Dollansky continues to partake in occasional physical therapy and acupuncture. While some days are better than others, his passion for racing sprint cars was ignited last summer.
“I went to Knoxville Raceway last summer for the Hall of Fame inductions,” he said. “A former crew member was being inducted, so I went for that. We went to the race that night and I was standing there talking to my daughter and Carson McCarl. Dustin Selvage came up and said something about us racing for him at the Knoxville Nationals. I said I’m done until my back is fixed. At that time, I didn’t know if it was going to happen again.
“He’s got a young family. They just had a baby. It’s a family-owned team and he was looking at stepping out of the seat. I think he was the first person I called (when I was ready to race). I want to walk before I run, but I feel like I can get back in a race car.”
Dollansky and Selvage hashed out the details during the offseason and kicked off the season in April, approximately 21 months since Dollansky last competed. Dollansky’s return came in an IRA Sprint Car Series and Midwest Open Wheel Association event at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, two weeks before the season opener at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway.
“I went pretty conservative,” he said. “It was good to get reacclimated and be able to start the car. I felt really comfortable around other cars and doing restarts. The track had a few holes and it didn’t bother my back. I’m approaching the year as it will take a couple more months to get my body where it needs to be.
“I’m not the most patient person in that regard and that’s not one of my strong points. I’ve learned some things the hard way. That’s the approach we’ve taken. I’m happy to be back in a race car. It’s been my life for a long time. It’s what I worked on from the days of working on oil rigs and moving houses. I feel like I have a lot left in the tank once I get completely healed.”
Unfortunately, Dollansky was sidelined for a few weeks after he dislocated his left elbow in a non-racing related incident in late April.
“I had no idea how much pain is associated with that until that happened,” he said. “It’s been quite a process. I tried to race that first weekend. After three days, I cut my cast off. I couldn’t buckle my seat belt or put on my helmet. The doctors told me no lifting or using my arm until July. I went against the grain.”
Dollansky parked himself in June, skipping the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series doubleheader at Knoxville Raceway as well as the famed Jackson Nationals at Jackson (Minn.) Motorplex in an effort to heal.
“I definitely don’t want to make it worse for this summer,” he said. “We’ve got some big races coming up.”
Dollansky, who was the inaugural World of Outlaws Gumout Series champion in 2000 and who is tied for 12th on the all-time World of Outlaws wins list with 66 victories, spent most of his career beating up and down the road.
Dollansky followed the Gumout Series title by spending the next 13 years as a full-time outlaw, earning a top-five finish in the points eight times.
“I felt like there’s no way I could continue on the Outlaws tour beyond 45,” said Dollansky, who is 53. “It’s a grueling schedule and a grueling tour. The traveling up and down the road is just as hard as the racing. As you get older you find you can race into your 50s and race well. I think Jac Haudenschild just won the Trophy Cup at 60 against a bunch of young drivers. I think I have a few years left.
“Racing is who we are and it’s what we’ve done. It was very difficult to be sidelined, to be laid up like I was,” Dollansky noted. “I feel like the sport of sprint car racing is in a great state. It’s gained a lot in popularity and the media aspect of things. It’s a strong sport and it’s a great sport. It’s some of the greatest racing you can watch and be a part of.”
Not only has Dollansky’s driving interest been rejuvenated, so has his ownership role. Dollansky has become part of the Upper Midwest Sprint Car Series.
“It’s been pretty awesome to go to those events and see those guys racing traditional cars,” he said. “I’m doing some driver coaching. I’d like to do a driver school. I have a lot in my well that I want to tap into to help other drivers to give back to the sport.”
Dollansky would also like to start his own sprint car team. His goal is to build the foundation and then put one of his sons behind the wheel once he is ready to retire for good.
“Ramping up our own team, being a part of the UMSS, those are the things and the direction I wanted to go,” he said. “I want to be a part of this sport forever. I’m just happy to be back and on my feet. There were a lot of unknowns laying in the hospital bed. Some of those unknowns are being answered.”
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