m going to be running in the crate (motor) class at Brownstown and the surrounding tracks. It will be a big learning curve, but I think we will be just fine.”
Since deciding to move classes, Cain has looked to a handful of local racers for advice.
“There are lots of drivers I’m buddies with around here,” Cain said. “Devin (Gilpin) also moved up to a late model, and I’ve been talking to him. Mark Barber, of North Vernon, is also a well-accomplished racer and has helped us. There are a lot of racers who are willing to help each other out.”
With the taste of first place still lingering, Cain plans on putting 2015 in the rear-view mirror and make a statement in the late models.
“I said I wanted to slow down, but you get the itch, and it’s hard to quit,” Cain said with a grin.