The foundation was the answer to the most pressing question he faced: How can I make the worst thing that could happen to a father something positive?
“That‘s what we are trying to do,” Kevin noted. “Running a good non-profit is similar to running a race team. It takes a while to get started and understand all that it takes. The foundation takes a pretty broad scope and 100 percent of the money goes somewhere. There are no administrative costs; I cover all of that.
“We focus on education, treatment, the whole gamut. There are some good organizations out there and that‘s where we are sending our money. We don‘t have our own program; I don‘t need to re-create the wheel. I have an avenue to bring in dollars and help administrate, and even help train these people.”
One method he uses for fundraising is the Rayce Rudeen Foundation race, which this year was contested for Plymouth (Wis.) Dirt Track at the end of July.
Using Rudeen‘s business background as a template, what this sprint car team is doing right now is developing. More to the point, it is developing in an intentional manner and, for that reason, it seemed best to focus on the All Star Circuit of Champions, with select Outlaw dates added to the card.
Not only does Kevin think this makes sense for now, but he is also a big fan of Tony Stewart, and likes what he is doing with his club.
Eliason, who finished third in All Star points a year ago, is comfortable with where his program is heading and is still motivated by bigger goals.
“It is fun,” he said. “It is a different series, but yes, I still love racing with the Outlaws. They are the best of the best, but it‘s not like when we show up with them we are down a notch or aren‘t competitive. We ran Knoxville and we finished fifth. With the All Stars I am able to get home every weekend, or at least every week, because of the travel involved. It‘s just a different lifestyle. I still want to race the Outlaws at some stage and run for the championship. You work so hard to get there as a driver and you don‘t ever want to get stopped short of your goal and not make it.
“I think the opportunity is still here, because Kevin isn‘t against it. He just didn‘t want to run the Outlaws, have us go out there and get beat up and get down on ourselves. So there is room to go to the Outlaws when we think the time is right.”
Racers aren‘t patient people by nature. With a drive to compete and go fast, they want to get places in a hurry. Rudeen understands the motivation and recognizes that it “is every young driver‘s dream to run the whole World of Outlaw schedule.”
Regardless of where Eliason thinks they are on the progression, his owner is more than satisfied.
“I‘m so pleased,” Kevin said emphatically. “And I am also pleased with our young crew chief, Tyler Tessemaker. Tayler Malsam, my nephew, drove for me for two or three years. We were in Yuma, Ariz., running that Winter Heat series and he came to me and said, ‘You have to meet Tyler.‘
“It seemed like he was 16 years old. Tayler kept on me and told me he was going to be as good a crew chief as you are going to find in the country. He was right. I hired him the year we ran Joey (Saldana) in the car and we haven‘t looked back. I hope to have him until the end of his career.”
Age and experience can beget wisdom. Rudeen understands the importance of appreciating the journey as much as the outcome.
Sure, sprint car racing is a bottom-line enterprise, but Kevin takes a decided big picture perspective when he noted, “I think they are doing me a favor by allowing me to watch them mature together and grow.”
Eliason also agrees that the chemistry is building.
“Tyler is young and he is learning a lot,” Cory noted. “He has the drive, the skills, and the need to do it. We just have to keep working on it and try to get better.”
While Rudeen cannot attend as many races as he would like, he can use modern streaming to follow his squad‘s progress. His recent message seems to be on point: If you stick to it, he reminded his team, podium finishes eventually turn into wins.
Everything seems to be falling into place. There is a sense that Cory‘s owner is correct and sometime very soon wins will come in bunches. Eliason recently purchased a home in the greater Indianapolis area and, with a central location as his base, he can reduce the wear and tear of travel.
As simple as it sounds, at some point it can make a difference, as the fatigue of a long season begins to take a toll.
In the final analysis, to be a champion every component needs to be in place and each has to be in sync with the other. After years of hard work, the borders of this jigsaw puzzle appear to have been completed.
The only thing left to do now is sit back and watch all the pieces come together.