A Tonawanda, New York native can now add winner at stock car racing’s famed Talladega Superspeedway to his resume. Andy Jankowiak won his first ARCA Menards Series race over the weekend.
For the 38-year-old Jankowiak, you could say racing is in his blood. From his father, mother and uncles, everyone chased a checkered flag.
"I couldn't have asked for a better childhood growing up. Lancaster [Speedway] was just the place to be on Saturday nights," Jankowiak told BTPM NPR. "That's where all my friends were, and that's where my heroes raced. I'd spend five days in school just waiting for the weekend and getting to go racing again."
The Alabama Manufactured Housing 200 at Talladega wasn’t an easy race to win. The day saw several caution flags thrown out, as well as a multi-car wreck with just a handful of laps to go.
“The key is just always to be in one of the front positions late in the race, and just wait and see what happens," he said. "Because once you get to the end of the race, if a driver makes a mistake and you can capitalize on it, then maybe we could go win a race.”
When Jankowiak’s No. 71 KLAS Motorsports car crossed the finish line, it marked a major milestone for his career. The ARCA Menards Series is a feeder circuit owned by NASCAR, a stepping stone for racers.
Jankowiak said it was a rush of emotions to win a race at the historic Talladega, especially with plenty of support from other Western New Yorkers on his crew.
"It's hard to accept that it actually happened in some ways, just because it doesn't feel real. You dream about doing stuff like this, and I'm just so happy," said Jankowiak. "I'm happy for my team and for everybody that kind of put me in this position and gave me this opportunity, and to be able to kind of come through and share this with everybody. That was my favorite part."
Between gaps in the ARCA Series, Jankowiak said he’ll be back home in Western New York, racing at local tracks like Lancaster and Holland. And if you’re lucky, you might just get the Talladega-winning driver to deliver you a pizza.
“I've been at Bob and John's La Hacienda for 19 years," he said. "It's now my side hustle. I'm a full-time race car driver, but I do still go back and work. I’m working Sunday actually."
