Sprint car driver Max Stambaugh, of Elida, Ohio, enjoyed an excellent start to his season.
He finished second on the final night of the King of the 360s at East Bay Raceway in Gibsonton, Fla., during February and backed it up with a victory in the North-South Shootout that was co-sanctioned by the Great Lakes Super Sprints and the United Sprint Car Series at I-75 Raceway in Sweetwater, Tenn.
Last year, Stambaugh captured the Great Lakes Super Sprints title on the strength of four victories. While his 2022 success was impressive, he’s on course for an even better season if he maintains his recent momentum.
Stambaugh wasn’t sure what to expect entering last year.
“It was a new team and a new ride for me with Smith Motorsports,” he explained.
“Our goal going into the year was to win a championship. Winning it that first year with Steve (Smith) was pretty cool.
“The GLSS title went right down to the final race at Attica with Dustin Daggett. I won four races last year. I believe I had an eight-point lead entering that final race,” Stambaugh added. “I finished third in the A-main and I’m not sure where he finished. But I had to finish ahead of him to seal the deal, and I did.”
Claiming the 2022 GLSS crown was the 26-year-old racer’s biggest achievement to date, but it wasn’t his first championship. Stambaugh earned the 2021 Sprints On Dirt title and was rookie of the year with the All Star Circuit of Champions in 2017.
When he talks of his success this year, he understands early season wins build confidence.
“When you listen to the Outlaws guys, they always say getting a win early in the season gives you motivation and everything seems to come a little easier,” Stambaugh said. “Hopefully, this is a sign we’ll have a good 2023 season.”
Stambaugh’s bucket list is still long but with reasonable goals.
“I got an opportunity to run for Ray Marshall Motorsports and do the whole All Star deal in 2017,” he recalled. “From 2017-’21, I was pushing to do more 410 racing and try to do it as a living you could say. Now, I’m more of a weekend-type guy with a full-time job and all that stuff.
“Prior to 2017, I had very few 410 starts. It was kind of a fluke deal. Their driver got hurt. I was fortunate to get an opportunity to fill in and that’s what led to the full-time opportunity,” Stambaugh added. “The biggest difference between the 410 and 360 is speed and reaction time. The speed and horsepower with a 410 is way more than a 360.
“The team I drive for now also has a 410. When we’re not running the 360, we’ll run the 410 occasionally. I think it makes me a better driver. Racing with the All Stars makes you better at running with the local competition. I think 360 racing kind of slows down a little bit. The 410 stuff is way more upbeat and there’s way more pace. There’s defiantly a little more of a gap.”
Stambaugh has had the opportunity to race with the World of Outlaws on occasion and is pleased with his past results.
“I’ve run with the Outlaws a couple of times and made the Brad Doty Classic A-main in 2017. I always laugh about it because I banged wheels with Kyle Larson,” Stambaugh said. “It’s crazy. Those guys are good. Those guys race 80 times a year. They do it for a living and are on it.”
Stambaugh, who is a truck driver, was asked what he would do if he was given a full-time WoO ride at this stage of his career.
“I don’t think so. Racing on the weeks is my lifestyle,” he said flatly. “I’m not sure I want to race that many times a year now.”
Having never run a non-winged sprint car, Stambaugh has no desire to give it a try. He’s perfectly happy racing winged cars.
“I’ve never really thought about doing anything different,” he said. “I’m happy where I’m at. I feel like I’m a weekend warrior. I go to work throughout the week and race on the weekends. I’m happy with that.”
Max Stambaugh
Birthday: Nov. 16, 1996
Hometown: Elida, Ohio
Series: Great Lakes Super Sprints
Sponsors: Smith Motorsports, TC Powersports, Brembo Brakes, Gerome County Market, Gressman Power Sports, Jerry Whitted.
This story appeared in the June 14, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
