ASCS Frontier Region sprint car driver David Hoiness is quick to point out the difficulties of racing in his area of the country.
ASCS Frontier Region sprint car driver David Hoiness is quick to point out the difficulties of racing in his area of the country. Due to the colder temperatures that exist in Big Sky Country, racing has a very short season.
“(It’s) like from about May to September,” Hoiness noted.
“Also, all the guys that race up here have nine-to-five jobs and with the minimal number of races,” he continued. “So, most of them look at racing as a hobby. That‘s my situation, too, but don‘t think I don‘t want to win, (because) I sure do!”
And Hoiness has been increasing his win total. During the 2017 and 2018 seasons, he won consecutive championships in the tough ASCS Frontier Region. It would be expected that Hoiness would be attempting to defend his championship, going for a third straight title.
However, instead, Hoiness is taking a break in 2019 and hopes to return for the 2020 season.
“It was the way I won that second title,” he explained. “It was near the end of the season and I was running a strong second in points. Then there was a disagreement between a track owner and ASCS, with the track owner refusing to allow the sanction. The drivers were told that they would be penalized if they went to that race.
“Well, a number of the drivers went and lost points, giving me the title. That‘s not the way I like to win a title; I want it coming on the track.”
Hoiness comes from a racing family, but not sprint car racing. His father, Dave, has had a long motorcycle racing career.
“It was assumed that I would also follow in two-wheel racing, but I decided to go to four-wheel race cars,” Hoiness said. “Dad would have liked it if I had gone with the bikes, but he went along with my decision and has been my crew chief and a financial supporter.”
David started his racing career in quarter-midgets in 1999 and continued in that division for four years.
He won a number of races and excelled in higher-level regional competition, including a pair of QMA regional titles. He also competed in several Grand Nationals, with a best effort of a ninth place.
DAVID HOINESS
DOB: October 27, 1986
HOMETOWN: Billings, Montana
SERIES: ASCS Frontier Region
SPONSORS: Ideal Manufacturing, Stagg Insurance, and Bertram Drilling
In 2003 and ‘04, it was the 1,200cc winged mini-sprints, where he earned a dozen wins and a track championship and the Rookie of the Year award. In 2005, David hit the road in the mini-sprints, running in the northern U.S. tracks and in Canada.
He had moved to a spec 750cc mini-sprint, and took a runner-up finish at a local track and four wins out of four races in Canada.
Starting in 2006, he moved to the Big Sky 360 winged sprints. That first year, he finished ninth in the points and earned that series Rookie of the Year honors. He moved up two positions the next season, finishing seventh in points.
ASCS winged 360s hit the scene in 2013, and David garnered a third, two fourths, and a seventh in season points before his aforementioned ‘17 and ‘18 title years.
“There are no plans for racing in 2019,” said Hoiness. “I will be getting married and I still have an uneasy feeling about that the 2018 situation.
“I hope to get things settled down, and I think there is a good chance I‘ll come back for the 2020 season and get back with ASCS.”