Dave Fuge, Team Manager #16 IWX Racing Chevy Trucks Silverado

Hometown: Sumner, WA Spouse: Dawn
Residence: Concord, NC Children: Dave, Jr., Tom
Years in Racing: 34 Date of Birth: June 10, 1955

Dave Fuge has built a career in motorsports many aspire to equal but few will achieve. His love of the sport developed at a young age in his native Sumner, WA when he met local racer Rick Brock.

“I started sweeping the floors in Rick Brock’s shop,” said Fuge. “But as time went on, he determined I was serious about learning everything I possibly could and let me join the team.”

After gaining experience with Brock, Fuge jumped at the chance to join standout driver Ron Eaton’s team.

“Working with Eaton is where I got much of my knowledge about racing,” said Fuge. “I spent five years with him, starting as a general mechanic. I became the chassis builder, engine builder and crew chief. I learned what it takes to run a team, win races and championships. Ron taught me about how you need the car set up to win, not just run fast”

By 1980, Fuge had become one of the most respected late model sportsman experts in the Northwest. He decided to leave Eaton to try his hand in the Nascar Winston West Series. When his opportunities didn’t take him in the direction he desired, he took a job with engine builders Don and Jerry Cope to build racing engines and to work with Don’s son, Derrike who was just starting his career.

Under the watchful eye of Fuge, Derrike became a very successful driver in the Northwest late model sportsman arena. Fuge’s tutelage guided the young Cope to race wins and to the NASCAR Northwest Sportsman Series championship. The success Cope enjoyed in the Northwest propelled him the decision to move South and try his hand in the bigger arenas of NASCAR and the then Winston Cup series.

While working at Cope Brothers he was at the same time responding to the calls of teams and drivers who wanted his expertise in helping them improve their own programs which prompted Fuge to open his own chassis building and parts business in 1981 with fellow racer Chuck Flora.

Fuge was able to concentrate on his very successful business in Washington. His cars won many races and titles in the Nascar Northwest Sportsman Series and what is now the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Northwest Series and Open Competition throughout the West coast.

“In 1987 I got a call from Derrike asking me to come to North Carolina and help him out. He wasn’t enjoying as much success in the South as he had hoped. So I worked with him both in his first Winston Cup operation and when he took the ride in Jim Testa’s car.

“At first I continued to live in Washington but spent most of my time in North Carolina. Finally, I made the decision to sell the business and relocate to North Carolina permanently.”

Fuge’s career path took a drastic turn in 1989 when Testa decided to leave motorsports. With partners Mark Smith and George Bradshaw, Tri-Star Motorsports was formed to purchase Testa’s equipment and a new NASCAR Winston Cup team was formed.

“We were able to get sponsorship support early on from Country Time Lemonade,” said Fuge. “Bobby Hamilton was our driver and we had decent success including winning the Winston Cup Rookie of the Year title in 1990.

“Loy Allen, Jr. came on board in 1994 with the Hooters sponsorship. We won three poles and had some great runs but being a smaller team, competing for the big sponsors was a challenge then as it is now. By the end of1995 I decided to sell my portion of Tri-Star and get back to the mechanical and technical end of the sport.”

After stint doing research and development for Bill Elliott Racing in 1996, Fuge was introduced to Steve Coulter, owner of IWX Motor Freight and IWX Racing while attending a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in Phoenix, AZ.

“I told Steve (Coulter) that I wasn’t working for anyone who didn’t let me do my job,” Fuge recalls. “I was straight-forward and I think he liked that. Steve hired me to run his fledgling Truck team with driver Randy Tolsma.”

After elevating IWX Racing into a top 5 team, with it’s first win at Mesa Marin in 1997 Coulter determined he would like to take a shot at running in the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series. After discussing the pros and cons at great length, IWX Racing transferred the team from a NCTS team to a NBS team for the 1999 season.

“I told him that being a self-sponsored team in that garage was difficult and might not be the best move for us,” Fuge says. “But he wanted to give it a try so we did it for three years before the money issue of being an independent team running against the “big dogs” dictated we re-think what was best for our race team. The combination of skills and talent in our organization with the backing of IWX Motor Freight was perfectly suited for competing and winning in the Truck series. So we started the task of converting a car team to a truck team in preparation for the 2002 season.”

The 2002 season was the team’s first full year back in the series. With Fuge as the team manager, IWX Racing won six races and the championship with driver Mike Bliss.

“Bliss got an offer for a full-time Busch ride for the 2003 season so we brought in Travis Kvapil to drive in 2003,” said Fuge. “We didn’t win as many races as the previous season but we were near the front every race, had only three finishes out of the top ten and brought home our second team championship.

“Winning back-to-back championships is tough to do in any professional sport. The 2003 statistic I am most proud of for this team is setting the record for miles completed in a season. Of the possible total season miles, this team completed all but ½ mile. This on-track success is a testimony to our philosophy—where no individuals are bigger than a team. We prepare as a team. We race as a team. We win as a team.”

The IWX Racing team under Fuge’s direction is ready for the 2004 season.

“Having Jack Sprague, the only three-time Truck Series champion as our driver brings even more excitement and experience to our organization,” Fuge concluded. “We are about winning races and championships and so is Jack. With the continued support of IWX Motor Freight along with the addition of Chevy Trucks as our sponsor and the support from GM Racing that comes as part of the package is a huge asset.

“We know how to build trucks that stay together and finish races. That is how you win and start the climb to capturing another championship.”

For information on Dave Fuge, please contact:

Judy Dominick
SpeedZone Marketing
260 Aviation Blvd
Statesville, NC 28677
Phone – 704-871-2260
Fax – 704-871-1928
Cell – 317-408-1049
Email – jdkracer@aol.com
 

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