Just the mention of his name conjures up images of a true outlaw driving a car to the absolute limits. Jan was an "outlaw" before it was fashionable. It never mattered to him where he was going to race next week, so long as he got there. It never bothered him that the car he was to drive was a "shitbox", so long as it had 4 wheels and an engine. And when he did get to the point opf steady rides, like the Bogar #90, he could tell you whatever changes were made to the car, from race to race, or week to week. He had a certain talent and gift that only a few are lucky enough to have.
Until recently, he was also one of the last to live the dream of driving a sprint car to a ride at Indy. Yeah, the hippie sprint car driver made the trip to Indy a couple of times, but sprint cars was where his heart was.
Jan ran where the money was. It didn't matter what organization was sanctioning the event, or if the car was painted or not.
In Central PA Jan ran with some of the big dogs pf the time, and would beat them regularly. Names like Lynn Paxton and Elmer Ruby. But perhaps the biggest rivalry was between him and Kenny Weld in Bob Wiekert's "Beefmobile". As a kid, I can remember watching the two of them driving thier hearts out. Kenny with the horsepower and Jan with the gift. And you really never knew how things would end until the checkered flag dropped.

 We lost Jan this year, as well as Kenny. Some say that it was time. That Jan had become such a burden on his parents that, well, it ws time. I simply put it to you that the Sprint Car world has lost 2 more legends. Jan did more to bring sprint car racing to the front as a legitamate sport as anyone else. He showed the promoters and the car owners, that if you put on a good show, the fans would come. And if the fans came, the better money would come.

Jan, and Kenny, we'll miss ya both. And right now, you can be sure that there is one hell of a feature show going on in racer's heaven! God's Speed...
 
 

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