Beetle squashes the competition

By John Behling
Enveloped in a chorus of roaring engines, waves of dust, rocks and debris and the general disorder of a crowded speedway, Dustin Smith, 23, sat calmly on the bleachers, lowering his head to avoid getting dust in his eyes. When this reporter yelled over the noise,
ìHow did you do?î he responded by raising his pointer finger.
Smith had won the heat race and earned the pole position for the feature race later that evening, Friday Aug., 1. It was his first showing in nearly five weeks.
This absence is quite a change from last year. During his second year racing at Kopellah, Smith won 13 out of 18 races to clinch a tight contest for Top Points Winner in the Mini Stock Division. But that feat is even more impressive to some when taken into account what Smith drove across the finish line those 13 races: a Volkswagon Beetle.
After a year of racing a Volkswagon Scirocco, Smith decided to build a VW Beetle. Although this model is unheard of in racing circles, Smith wasnít deterred.
ìI had faith,î he said during an interview at his parentís home in North Branch.
Smith has made a hobby out of working on Beetles, dating back to his first, a 1973 model, which eventually became a dune buggy. Currently, Smith has four bugs in various stages of construction. He stands behind the car due to its ìuniqueness and simplicity.î
ìThe engine is in the right end,î Smith said of the carís a-typical construction.
The older model Beetle is somewhat difficult to find in Minnesota, due to its lack of a heater, so Smith had to look to different parts of the country. His habit of buying cars on vacation has resulted in his mom, Char Smith, barring the tow bar from family trips.
After such a successful year, Smith had to hold off on racing to make time for a different project: his house.
Smith spent most of his time this summer working on remodeling and moving a farm house from Isanti to a location near his parentís home in North Branch. With some of that work behind him, Smith hopes to finish out the season, which ends in September.
At the track, Smith appeared calm and confident during the long wait before his feature race. He spent some of the time chatting with high school friend and fellow mini stock competitor, Gabe Kennedy.
Kennedy races a Ford Mustang, a much more common model at the race track. He remembers the reaction to Smithís Beetle last year.
ìA lot of people didnít want him to run a foreign car ... Iím all for it,î Kennedy said.
After the heat rounds ended, Smith returned to his vehicle to make sure that everything was ready for the race.
After lining up in the staging area, Smith weathered a nerve- racking wait. While he sat in his car, the Street Stock Feature Race became a drawn-out mess of spin-outs, flat tires and caution flags. Finally the race finished and mini stock cars filed onto the track.
Utilizing his starting position to set the pace, Smith pulled away for a comfortable lead. With at least a car length between him and his pursuers he had the freedom to use the whole track and put more distance between himself and the pack. However, as he pulled on to the home stretch, Smith had to overtake the last place car, forcing him to slow down for a moment and giving second placed Gabe Kennedy an opportunity to make a move.
The exciting finish was a close call, but Smith pulled out the victory, re-establishing his dominance at Kopellah.
After having his picture taken at the grand stand and receiving his trophy, Smith celebrated the victory by spinning a doughnut in front of the crowd. He then brought the car off the track to celebrate with his friends and competitors.
Kopellah Speedway is located in Centuria Wisc. Races begin at 7 p.m. every Friday.

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