LINCOLN, Pa. – When Cale Thomas is out and about in south-central Pennsylvania, he’ll notice a healthy adornment of shirts that have something to do with sprint cars.
“I’ll go to the Walmart in Hanover and see Lance Dewease shirts,” Thomas said. “I see it every day.”
The names supported vary on personal taste, but the 22-year-old driver from Fairland, Indiana who is determined to establish himself in Pennsylvania and beyond, has quickly learned people around Pennsylvania adore their drivers, such as Dewease.
He’s also experienced the other side of that passion: the reproval and lambasting that prowls every corner of social media, especially of drivers who invade Posse land.
After racing in select events in a family-owned ride through the years, Thomas moved to Pennsylvania this year to manifest his talents in John Trone’s iconic No. 39 with hopes to accelerate his lifelong dream of racing full-time with the World of Outlaws. But before that happens, he just wants Pennsylvanians to appreciate his journey.
“I just want the fans to enjoy me racing,” Thomas said. “I never saw [people wear shirts of drivers] back in Indiana or Ohio. There’s a small niche woven into the culture of Pennsylvania that you don’t get anywhere else. The fans are so passionate and there’s a lot of them here.”
Thomas’ racing career in Pennsylvania hasn’t launched the smoothest, and that’s putting it mildly. In 12 starts across Posse territory, he has just one top-10. He’s also failed to qualify for four features with an average finish of 17.6 in eight A-Mains.
The struggles of a driver who has won with the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions stems from a few variables, starting with a lack of track experience. Outside of six races at Lincoln, he has six other starts at Williams Grove, Port Royal, Selinsgrove and BAPS combined.
“It’s been a learning experience,” Thomas said.
Another factor is Thomas is living away from home – 569 miles away from home to be exact – for the first time in his life. His dad, Thomas’ number one sounding board and supporter, isn’t at the track to offer the same guidance that’s gotten him to this point. While grateful for the opportunity, Thomas is learning to communicate, adapt and retain information with a crew he’s only had a dozen races with.
There isn’t a lead crew chief at the moment either.
“There’s a disconnect when it comes to breaking my own ways [of doing things],” Thomas said. “It’s very hard to be fast and comfortable when you have two different views on stuff. But when you have the same goal and you have good people that want you to win, want you to do good, you eventually get to a point where you find common ground, you know?”
Bad luck has also gotten the best of Thomas at times. In his third start at Lincoln, Thomas won his heat and raced to an early lead, but the promising run took a nosedive when he tangled with a lapped car, bending the rear suspension. In his fourth Lincoln start, he timed fourth in group two and led his heat before spinning out of the lead.
Last weekend at Port Royal, Thomas started second in his heat and then got caught up in an odd, unfortunate incident on the initial jump that forced him to the B-Main.
Additionally, Thomas won his heat in his first start at Williams Grove, but experienced a rude awakening in the feature, tanking from sixth to finish 19th, one lap down.
“It’s just a tough situation we’re in right now,” Thomas said. “All in all, I think we’ve shown good speed. It’s just we’ve had bad luck.”
Yet, when Thomas browses social media, he’s often criticized and lambasted.
“Usually, I read more comments than I probably should,” Thomas started, before flaring a smile, “but, honestly, I think I like it. I like proving people wrong. I love it. I eat it up.”
Thomas knows he can wheel with a lot of eyeballs on him, too, because he’s done it before.
Last year, he finished 18th in the famed Kings Royal at Eldora.
“And Daryn Pittman ran 19th,” Thomas said.
While nothing to boast about because he ultimately fell short of the main event, Thomas made it to the B-Main of last year’s Knoxville Nationals.
“Donny Schatz was also in the B-Main,” said Thomas, who is more than confident he can emulate that kind of headway in Pennsylvania.
“If they hate me now, they sure are going to hate me when I start winning,” Thomas said. “I still plan on them hating me. … But I also hope I gain fans, too.”
In a way, he wants to be known for something. He’s not quite Posse – “I’m not Posse. But my ride is Posse,” he explains. He doesn’t want to be known as an invader because, clearly, he’s in Pennsylvania to earn his keep for a little while. Whatever it is, Thomas just wants to be appreciated.
“A lot of people think I’ve bought this ride and I don’t belong in it, and that’s just not the case,” Thomas said. “We’re just going to have to see what happens. I just wish everyone would patiently wait. When the Outlaws invade, hopefully [Pennsylvania will] claim me. Hopefully, they’ll claim me.”